Today’s Olympics events to watch (Tuesday): Michael Phelps goes for gold, U.S. women gymnastics on tap
Published 6:00 am Tuesday, August 9, 2016
RIO DE JANEIRO (AP) — Day 4 of the Rio Games features medal action in gymnastics, swimming, fencing, judo and more. Here are some things to watch (all times local):
GYMNASTICS
It’s show time for the U.S women’s team, which made a statement in Sunday’s qualifiers by posting a top score that outpaced second-place China by a staggering 10 points.
China, Russia, Great Britain, Brazil, Germany, Japan and the Netherlands will look to knock off the Americans, which are led by Martha Karolyi . How difficult will it be? Consider this: The margin between the U.S. and the Chinese in qualifiers was greater than the margin between China and 12th-place Belgium.
The Japanese men topped Russia in the team finals to take gold on Monday.
SWIMMING
After already adding to their standout records, Americans Michael Phelps and Katie Ledecky are back in the pool for even more.
Ledecky goes first, in the 200 meter freestyle, at 10:19 p.m. Phelps has his sights set on the 200 meter butterfly at 10:28 p.m. He holds the world and Olympic records in the event.
A little bit later, at 11:29 p.m., the women’s 200 meter individual medley gets under way. World and Olympic record holder Katinka Hosszu of Hungary is in the field. On Sunday, she shattered the world record in the 400-meter individual medley to win gold and on Monday became the first two-time gold medalist at the Olympic Aquatics Stadium, adding the women’s 100 backstroke title.
And, at the end of the night, at 11:38 p.m. the men’s 4×200 meter freestyle relay starts. The U.S., which took gold in the 4×100-meter free, holds the world and Olympic records in the 200.
SOCCER
The Brazilian women play South Africa at 11 p.m. and the host nation’s fans have become enamored of their team as the men disappoint. Star Marta has enchanted crowds, leading the team to a 5-1 rout of Sweden on Sunday.
The defending champion U.S. women’s team takes on Columbia at 7 p.m. The U.S. beat France 1-0 on Saturday as Hope Solo became the first goalkeeper, male or female, to reach the 200th-cap mark in international play. Despite the milestone, Solo was still peppered with jeers from the crowd, which was riled up about social media posts she made about the threat of the Zika virus.
Carli Lloyd scored the lone goal for the Americans. Colombia, which lost to France on Wednesday, already has been eliminated.
FENCING
Men’s epee individual medals are to be awarded after competition through the day. The gold medal bout is at 5:45 p.m. and comes a day after Russian Yana Egorian defeated countrywoman Sofya Velikaya for the gold in women’s sabre.
RUGBY
It’s a big day of action in men’s rugby sevens, with teams each playing twice a day after the first-ever women’s medals were awarded Monday, with Australia winning gold over New Zealand. Eyes are on Fiji — which plays Brazil at 1:30 p.m. and Argentina at 6:30 p.m. — and New Zealand, which plays Japan at 12:30 p.m. and Kenya at 5:30 p.m.
JUDO
Women and men compete for medals in the half middleweight divisions (63kg and 81kg, respectively), with bouts taking place through the day. Rafael Silva earned Brazil’s first gold medal of the games on Monday in the 57kg division.