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Day 2: What to watch Saturday night, Sunday morning at the Tokyo Olympics

Day 2: What to watch Saturday night, Sunday morning at the Tokyo Olympics
Posted at 1:49 PM, Jul 14, 2021
and last updated 2021-07-24 20:09:26-04

Each day of the Tokyo Games, NBC Olympics will provide a rundown of the biggest athletes and the biggest events to watch across a variety of sports. Every single event can be streamed live on NBCOlympics.com and the NBC Sports app, and many can also be seen on the television networks of NBC. For even more events, visit the Olympic schedule page to find listings for specific sports or TV networks.

Simone Biles takes the competition floor for the first time in Tokyo as surfing and skateboarding make their Olympic debuts. Medals are on the line in multiple sports, including swimming, skateboarding, cycling and archery. 

Primetime on NBC

NBC's Primetime coverage is loaded with big events on Saturday night. The broadcast will have live coverage of April Ross and Alix Klineman's opening beach volleyball match and the first swimming finals of the Tokyo Olympics. Qualifying for men's gymnastics and men's skateboard street will also be featured within the show.

NBC Olympics Primetime: July 24

  • Start Time: 8 p.m. ET
  • TV Channel: NBC
  • Live Stream: Watch

Surfing

Surfing is set to make its highly anticipated Olympic debut in Tokyo. The competition window opens on Day 2 for both the men's and women's competitions but runs through Day 9, so the conditions will dictate when the competition rounds actually take place.

In Round 1 of each competition, 20 surfers will be split into five heats of four athletes based on world rankings. The top two from each heat will advance directly to Round 3, while the bottom two will duke it out in Round 2 for another shot to advance. 

Two-time world champion John John Florence and three-time world champ Carissa Moore, both from Hawaii, highlight the U.S. contingent, with Moore one of the favorites for gold in the women's event.

Men's and Women's Surfing

Beach Volleyball

Alix Klineman and April Ross begin their Olympic campaign with a match against Chen Xue and Xinxin Wang of China. Ross won a silver medal at London 2012 playing with Jen Kessy and then a bronze medal at Rio 2016 playing alongside Kerri Walsh Jennings. Klineman, a former indoor volleyball player, will be her third different Olympic partner. Ross and Klineman are one of the world's top-ranked teams and are expected to contend for gold. (Walsh Jennings, who teamed up with Brooke Sweat during this Olympic cycle, did not qualify for Tokyo.)

Another U.S. team in action on Day 2 is the freshly formed duo of Jake Gibb and Tri Bourne. Gibb was originally teamed with Taylor Crabb, but Crabb was replaced with Bourne after a positive COVID test earlier this week.

Klineman/Ross (USA) vs Xue/Wang (CHN)

  • Start Time: 8 p.m. ET
  • TV Channel: NBC
  • Live Stream: Watch

Gibb/Bourne (USA) vs Carambula/Rossi (ITA)

  • Start Time: 9 a.m. ET
  • TV Channel: NBC
  • Live Stream: Watch

Skateboarding

Skateboarding makes its Olympic debut tonight with both rounds of the men's street contest. The event will start with 20 skaters in the prelim, and then the field will be narrowed down to eight for the final. In both rounds of competition, riders will take two 45-second runs and attempt five individual tricks. The contest will be scored by a panel of judges to decide the winner.

U.S. skater Nyjah Huston has dominated the contest scene for years and is the favorite for gold, but Japan's Yuto Horigome is also in the mix. Huston and Horigome have frequently traded places on the top two steps of the podium at major contests in recent years.

Men's Street Qualifying

  • Start Time: 7:30 p.m. ET
  • TV Channel: USA
  • Live Stream: Watch

Men's Street Final

  • Start Time: 11:30 p.m. ET
  • TV Channel: USA (11:30 p.m. ET), NBC (12 a.m. ET)
  • Live Stream: Watch

Women's Gymnastics

Simone Biles competes in qualifications for the women's team, all-around and event finals tonight at the Ariake Gymnastics Centre. The U.S. women are looking to win their third straight team gold anchored by Biles, who won five medals in her 2016 Olympic debut. Joining Biles in the team event are newcomers Suni Lee, Grace McCallum and Jordan Chiles. Jade Carey and MyKayla Skinner will also compete for the U.S. in individual events.

