Summer Olympics Opening Weekend: TV Schedule and Event Preview

July 27, 2012 By Leave a Comment

Though we’ve already had two days of soccer matches, the 2012 Summer Olympics formally begin with tonight’s Opening Ceremony in London’s Olympic Stadium.

Starting early tomorrow morning, anyone with basic cable will be able to spend every waking hour watching Olympic coverage.

Here’s a look at the weekend TV schedule and a preview of this weekend’s events.

The U.S. men’s basketball team should be well rested for its game this weekend against France. (Photo by Kevin Love)

Notes:

  • All television times are Central Daylight Time.
  • Add one hour for Eastern Daylight Time.
  • Add six hours for London time.

Olympics TV Schedule for Friday, July 27

NBC

  • 6:30 p.m. CT: NBC Primetime, featuring the Opening Ceremony of the Games of the XXX Olympiad and the lighting of the Olympic cauldron.

 

Olympics TV Schedule for Saturday, July 28

Basic cable only. Additional programming is available on NBC’s specialty channels for soccer and basketball and online at the NBC Olympics website.

NBC

  • 4:00 a.m. CT: Cycling
  • 10:00 a.m. CT: Swimming
  • 10:45 a.m. CT: Women’s basketball, United States v. Croatia
  • 12:30 p.m. CT: Swimming
  • 1:30 p.m. CT: Rowing
  • 2:00 p.m. CT: Women’s volleyball, United States v. Korea
  • 4:00 p.m. CT: Men’s beach volleyball
  • 7:00 p.m. CT: NBC Primetime, featuring swimming, men’s gymnastics, and beach volleyball

NBC Sports Network

  • 3:00 a.m. CT: Women’s beach volleyball
  • 4:00 a.m. CT: Badminton
  • 5:00 a.m. CT: Shooting
  • 5:45 a.m. CT: Women’s volleyball, China v. Serbia
  • 7:15 a.m CT: Fencing
  • 7:45 a.m. CT: Archery
  • 8:30 a.m. CT: Women’s soccer, New Zealand v. Brazil
  • 11:00 a.m. CT: Women’s soccer, United States v. Colombia
  • 12:45 p.m. CT: Table tennis
  • 2:15 p.m. CT: Equestrian
  • 3:15 p.m. CT: Women’s soccer, France v. North Korea
  • 5:00 p.m. CT: Women’s handball, Norway v. France
  • 6:15 p.m. CT: Archery

MSNBC

  • 6:00 a.m. CT: Women’s soccer, Japan v. Sweden
  • 8:00 a.m. CT: Table tennis
  • 8:30 a.m. CT: Fencing
  • 10:30 a.m. CT: Beach volleyball/women’s soccer, Canada v. Russia
  • 12:00 p.m. CT: Women’s soccer, Great Britain v. Cameroon
  • 1:45 p.m. CT: Table tennis
  • 2:30 p.m. CT: Fencing
  • 3:30 p.m. CT: Badminton

CNBC

  • 7:30 a.m. CT: Boxing (until 10:30 a.m.)
  • 2:30 p.m. CT: Boxing (until 5:30 p.m.)

Bravo

  • 6:00 a.m. CT: Tennis (until 2:00 p.m.)

 

Olympics TV Schedule for Sunday, July 29

Basic cable only. Additional programming is available on NBC’s specialty channels for soccer and basketball and online at the NBC Olympics website.

NBC

  • 6:00 a.m. CT: Cycling
  • 10:00 a.m. CT: Swimming
  • 10:45 a.m. CT: Men’s volleyball, United States v. Serbia
  • 12:30 p.m. CT: Swimming
  • 1:00 p.m. CT: Gymnastics
  • 1:40 p.m. CT: Men’s water polo, United States v. Montenegro
  • 2:40 p.m. CT: Rowing
  • 3:30 p.m. CT: Beach volleyball
  • 6:00 p.m. CT: NBC Primetime, featuring swimming, women’s gymnastics, and diving

