We are now on Day 4 of the 2012 London Olympics.
The excitement of the opening ceremony seems like ages ago, and the entire planet is now captivated by the performances of hundreds of world-class athletes.
The digital age has given us the opportunity to see live streams and replays of all the events, but for those of you who want the good old-fashioned Olympic experience on television, you can find Tuesday’s (Day 4) prime-time schedule here.
There is plenty of star power to go around Tuesday night on NBC, and although the events will be tape-delayed, you don’t want to miss it.
Don’t worry, we won’t include any spoilers here, so you can watch the events on the edge of your seat.
Coverage starts at 8 p.m. ET and runs until midnight on NBC.
United States Women’s Gymnastics Team Goes for Gold
The United States Women’s gymnastics team—made up of Aly Raisman, Gabby Douglas, Jordyn Wieber, McKayla Maroney and Kyla Ross—is the favorite heading into the team final.
The team’s main competition will be the Russian fivesome, widely considered to be the second-best team in the world behind the Americans.
Douglas will be leading the show for the United States. She is likely to compete in all four events during the team final.
She’ll be backed by Wieber, who, despite her failure to make the all-around final, is still one of the best gymnasts in the world—if not the best.
Raisman will be looking to dominate on the floor exercise, which is one of her specialties, while Ross is one of the best that the Americans have to offer on the balance beam.
It is all but a foregone conclusion that vault specialist Maroney will lead the field. However, we’ve seen where assuming can get you in these Olympics.
Michael Phelps Looks to Match Larisa Latynina’s Overall Medal Count
Over the course of three Olympics, Soviet gymnast Larisa Latynina dominated the gymnastics world to the tune of 18 medals. American swimmer Michael Phelps is just one medal away from sharing the title of most decorated Olympian of all-time” with Latynina.
Phelps will swim in the 200-meter butterfly final on Tuesday night. Although he didn’t swim the fastest time in the qualifying heats, he is surely one of the favorites heading into the final race.
The man who called Phelps out, his teammate Tyler Clary, will be joining him in the final. But Clary doesn’t figure to be much competition for the “Baltimore Bullet.”
Phelps hasn’t blown away the competition in London like he did in Beijing, but it would be satisfying if he could win the gold while tying Latynina’s record.
Women’s Synchronized 10-Meter Platform
There won’t be any American tandems competing in Tuesday night’s synchronized diving competition, but that doesn’t mean you should skip out on it.
Chinese divers Chen Ruolin and Wang Hao will be looking for their country’s third gold medal of this Olympics in as many events.
Hometown duo Loudy Wiggins and Rachel Bugg will be looking to please the crowd and challenge the formidable Chinese pair for the gold medal. That could be tough, though, as the Chinese pride themselves on their diving pedigree.
Allison Schmitt Goes for Her Third Medal in London
United States swimmer Allison Schmitt will be swimming in the 200-meter freestyle final on Tuesday night. She already has a silver in the 400-meter freestyle and a bronze in the 4×100-meter freestyle relay, so a gold medal would complete the trifecta.
At 6’1″, she’s one of the more powerful swimmers in the pool at any given time. But she’ll have stark competition in the form of teammate Missy Franklin.
Franklin, the 17-year-old American sensation, blew away the field in the 100-meter backstroke and was part of the 4×100-meter freestyle team that won bronze.
She has been heralded as the future of American swimming, but she is also one of the best the United States has to offer right now.
