NBC Olympics Schedule 2016: Event Guide, Live Stream and Sunday Rio Predictions
Although the conclusion of the Rio de Janeiro Olympic Games is fast approaching, there are plenty of memorable events to savour on Sunday before the flame is extinguished at the Maracana Stadium.
Indeed, one of the most gruelling and tactical races on the schedule will get underway on Day 16, as the best marathon runners in the world battle it out for gold in the men’s race. Later in the day, we’ll see the climax of the men’s basketball and handball competitions, while Brazil have the chance to win gold in the men’s volleyball final.
Here’s a look at the schedule of events for the final day, where to catch the action via a live stream and predictions for a couple of key disciplines on Sunday.
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| 8:30 a.m. | Men's marathon |
| 10:50 a.m. | Women's team all-around final (rhythmic gymnastics) |
| 11:30 a.m. | Men's cross-country mountain bike |
| 12:15 p.m. | Men's volleyball gold-medal match |
| 1 p.m. | Men's handball final |
| 1 p.m. | Women's boxing middleweight final |
| 1:15 p.m. | Men's boxing flyweight final |
| 1:15 p.m. | Men's wrestling 65-kilogram final |
| 2 p.m. | Men's boxing light welterweight final |
| 2:15 p.m. | Men's wrestling 97-kilogram final |
| 2:15 p.m. | Men's boxing super heavyweight final |
| 2:45 p.m. | Men's basketball final |
NBC Sports and BBC will be broadcasting live coverage of the events.
The action can be streamed via the NBC Sports app (U.S.) and BBC iPlayer (UK)
Men’s Marathon
The finest endurance runners on the planet will race around Rio on Sunday, as they seek to grab gold over the 26.2-mile distance.
It’s an event that contains a clutch of world-class athletes, although the favourite for gold in the marathon is Eliud Kipchoge. The 31-year-old has enjoyed a rapid rise as of late, winning the London Marathon in record time earlier this year. He’ll be desperate to better his silver medal from Beijing eight years ago in the 5,000 metres.
The Kenyan will be rivalled by his compatriot Stanley Biwott in the latter stages of this one, having finished in second to Kipchoge in London. The 30-year-old will hope to have learned from that race and execute a clearer tactical plan in Rio.
It’s a race we may see a fast time in, too, provided the wind stays away early on. Per BBC Weather, while the heat has been punishing in Rio recently, it should cool down for the men’s marathon:
With that in mind, it’s tough to see the Kenyan duo being troubled up front, even by quality performers like Ethiopia’s Tesfaye Abera and Uganda’s Stephen Kiprotich.
Since switching to road racing four years ago, Kipchoge has gone from strength to strength in the marathon, winning over the distance six times out of seven. The Kenyan looks to have been building steadily toward this moment, and he won’t let the gold-medal chance slip away.
Prediction: 1. Kipchoge, 2. Biwott, 3. Abera
Men’s Volleyball
With wins in beach volleyball and the men's soccer final on Saturday, Brazil’s medal haul has been gathering pace as the Games have gone on. The men’s volleyball team has a chance to finish the Olympics with a flourish for the host nation.
The Brazilians will face Italy in Sunday’s gold-medal match after a superb performance against Russia in the last four. Brazil won three sets in a row to book their place in the final two, producing some superb segments of play in the process.
They’ll be up against an Italy side that is seeking to banish its nearly men tag at the Olympics. Per Fernando Duarte of BBC World, there’s a sense in Italy that the team is hexed in its pursuit of gold at the Games:
Indeed, in the last five Olympics, Italy have only failed to make the podium on one occasion, although the Italian players have never been donned with gold medals. The players will be confident of breaking this hoodoo, though, especially given they overcame the United States in a 3-2 thriller to make it to the finale.
Even so, Brazil were excellent in their previous encounter and may not be feeling the effects of a long tournament quite as much as the Italians. Expect their superior sharpness and home backing to push the hosts to glory.
Prediction: 1. Brazil, 2. Italy, 3. United States
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