The gymnastics field is split into five subdivisions, and the U.S. women will be in the third group. In addition to the main coverage, NBCOlympics.com will also offer viewers an apparatus feed and a Team USA Tracker.

Subdivision 1

  • Start Time: 9 p.m. ET
  • Live Streams: Watch

Subdivision 2

  • Start Time: 10:50 p.m. ET
  • Live Streams: Watch

Subdivision 3
(includes the United States)

Subdivision 4

  • Start Time: 4:05 a.m. ET
  • Live Streams: Watch

Subdivision 5

  • Start Time: 7:20 a.m. ET
  • Live Streams: Watch

Softball

The U.S. women look to find their fourth win in a row just one day after Cat Osterman powered the team to a shutout over Mexico. They'll play Australia on the penultimate day of the opening round. The Aussies have only one win in three games, but they bring veteran experience in the form of double medalist Stacey Porter and 2008 Olympian Justine Smethurst.

Japan, which is expected to rival America for gold, also remains unbeaten as it faces Canada. 

United States vs. Australia

  • Start Time: 9:00 p.m. ET
  • TV Channel: NBCSN
  • Live Stream: Watch

Japan vs. Canada

  • Start Time: 1:30 a.m. ET
  • TV Channel: NBCSN
  • Live Stream: Watch

Swimming

The first swimming medal of the Tokyo Olympics is set to be awarded tonight in the men's 400m individual medley final, which will take place around 9:30 p.m. ET. Medals will also be won in the men's 400m freestyle, women's 400m individual medley and the women's 4x100m freestyle relay. Two semifinals (women's 100m butterfly and men's 100m breaststroke) are also included on the schedule for the evening (U.S. time), and then a slew of preliminary heats will follow in the morning.

Men's 400m IM Final
Women's 100m Butterfly Semifinals
Men's 400m Freestyle Final
Women's 400m IM Final
Men's 100m Breaststroke Semifinals
Women's 4x100m Freestyle Relay Final

  • Start Time: 9:30 p.m. ET
  • TV Channel: NBC
  • Live Stream: Watch

Swimming Day 2 Heats

  • Start Time: 6:00 a.m. ET
  • TV Channel: USA
  • Live Stream: Watch

Tennis

Two days after lighting the cauldron at the Opening Ceremony, Naomi Osaka will represent the Olympic host nation in the women's singles tournament. Her opening-round match against Zheng Saisai of China will be the second match on center court and is expected to start around 12 a.m. ET, though that time is subject to change depending on how long the opening match takes.

Also playing on center court for Day 2: women's world No. 1 Ash Barty (Australia) and two-time reigning men's Olympic champion Andy Murray (Great Britain).

To find the stream links for a specific court or a specific match, visit the tennis schedule page. Tennis will also be featured in Olympic Channel's daily TV coverage.

Barty (AUS) vs. Sorribes Tormo (ESP)

  • Start Time: 10 p.m. ET (Center Court)
  • Live Stream: Watch

Osaka (JPN) vs. Zheng (CHN)

  • Start Time: 2nd Match on Center Court
  • Live Stream: Watch

Murray (GBR) vs. Auger Aliassime (CAN)

  • Start Time: 3rd Match on Center Court
  • Live Stream: Watch

Women's Volleyball

The U.S. has never won Olympic gold in women's volleyball but enters the Tokyo Games as the gold-medal favorite, having recently won their third consecutive Volleyball Nations League title. The team, which has won medals at each of the last three Olympics (two silver, one bronze), starts its campaign against Argentina in Pool B.

United States vs. Argentina

  • Start Time: 10:05 p.m. ET
  • Live Stream: Watch

Road Cycling

Dutch riders have dominated women's road cycling in recent years and will be among the favorites for this 85-mile race. American Chloe Dygert is one to watch though. Dygert is the 2019 world champion in the time trial but is returning from a serious injury suffered at last year's World Championships. A dual star in both road and track cycling, this will be the first of three events for her in Tokyo.

Women's Road Race

  • Start Time: 12 a.m. ET
  • TV Channel: USA
  • Live Stream: Watch

Men's Water Polo

The United States opens its men's water polo tournament with a group-stage match against the host nation. Johnny Hooper and Hannes Daube are both young goal-scoring threats for this American squad.

United States vs. Japan

  • Start Time: 1:10 a.m. ET
  • TV Channel CNBC
  • Live Stream: Watch

Diving

The first diving medals of the Tokyo Games will come in women's synchronized springboard. Chinese duos have won the last four gold medals in this event, and this year's pairing — Shi Tingmao and Wang Han — will be expected to make it five in a row. Krysta Palmer, who will also be competing in the individual event later during the Games, is teamed up with Alison Gibson as the U.S. representatives.

Women's Synchronized Springboard Final

  • Start Time: 2 a.m. ET
  • TV Channel: CNBC
  • Live Stream: Watch

Shooting

The second day of shooting medals will feature women's air pistol and men's air rifle finals. Team USA's Lucas Kozeniesky, ranked No. 3 in the world, is a medal contender in men's air rifle. In Rio, he was eliminated after the men's qualification round in his Olympic debut, but in 2019, he took first at the Pan American Games in the event. 

The women will also compete for medals in the air pistol earlier in the evening (10:15 p.m. ET). 

Men's Air Rifle Final

  • Start Time: 2:30 a.m. ET
  • Live Stream: Watch

Basketball 3x3

Following the sport's exciting Olympic debut on Day 1 of the Tokyo Games, pool play in basketball 3x3 continues on Day 2 with two more games for each team. The U.S. women won both of their Day 1 matchups, beating France by seven points and rolling over Mongolia, 21-9. Tonight, they'll face Romania, which lost both its Day 1 games, and ROC, which went 1-1. 

United States vs. Romania (W) 

  • Start Time: 4:30 a.m. ET
  • Live Stream: Watch

United States vs. ROC (W) 

  • Start Time: 8:25 a.m. ET
  • Live Stream: Watch

Men's Soccer

The men are back in action for the second day of group play. Reigning gold medalist Brazil will meet Cote d'Ivorie in Group D action two days after rolling past Germany 4-2. Mexico, fresh off a 4-1 victory over France, will face host nation Japan in a battle for control of Group A, and Spain seeks its first victory of the Tokyo Olympics in a matchup against Australia in Group C.

To find the times and stream links for all of Matchday 2, visit the soccer schedule page.

Brazil vs. Cote d'Ivoire

  • Start Time: 4:30 a.m. ET
  • TV Channel: NBCSN
  • Live Stream: Watch

Australia vs. Spain

  • Start Time: 6:30 a.m. ET
  • TV Channel: NBCSN
  • Live Stream: Watch

Japan vs. Mexico

  • Start Time: 7:00 a.m. ET
  • TV Channel: NBCSN
  • Live Stream: Watch

Taekwondo

In the women's 57kg event, Great Britain's Jade Jones can make history by becoming the first athlete to win three straight gold medals in taekwondo. The U.S. has a rising star (and legitimate medal contender) in the form of 18-year-old Anastasija Zolotic. Zolotic won gold at the 2019 Pan American Games and has previously beaten Jones in a head-to-head bout.

Women's 57kg Final
Men's 68kg Final

  • Start Time: 6 a.m. ET
  • Live Stream: Watch

Men's Basketball

The United States is hunting for a fourth straight gold medal in men's basketball but raised some questions after losing exhibition matches to Nigeria and Australia earlier this month. The question remains: Were those shaky performances a sign of vulnerability for this U.S. squad, or just the result of a new team trying to gel together quickly? The team has also dealt with needing to replace players due to injury (Kevin Love) and COVID (Bradley Beal).

The U.S. team is coached by Gregg Popovich and led by Brooklyn Nets star Kevin Durant. Devin Booker of the Phoenix Suns and Khris Middleton and Jrue Holiday of the Milwaukee Bucks have joined the team after quickly taking flights over to Tokyo following the end of the NBA Finals.

France will present a tough test for Team USA's opening game. The French team includes five NBA players, most notably star Utah Jazz center Rudy Gobert.

United States vs. France (M)