Summer Olympics 2016: What to Watch for on Day 1 in Rio
Zika virus concerns and the Russian doping scandal have been documented, and the festivities in Brazil are in full swing, so it's time to bring on the much-anticipated Olympic competition. Although some preliminary-round soccer matches have already been played, Saturday, August 6, is the first full day of competition and is considered Day 1 of the 2016 Rio Olympic Games.
Swimming takes center stage on Day 1, as the first medals in that sport will be awarded Saturday. Americans figure to be in the mix for top honors in most swimming events, including the four in which gold medals will be awarded Saturday.
The U.S. men's gymnastics team and the American women's soccer squad also play prominent roles Saturday, and the U.S. men's basketball team plays its opening game in search of its third straight Olympic gold medal.
.jpg?w=256 "Colts Jaguars Football")
A few "older" American athletes make beach volleyball and water polo events of significance on Day 1. Here are the top stories to follow on Saturday.
Will Americans Rule the Pool?
The United States has a history of dominating the swimming events at the Olympics. In 2012, Americans won gold medals in 16 of the 32 swimming events and medaled in all but seven. Indications of whether that domination is likely to continue will come Saturday, when finals of four events will be contested.
The showcase event of the day will be the women's 4x100-meter freestyle relay, which will be the final event of the day and should feature a duel between the Australians and Americans. The Aussies, led by sisters Cate and Bronte Campbell, set a world record at the 2014 Commonwealth Games and finished first at the 2015 World Championships in Kazan, Russia.
The U.S. only finished third at the 2015 World Championships but have a strong team this year, with Abbey Weitzeil and Simone Manuel leading the way. Katie Ledecky is better at longer distances, but Christine Brennan of USA Today reported she is scheduled to swim a leg in the 4x100 freestyle in the preliminaries. Even if she does not swim in the finals, she could earn her first medal of these Games in this event.
America's dominance in the men's 400-meter individual medley is in danger. Ryan Lochte, who captured the gold medal in 2012, failed to qualify, and Michael Phelps, the gold medalist in 2004 and 2008, chose not to swim this event. Chase Kalisz and Jay Litherland are America's best hopes for medals.
"The legacy of five straight titles from the names of [Tom] Dolan, Phelps and Lochte finds itself in serious jeopardy this year with a formidable duo from Japan: Kosuke Hagino and Daiya Seto," wrote James Sutherland of SwimSwam.
In the women's 400-meter individual medley, Elizabeth Beisel, the 2012 silver medalist, and fellow American Maya DiRado will pose a strong challenge to Katinka Hosszu of Hungary, although the most intriguing swimmer in this event may be Ye Shiwen of China.
Ye set a world record while winning the gold medal in the 400 medley in the 2012 Olympics as a 16-year-old but has struggled since. She finished seventh in the event at China's Olympic trials but nonetheless will represent China in this event in Rio. You may not see her in the finals, though.
American Connor Jaeger has a chance to medal in the men's 400 freestyle. His better event is the 1,500-meter freestyle, and he sounds like he is just hoping for the best, telling Peter Schwartz of CBS New York, "We're going in there just being optimistic and hoping I'll be competitive in both."
Sizing Up the American Men Gymnasts
The American men have won the team gold medal in gymnastics only once in the past 100 years, and that was in 1984, when 14 former East bloc countries did not participate and the Games were held in Los Angeles.
Whether the Americans have a chance to medal this year will be evident in Saturday's men's qualification rounds, where the top eight countries and the top 24 individuals in the all-around competition will be determined. The U.S. has qualified for the team finals in each of the past four Olympics, and Paul Hamm became the first and only American since 1904 to capture the men's all-around gold in 2004.
Sam Mikulak, who has won the past four U.S. championships in the all-around, is the American to watch, but any medals the American men win in gymnastics will be cause for celebration.
Mikulak will need to be perfect to medal, which has been a challenge.
U.S. Women Face Tough Early Test in Soccer
The draw did the United States women's soccer team no favors by placing France in the same group, and the Americans will get a significant test when they face the French team in their second preliminary game Saturday.
The top-ranked Americans will be favored, but France is ranked No. 3 in the world by FIFA and has given the Americans trouble in the past.
France beat the U.S. 2-0 in a friendly in February 2015, and in their only meeting in 2016, the Americans eked out a 1-0 win in Nashville, Tennessee, when Alex Morgan scored a second-half goal in stoppage time.
France got to the semifinals in the 2012 Olympics, and the Americans had to rally from a 2-0 deficit to beat the French team 4-2 in group-stage play. France reached the quarterfinals of the 2015 Women's World Cup before losing to Germany on penalty kicks.
The U.S. could advance to the medal round even if it loses to France on Saturday, but this game will be a good measure of the Americans' chances for gold.
Walsh Jennings Bids for Fourth Beach Volleyball Gold Medal
Kerri Walsh Jennings won gold medals in each of the past three Olympics with Misty May-Treanor as her partner. However, with May-Treanor now retired, Walsh Jennings will try to do it again with April Ross, who was half of the silver-medal-winning team four years ago. This may be the last Olympics for Walsh Jennings, a mother of three who turns 38 on August 15.
Walsh Jennings and Ross begin play Saturday with a match against Mariafe Artacho del Solar and Nicole Laird of Australia.
Jake Gibb and Casey Patterson aren't the highest-seeded American duo in the men's beach volleyball tournament, but they may be the most interesting. That is because Gibb is 40 years old and has fallen just shy of winning Olympic medals in the past, finishing fifth in both 2008 and 2012. The sixth-seeded pair of Gibb and Patterson faces Jefferson Pereira and Cherif Younousse of Qatar in its opening match Saturday.
U.S. Men's Water Polo Team Seeks Redemption
The American men's water polo team captured a silver medal in the 2008 Olympics but finished a disappointing eighth in 2012.
Tony Azevedo, the 34-year-old U.S. captain, was a member of both squads and knows this is probably his last chance to capture a gold medal. These Olympic Games have special meaning for Azevedo because he was born in Brazil and is currently playing professional water polo there. He spoke with Keeley Smith of the Long Beach Post about how it will feel to play in Rio:
"It's a very emotional return for me. I have always had a special love and connection with Brazil, and I have played professionally for SESI for the last three years in São Paulo, allowing me to reconnect with old friends and family even more. This means that these games will be the most special for me, to be able to play in front of Brazilian family, in my birthplace, but representing the USA really feels like coming full circle.
"
The Americans are No. 2 in the FINA world league rankings and are seeded first in their six-team group at the Olympics. They open play Saturday with a preliminary-round match against Croatia, which is the sixth seed in the group but is projected to win the bronze medal by the AP (h/t USA Today).
Will Absences of Key Players Hurt Men's USA Basketball?
The U.S. men's basketball team plays its first preliminary-round game against China on Saturday, which will be the first chance to gauge the Americans' chances to win a third straight gold medal. Several key players, including two-time NBA MVP Stephen Curry and three-time NBA Finals MVP LeBron James, opted not to play on the Olympic team this year.
Seth Davis, a Sports Illustrated writer and a television commentator for college basketball, responded with this tweet:
Kevin Durant and Carmelo Anthony will be the big names on the U.S. team, which is again coached by Duke's Mike Krzyzewski. China is only 14th in the FIBA world rankings and proved no match for the Americans in two exhibitions leading up to the Olympics, but the U.S. squad will be judged on style points.
.jpg?w=480 "Colts Jaguars Football")
