Olympic swimming 2016 live stream: How to watch Michael Phelps compete in the 100m butterfly

Michael Phelps is aiming for a fourth straight Olympic gold medal in the men’s 100-meter butterfly. He’ll start his pursuit of that four-peat Thursday in Rio, where he’s looking to put the finishing touches on the most decorated career in Olympic history.

Phelps will be participating in the heats for the 100-meter butterfly during the afternoon session, then will swim in the semifinals in the night session. Assuming he gets through all that, which is close to a lock, Phelps will race in the final on Friday.

This is a race that, like some others, Phelps has dominated over the past dozen years. Since the 2004 Olympics, he’s won three straight gold medals in this event. In 2008, he set the Olympic record, and at the 2009 World Championships, he set the world record. Nobody has ever swam this race faster than the 49.82 seconds that Phelps did it in six years ago.

Since returning from retirement, Phelps has also won gold in the 100-meter butterfly at the 2015 Pan American Championships and finished first at the U.S. national team time trials last month, so he’s shown that he’s still the man to beat in this category.

You’ll have to wait one more day to watch Phelps actually swim for the gold, but you can check out his qualifying efforts in the heats and semifinals Thursday. Here’s how to watch all the action live on NBC Sports: