Summer Olympics 2016: What to Watch for on Day 5 in Rio
There are 19 medal events on Wednesday. Nineteen! Where to start? There's the men's 50-meter pistol and women's cycling time trial. If you want 'em, go get 'em (11 a.m. ET and 7:30 a.m. ET for those interested).
Swimming and gymnastics will be the most popular competitions, and there's also canoe slalom, diving, fencing, judo, rowing, table tennis, tennis and weightlifting—among others.
This is Day 5 of the Rio de Janeiro Games, people. Take a look at what's dropping in Brazil.
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Ryan Lochte Makes Individual Debut in 200IM
Ryan Lochte, devoid of grill but sporting blue-gray hair, will start another quest for yet more Olympic gold in the 200-meter individual medley.
"I left the grills at home," Lochte said, per Christine Brennan of USA Today. "I had to do something different, so why not the hair? It's different—that's me, that's my personality. People say, 'Oh, you're hiding your gray hair now that you're 32,' which is true, so I went full gray."
Lochte will have his hands full with Japan's Kosuke Hagino and Michael Phelps, who possess this season's two fastest times in the event. Hagino threw down a 1:55.07 in April, and Phelps turned in a 1:55.91 at the United States Olympic trials in July, when Lochte clocked 1:56.22.
Lochte was hampered by a groin injury then. We'll see how far he's come.
US Women's Volleyball Team Will Face Serbia
Team USA needed five sets to oust the upstart Netherlands on Monday afternoon in pool play, and it's something the team may have needed.
"They pushed us," U.S. middle blocker Foluke Akinradewo said, per Tony Andracki of NBCOlympics.com. "That's what we love. We try and embrace those moments."
So with that win behind them, the world No. 1 Americans set their sights on Serbia for a 2 p.m. ET match.
The Serbs defeated Italy and Puerto Rico without dropping a single set. Serbia, No. 6 in the world, is led by the 6'5" Jovana Brakocevic and captain Maja Ognjenovic.
The battle at the net will be fascinating to watch for three to five sets.
Give It Up for Table Tennis
This is a Far East battle. Two Chinese women, a North Korean woman and a Japanese woman will compete in the semifinals at 9 and 10 a.m. ET.
China's Li Xiaoxia and Japan's Ai Fukuhara will square off, and Ding Ning of China will take on Kim Song I of North Korea in the second semi.
Kim, 50th in the world rankings, upset No. 13 Yu Mengyu in the quarterfinals. And she had to beat the 60th-, sixth- and 41st-ranked players in the world in succession just to get there.
Ding is ranked No. 2, while Li and Ai are fifth and eighth, respectively.
There Will Be Some Good Tennis Going On
Here's a list of nine of the 16 men playing in the third round Wednesday: Rafa Nadal, Andy Murray, Juan Martin del Potro, Gael Monfils, Marin Cilic, Kei Nishikori, David Goffin, Roberto Bautista Agut and Steve Johnson.
That's some firepower.
The women's quarterfinals will get underway but without Serena Williams, who lost to Elina Svitolina in straight sets Tuesday.
Svitolina will play the powerful Petra Kvitova, while Team USA must rely on Madison Keys for a medal as she takes on Daria Kasatkina. Angelique Kerber, the Australian Open champ and highest remaining seed, will also be in action against Johanna Konta.
Can Australia's Campbell Sisters Qualify 1-2 in the 100M Freestyle?
Australia's Cate Campbell has turned in the fastest 100-meter freestyle time this season: 52.06 seconds, which also happened to be a world record. Two of the next three fastest times also belong to Aussies: Bronte Campbell (Cate's sister) and Emma McKeon.
In July, Cate talked about setting the record, per Todd Balym of the Courier-Mail:
"People have been asking me when I was going to break the world record for the last three years, and honestly it wasn't really on my mind, but every time I got in the pool, it was like, "Will they stop asking me this question now?" Now you will.
It was a really controlled, smart swim. It's what I've been working towards doing for the past year or so—putting together a smart swim.
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This could be a special event should the Campbells get through their preliminary heats and the semifinals to qualify for Thursday night's final.
Men's All-Around Features Japan's Kohei Uchimura
Kohei Uchimura may be the best men's gymnast of all time. As Brian Cazeneuve of Sports Illustrated wrote July 31, that won't be some hollow platitude if Uchimura wins the men's all-around Wednesday:
"No longer will it make sense to debate his achievements in contemporary terms, but rather [we will have] to ask if Uchimura, a six-time world all-around champion, is the greatest ever and who else is even in the discussion. Then people will inevitably ask him if he plans to continue [until 2020,] when the Olympics will be held in his native Japan. By that time, he will have set the highest bar the sport has seen. The salient storyline in men's gymnastics this year is the performance of its best gymnast.
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Uchimura has won gold in every individual all-around event since 2009. Every one.
All the other gymnasts will be gunning for him when Uchimura hits the routines at 3 p.m. ET.
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