Olympics 2012 TV Schedule: Day 3 Events Fans Must Look Forward To

Two top-notch opening days at the 2012 Olympic Games in London has Day 3 set to be all the more enticing.

While sports like soccer, swimming and men's basketball have held the majority of the media's attention, there are other fantastic sports fans must take interest in on the third day of action at these Games.

One of the under-the-radar sports set to have fans out of their seats is beach volleyball. The United States has had especially strong showings in years past and will attempt to fight off tough competition Monday.

Beach volleyball is among the three sports fans cannot miss on what is going to be a tremendous Day 3 in London.

Women's Handball

Key Match

France vs. Spain at 11:15 a.m. ET

Handball, one of the more underrated sports at the Olympics in London, will feature some promising matchups fans won't want to miss.

France will take on Spain in the sport's clear-cut match of the day. It is a contest surely expected to go down to the wire between these two strong squads. France comes in off a major momentum boost with a win over Norway, while the Spanish will be in need of an upset to get back on track. 

During Saturday's matches there were some especially memorable moments, which undoubtedly make Monday's matches all the more interesting.

France pulled off the 24-23 stunner against Norway in what some consider "the group of death." The match made it clear that these two teams are going to be medal threats at this year's Games. 

Meanwhile, Korea was able to pull of a monumental upset over a heavily favored Spain side. The 31-27 win for Korea was led by an impressive performance from Eun Hee Ryu, who scored nine goals on 14 shots for her team. Both were team-high marks in the victory.

Beach Volleyball

Key Men's Matches

Mauritius vs. Czech Republic at 4:00 a.m. ET (Hajeckova/Klapalova vs. Rigobert/Li Yuk Lo)

USA vs. Poland at 4:00 p.m. ET (Gibb/Rosenthal vs. Fijalek/Prudel)

Key Women's Match

USA vs. Czech Republic at 6:00 p.m. ET (May-Treanor/Walsh Jennings vs. Kolocova/Slukova)

Twelves matches in a span of 14 hours have beach volleyball taking over the Day 3 scene.

There will be a plethora of beach volleyball for viewers to take interest in on Monday. It starts with a women's match between Mauritius and Czech Republic and ends with two promising USA sides looking to exert their dominance.

Jake Gibb and Sean Rosenthal take on Poland later in the afternoon. The two placed fifth at the 2008 Games in Beijing as the teammates will look to build off of the quarterfinals finish last Olympics.

The day will then be finished off with Misty May-Treanor and Kerri Walsh Jennings taking on Czech Republic. Treanor and Jennings are attempting to win their third straight gold medal, and are the clear favorites in London.

Women's Basketball

Key Matches

France vs. Australia at 9:30 a.m. ET

Russia vs. Brazil at 11:45 a.m. ET

USA vs. Angola at 5:15 p.m. ET

France vs. Australia, Russia against Brazil and a final dose of USA hoops all give fans every reason to tune into women's basketball on Day 3.

Australia and France is the third game of the day, and it's a matchup sure to excite. Australia is easily the best team outside of Team USA and will come out pouring it on offensively in this match. They boast silver medals in each of the last three Olympics and have to be motivated to make a statement in London.

However, France also comes in on a major confidence boost after taking down Brazil by 15 in their first contest. This is a team that is playing their best basketball at the right time, and it could well be a story of momentum in this showdown.

Russia vs. Brazil will be another enticing matchup. Russia is among the favorites to take a medal in London, along with team USA and Australia. Brazil, a team losing their edge as of late, will need to recover with a win after a tough loss to France to open up the Games. 

The day is finished off with basketball from the American women, who take on a significantly weaker Angola team. Angola lost their first game to Turkey by 22 points and will likely get stomped on by the United States. If fans want to watch an impressive outing from team USA, this is one game where they are set to have utmost success.

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