NBC Sports Network

  • 4:00 a.m. CT: Women’s beach volleyball
  • 5:00 a.m. CT: Men’s basketball, Brazil v. Australia
  • 7:00 a.m. CT: Men’s beach volleyball
  • 8:00 a.m. CT: Women’s field hockey
  • 8:30 a.m. CT: Men’s basketball, United States v. France
  • 10:30 a.m. CT: Men’s basketball, Spain v. China
  • 12:30 p.m. CT: Shooting
  • 12:50 p.m. CT: Badminton
  • 1:15 p.m. CT: Equestrian
  • 2:00 p.m. CT: Women’s beach volleyball
  • 2:45 p.m. CT: Archery
  • 3:15 p.m. CT: Women’s field hockey, United States v. Germany
  • 4:45 p.m. CT: Men’s basketball, Argentina v. Lithuania

MSNBC

  • 6:00 a.m. CT: Men’s volleyball, Russia v. Germany
  • 7:15 a.m. CT: Men’s handball, Crotia v. South Korea
  • 9:00 a.m. CT: Men’s soccer, Brazil v. Belarus
  • 11:00 a.m. CT: Men’s soccer, Senegal v. Uruguay
  • 1:00 p.m. CT: Men’s water polo, Hungary v. Serbia
  • 1:45 p.m. CT: Men’s soccer, Great Britain v. United Arab Emirates
  • 3:30 p.m. CT: Men’s volleyball, Italy v. Poland

CNBC

  • 7:30 a.m. CT: Boxing (until 10:30 a.m.)
  • 2:30 p.m. CT: Boxing (until 5:30 p.m.)

Bravo

  • 6:00 a.m. CT: Tennis (until 2:00 p.m.)

* * * * *

Event Previews

Archery

Two gold medals awarded this weekend

The archery competition began Friday morning with ranking rounds for all four divisions—men’s individual, men’s team, women’s individual, and women’s team. Ranking rounds determine seeding for the 64-person individual tournaments and 12-team team tournaments. NBC’s Olympics website has up-to-the minute results.

As of this writing, the men’s individual and team ranking rounds are complete. South Korea has been dominant thus far, taking the top three seeds in the individual tournament and the top seed in the team tournament. The U.S. men’s team earned a fourth seed.

The entire men’s team tournament will happen tomorrow (Saturday July 28), beginning at 3:00 a.m. Central (4:00 Eastern, 9:00 London time). The women’s team tournament is on Sunday (July 29), also beginning at 3:00 Central.

Badminton

Group stage matches in all five divisions—men’s singles, men’s doubles, women’s singles, women’s doubles, and mixed doubles—begin Saturday, starting at 2:30 a.m. Central. There will be badminton matches all day Saturday and Sunday.

Basketball

Women’s group play begins Saturday at 3:00 a.m. Central. Men’s group play begins Sunday at the same time.

The U.S. women open Saturday at 10:45 a.m. Central against Croatia. The U.S. men open against Tony Parker, Nicholas Batum, Ronny Turiaf, Boris Diaw, and France Sunday at 8:30 a.m. Central.

Maya Moore and the U.S. women begin Olympic play Saturday against Croatia. (Photo by Joe Toth-US PRESSWIRE)

Beach Volleyball

Men’s and women’s group play matches are scheduled for all day Saturday and Sunday. American two-time defending gold medalists Misty May-Treanor and Kerri Walsh-Jennings face the Australian duo of Natalie Cook and Tamsin Hinchley Saturday at 5:00 p.m. Central.

Boxing

The men’s bantamweight and middleweight tournaments begin Saturday at 7:30 a.m. Central. The men’s lightweight and welterweight tournaments begin Sunday at the same time.

Canoeing

Men’s whitewater canoe and kayak heats get started Sunday at 7:30 a.m. Central.

Cycling

Two gold medals awarded this weekend

The men’s road race starts Saturday morning at 4:00 a.m. Central. The women’s road race is Sunday at 6:00 a.m. Central.

Timmy Duggan, Tyler Farrar, Chris Horner, Taylor Phinney, and Tejay van Garderen will represent the United States in the men’s race. Kristin Armstrong, Amber Neben, Shelley Olds, and Evelyn Stevens will ride for the U.S. in the women’s road race.

Diving

One gold medal awarded this weekend

The women’s synchronized 3-meter springboard competition is Sunday, beginning at 9:00 a.m. Central.

The American team of Kecli Bryant and Amber Johnston, who have finished no lower than fourth at any international competition so far this season, will attempt to win the United States’ first diving medal since 2000.

Equestrian

Individual and team dressage events will begin Saturday and 4:00 a.m. Central and will continue on Sunday at the same time.

