2016 Olympics: Best Events to Watch Live on Closing Weekend Schedule
The 2016 Olympics in Rio de Janeiro may be coming to a close, but there's still plenty of dramatic action to come with the weekend just getting underway.
Between the men's basketball gold-medal game and a slew of track and field finals that could come down to the wire, the final two days of Olympic action should not lack compelling theater.
Here's a look at the complete schedule:
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| Saturday, Aug. 20 | Men's Wrestling: Freestyle 125 Kilograms (Bronze) | 4 p.m. |
| Saturday, Aug. 20 | Men's Wrestling: Freestyle 125 Kilograms (Bronze) | 4:15 p.m. |
| Saturday, Aug. 20 | Men's Soccer (Gold) | 4:30 p.m. |
| Saturday, Aug. 20 | Men's Wrestling: Freestyle 125 Kilograms (Gold) | 4:30 p.m. |
| Saturday, Aug. 20 | Men's Water Polo (Gold) | 4:50 p.m. |
| Saturday, Aug. 20 | Men's Individual Modern Pentathlon | 5 p.m. |
| Saturday, Aug. 20 | Men's Wrestling: Freestyle 86 Kilograms (Bronze) | 5 p.m. |
| Saturday, Aug. 20 | Men's Wrestling: Freestyle 86 Kilograms (Bronze) | 5:15 p.m. |
| Saturday, Aug. 20 | Men's Wrestling: Freestyle 86 Kilograms (Gold) | 5:30 p.m. |
| Saturday, Aug. 20 | Women's High Jump | 7:30 p.m. |
| Saturday, Aug. 20 | Men's Javelin Throw | 7:55 p.m. |
| Saturday, Aug. 20 | Men's 1,500 Meters | 8 p.m. |
| Saturday, Aug. 20 | Women's Taekwondo: Over 67 Kilograms (Bronze) | 8 p.m. |
| Saturday, Aug. 20 | Men's 5,000 Meters | 8:30 p.m. |
| Saturday, Aug. 20 | Men's Taekwondo: Over 80 Kilograms (Bronze) | 8:45 p.m. |
| Saturday, Aug. 20 | Women's 4x400-Meter Relay | 9 p.m. |
| Saturday, Aug. 20 | Women's Taekwondo: Over 67 Kilograms (Gold) | 9 p.m. |
| Saturday, Aug. 20 | Women's Volleyball (Gold) | 9:15 p.m. |
| Saturday, Aug. 20 | Men's Taekwondo: Over 80 Kilograms (Gold) | 9:15 p.m. |
| Saturday, Aug. 20 | Men's 4x400-Meter Relay | 9:30 p.m. |
| Sunday, Aug. 21 | Men's Marathon | 8:30 a.m. |
| Sunday, Aug. 21 | Men's Volleyball (Bronze) | 8:30 a.m. |
| Sunday, Aug. 21 | Men's Handball (Bronze) | 9:30 a.m. |
| Sunday, Aug. 21 | Men's Basketball (Bronze) | 10:30 a.m. |
| Sunday, Aug. 21 | Rhythmic Gymnastics Women's Team All-Around | 10:50 a.m. |
| Sunday, Aug. 21 | Men's Cross Country Mountain Bike | 11:30 a.m. |
| Sunday, Aug. 21 | Men's Volleyball (Gold) | 12:15 p.m. |
| Sunday, Aug. 21 | Men's Wrestling: Freestyle 65 Kilograms (Bronze) | 12:25 p.m. |
| Sunday, Aug. 21 | Men's Wrestling: Freestyle 65 Kilograms (Bronze) | 12:35 p.m. |
| Sunday, Aug. 21 | Men's Wrestling: Freestyle 65 Kilograms (Gold) | 12:35 p.m. |
| Sunday, Aug. 21 | Men's Handball (Gold) | 1 p.m. |
| Sunday, Aug. 21 | Women's Boxing: Middleweight Final | 1 p.m. |
| Sunday, Aug. 21 | Men's Boxing: Flyweight Final | 1:15 p.m. |
| Sunday, Aug. 21 | Men's Wrestling: Freestyle 97 Kilograms (Bronze) | 1:25 p.m. |
| Sunday, Aug. 21 | Men's Wrestling: Freestyle 97 Kilograms (Bronze) | 1:35 p.m. |
| Sunday, Aug. 21 | Men's Wrestling: Freestyle 97 Kilograms (Gold) | 1:45 p.m. |
| Sunday, Aug. 21 | Men's Boxing: Light Welterweight Final | 2 p.m. |
| Sunday, Aug. 21 | Men's Boxing: Super Heavyweight Final | 2:15 p.m. |
| Sunday, Aug. 21 | Men's Basketball (Gold) | 2:45 p.m. |
Before diving into some of the weekend's best, here's a look at the latest medal count:
Men's 4x400-Meter Relay
The United States was dethroned in the 4x400-meter relay at the 2012 London Games, but the Americans will be looking for redemption when they hit the track and try to steal the crown back from the Bahamas on Saturday night.
