What to watch at the Olympics this weekend

Published 1:30 pm Friday, August 5, 2016

You love the Olympics, but you’re no expert, not even an aficionado. Below, a few highlights of the Olympic calendar as the Games kick off in full force. Events can be live-streamed on NBC’s website. All times are EDT.

– Saturday, Aug. 6:

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-4 p.m.: The U.S. women’s soccer team takes on France.

After opening group play against New Zealand, one of America’s most popular Olympic teams will play its second game, this time against France, another medal contender. The American women won their third straight Olympic gold in 2012 in London by avenging a 2011 FIFA World Cup loss to Japan. Led by captain and star midfielder Carli Lloyd, they knocked off the Japanese again to win the 2015 World Cup.

This time around, Lloyd and company could face the formidable host nation, Brazil, in the semifinals if both teams advance past the group stage.

The American women, compensated less than players on the men’s national team, have also made headlines off the soccer field as they fight for equal pay. Players filed a complaint with the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission in March.

-9 p.m.: The U.S. women’s 4-x-100-meter relay will close the first night’s swimming session.

With 19-year-old star Katie Ledecky expected to participate, the team will look to pull off an upset after finishing third in 2012 behind Australia and the Netherlands. The Australians, who set an Olympic record in 2012, with a time of 3:33.15, are the heavy favorite to win gold in the event, which should come down to an exciting finish. Despite setting an American record in the event, the U.S. quartet finished more than a second behind the Australians in London.

Sunday, Aug. 7:

-4:30 p.m.: The U.S. women’s gymnastics team attempts to qualify for team, all-around, and event finals.

Gold medalists Aly Raisman and Gabby Douglas return from the five-woman squad that captured America’s second gold medal in 2012. Douglas won a gold medal as an individual in the all-around competition, and Raisman won gold individually in the floor exercise.

But it’s Simone Biles everybody’s talking about. She’s the first African-American all-around world gymnastics champion and the first woman ever to win three consecutive world all-around championships, accomplishing the feat from 2013 to 2015. Standing 4-foot-8, she is known for her utter dominance of the all-around event.

Rounding out the must-watch quintet is Laurie Hernandez, dubbed the Human Emoji for her engaging personality, and Madison Kocian, 2015 world champion on the uneven bars. The event will be tape-delayed and broadcast at EDT on NBC.

-9 p.m.: Katie Ledecky goes for her first individual gold in the pool, while Michael Phelps and the men’s 4-x-100 meter relay team look for an upset.

As she sets out to match the female American record of four gold medals in a single Olympics, and possibly surpass it with five, Ledecky will try to win her first individual medal of the Games in the 400-meter freestyle night. The world-record holder in the 400-, 800-, and 1,500-meter freestyles had her coming-out party in the 2012 Olympics as a 15-year-old and is hoping to inscribe her name in the record books this week in Rio.

On the men’s side, Phelps, the most decorated Olympian of all time, will likely be in action on the men’s 4-x-100 meter relay team, which finished second behind France in 2012 and will look to upset the French favorites this year. The relay should be one of the most hotly contested and exciting team swimming events of the Games.