2016 Olympics Results: How to View Live Updates for Saturday Medal Tally
The real fun in Rio de Janeiro will begin Saturday, when fans get their first taste of medal events at the 2016 Olympic Games.
Safety concerns immediately enter the forefront, when open-water swimmers compete in Rio's polluted water.
Before Michael Phelps attempts to claim more Olympic gold, fans will get their first look at Katie Ledecky, a 19-year-old swimming star poised to bolster the United States' medal tally.
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Four years ago, the U.S. led the London Games leaderboard with 103 medals, including 46 golds. As of Saturday morning, every nation stands on equal footing. Keep monitoring the count, as this equality will quickly vanish with 301 gold medals on the line.
Preview
According to USA Today's Christine Brennan, Ledecky will begin her Rio run in the 4x100-meter freestyle preliminary heats. If the United States captures gold in the relay finals later that evening, all preliminary participants would receive a medal.
As a massive long shot four years ago, the teenager unexpectedly won the 800-meter freestyle, an event she is now favored to dominate after setting a new world record in January. She also holds the record for the 400 meters, but arguably her strongest race—the 1,500 meters—is an Olympic event only on the men's side.
Bleacher Report's Lyle Fitzsimmons relayed a common sentiment Tuesday: "It's not whether she'll win gold; it's how many she'll win."
Ledecky is well-positioned to claim individual glory, but Saturday's relay presents more uncertainty.
Despite not collecting any individual gold at the 2012 London Games, Australia remains a renowned powerhouse that expects to corral hardware in Rio. After winning the 4x100 freestyle four years ago, it's a solid bet to stand tall on the podium again.
Sisters Cate and Bronte Campbell, top contenders in the individual 50- and 100-meter freestyles, figure to play a prominent role in Saturday's relay.
Before squaring off, the siblings will team up as the United States' greatest challengers. In an Associated Press report (via NBC Olympics), they both expressed their eagerness to join forces.
"I'm almost more excited to race with Bronte in the 4x100m freestyle relay," Cate said. "That will be a really great night."
Bronte added: "We've always really enjoyed racing together against the rest of the world, not necessarily against each other."
The Saturday event could create the first batch of drama this summer, but it marks the first of 10 medal-event days in the pool. On the men's side, the U.S. will likely have to wait for Phelps to get started Sunday. Yet don't overlook Saturday's two medal contests.
In the 400-meter individual medley, the 22-year-old Chase Kalisz represents the nation's greatest chance of placing. He holds the American record in his specialty. However, Japan's Kosuke Hagino and Daiya Seto are the top contenders. The former earned bronze in London, and the latter edged out Kalisz to win the 2013 World Championship before successfully defending the crown last year.
After placing first in the men's 400-meter freestyle at the U.S. trials, Connor Jaeger has the best shot of visiting the podium. Yet as reported by Phil Lutton of the Sydney Morning Herald, tensions are brewing between China's Sun Yang and Australia's Mack Horton, who are the event's two top contestants.
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