That may seem like a tall task, but if recent history is any indication, the United States should be the heavy favorite to emerge victorious after falling just shy four years ago.
Beyond the fact that the U.S. has historically dominated the 4x400-meter relay, the Americans are the reigning world champions in the event.
"Since that unforgettable triumph for the tiny Caribbean nation, the USA has returned to the summit of global men’s 4x400-meter relay running, banking successive world titles in 2013 and 2015 and pipping the Bahamas in their own backyard in Nassau at successive IAAF World Relays in 2014 and 2015," the IAAF's official website noted.
Plus, the U.S. has two studs it can rely on to bring the heat when it matters the most.
LaShawn Merritt helped lead the U.S. to gold in the 4x400-meter relay at the 2008 Beijing Games, while Tony McQuay was a member of the team that captured silver in London.
Beyond the U.S. and the Bahamas, Jamaica and Trinidad and Tobago should compete for spots on the podium.
Trinidad and Tobago took home bronze four years ago and will be aiming to leap up a spot or two, while Jamaica last medaled in the event 16 years ago with a silver in Sydney, Australia.
Brazil Targets Gold in Front of Raucous Home Crowd
Two years ago, Germany thrashed Brazil 7-1 to secure a spot in the FIFA World Cup final.
Now, it's up to the host country's under-23 squad to avenge that defeat and take home a win in front of a frenzied Maracana Stadium on Saturday.
"The fans help us," Gabriel Jesus said, according to Reuters' Andrew Downie. "I am sure they will help us even more on Saturday."
Brazil put on a show at the Maracana in the semifinals, when it walloped Honduras in a 6-0 win that thrust the Brazilians into the gold-medal match.
Germany, on the other hand, slipped past Nigeria, 2-0.
While that result may not be as impressive on the surface, it needs to be placed in the context of the team's performance throughout the Olympic tournament.
Not only did Germany shut out the Super Eagles, but it has also not allowed a goal since it played South Korea to a 3-3 draw in the group stage. Germany beat Fiji 10-0 in group play, handled Portugal 4-0 in the quarterfinals and shut down Nigeria with ease in the semifinals.
Germany will medal for the first time since 1988, when West Germany won bronze, while Brazil is assured a medal for the third straight Olympics. However, a gold would represent the host country's first ever in Olympic soccer.
Kevin Durant and Co. Look to Reaffirm Gold-Medal Status
With an 82-76 win over Spain on Friday afternoon, the United States men's basketball team locked up a spot in Sunday's gold-medal game against Serbia.
While it was yet another inconsistent effort that included lackadaisical miscues on both ends of the floor, the U.S. was able to distance itself from Spain thanks to DeAndre Jordan's rim protection, Klay Thompson's sharpshooting and some strong second-half team defense.
That formula worked against Spain, but there's no doubt the Americans will need a more complete effort that spans all 40 minutes when the ball is tipped Sunday.
In the group stage, the U.S. barely edged out Serbia, 94-91. The pesky underdogs missed a wide-open three-point attempt with time winding down in the fourth quarter that could have sent the proceedings to overtime.
Given the way that showdown unfolded, the United States will need to bring a tremendous amount of defensive intensity from start to finish. In the group-stage clash, Serbia shot 51.7 percent from the field and 40 percent from three-point range—marks that eclipsed those its American counterparts posted.
Plus, Serbia hung tough on the glass to the tune of a respectable 33-31 deficit.
If there's good news for the U.S., it's that a tough preliminary showdown against Serbia should have the team on high alert with immortality on the line.
And if the U.S. is able to tame the competition, it will take home its third straight gold medal and 15th overall since the event's introduction to the Olympics in 1936.
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