Fencing

Two gold medals awarded this weekend

The women’s individual foil—featuring Americans Nzingha Prescod, Lee Kiefer, and Nicole Ross—tournament begins Saturday at 4:30 a.m. Central with 64 fencers and continues until the medal ceremony around 2:00 p.m. Central.

The men’s individual sabre tournament—featuring Americans James Williams, Tim Morehouse, and Daryl Homer—will be Sunday, beginning at 4:30 a.m. Central.

Field Hockey

Women’s group play begins Sunday at 2:30 a.m. Central. The U.S. women’s team opens with Germany at 3:15 p.m. Central.

Gymnastics

Men’s qualification for individual events is all day Saturday, beginning at 5:00 a.m. Central. Women’s qualification is all day Sunday, starting at 3:30 a.m. Central.

Handball

Women’s group play starts Saturday at 3:30 a.m. Central. Men’s group play begins Sunday at the same time.

Judo

Four gold medals awarded this weekend

The men’s 60 kg and women’s 48 kg tournaments run all day Saturday, starting at 3:30 a.m. Central. The men’s 66 kg and women’s 52 kg tournaments run all day Sunday, starting at the same time.

Rowing

Heats in most of the men’s and women’s rowing events will run all day Saturday, beginning at 3:30 a.m. Central, and continue on Sunday afternoon. The second (repechage) rounds of the men’s double sculls, lightweight four, and single sculls and the women’s single sculls will be Sunday, starting at 3:30 a.m. Central.

Sailing

The men’s Finn class and Star class and women’s Elliot 6m competitions begin Sunday, starting at 6:00 a.m. Central.

Shooting

Four gold medals awarded this weekend

The men’s 10-meter air pistol and women’s 10-meter air rifle competitions will be held in their entirety Saturday, beginning at 2:15 a.m. Central. The women’s 10-meter air pistol and women’s skeet competitions will be held in their entirety Sunday, starting at 3:00 a.m. Central.

Soccer

Women’s group play will continue Saturday, starting at 6:00 a.m. Central. The U.S. women play Colombia at 11:00 Central. Men’s group play continues all day Sunday, starting at 6:00 a.m. Central.

Swimming

Eight gold medals awarded this weekend

Swimming begins Saturday at 4:00 a.m. Central. Look for an in-depth preview of this weekend’s swimming events tomorrow morning at Midwest Sports Fans.

Michael Phelps and Ryan Lochte will compete for medals in the 400 individual medley and 4 x 100 freestyle relay this weekend.

Table Tennis

Men’s and women’s singles matches begin Saturday at 3:00 a.m. Central and continue throughout the weekend.

Tennis

First round matches in men’s singles, women’s singles, men’s doubles, and women’s doubles begin Saturday at 5:30 a.m. and continue throughout the weekend.

Roger Federer, Novak Djokovic, Maria Sharapova, and Venus and Serena Williams all will be in action this weekend.

Volleyball (indoor)

Women’s group play begins Saturday at 3:30 a.m. Central. The U.S. women play South Korea at 2:00 p.m. Central. Men’s group play gets under way Sunday at 3:30 a.m. Central. The U.S. men open against Serbia at 10:45 a.m. Central.

Water Polo

Men’s group play starts Saturday at 4:00 a.m. Central. The U.S. men play their first match against Montenegro at 1:40 p.m. Central.

Weightlifting

Three gold medals awarded this weekend

The weightlifting competition begins Saturday at 9:30 a.m. Central with the women’s 48 kg division. The men’s 56 kg begins Sunday at 4:00 a.m. Central, and the women’s 53 kg starts Sunday at 6:30 a.m. Central. No American weightlifters will lift this weekend.

*****

What event(s) are you most looking forward to this weekend?

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Filed Under: Olympic Sports Tagged With:
About Josh Tinley

Josh Tinley writes the Away From The Action column at Midwest Sports Fans, covering all aspects of sport aside from what actually happens on the field, court, or track. Josh grew up in Indianapolis and graduated from the University of Evansville and Vanderbilt Divinity School. He is the author of Kneeling in the End Zone: Spiritual Lessons From the World of Sports and the managing editor of LinC, a weekly curriculum for teens that explores the intersection of faith and culture. Josh lives outside Nashville with his wife, Ashlee, and children, Meyer (7), Resha Kate (5), and Malachi (3). He will not allow himself to die before the Evansville Purple Aces make another trip to the NCAA Tournament. Follow him on Twitter @joshtinley or send him an e-mail.

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