Friday marks Day 14 of the 2012 Summer Olympics, and the beginning of the end for the Games in London. After Friday, there are only 47 medals (of 302) left to be awarded over the final two days, including one of the most coveted: men’s basketball. But first, we have Friday’s semifinals to determine who gets to play for Sunday’s title.
What To Watch, Day 14: Team USA Basketball, Track Relays And BMX Crashes
What To Watch on Friday at the Olympics, featuring Team USA against Argentina, more BMX crashes and the United States running for gold in a pair of team relays on the track.
Spain and Russia meet first (12 p.m. ET), in a rematch from group play that ended with a surprise win by the Russians. Then, at 4 p.m. ET, Team USA takes the court against Argentina in another rematch -- the Americans pulled away in their game Monday to win, 126-97. Will it be more of the same Friday night?
Elsewhere in London, BMX cycling has a bunch of crashes that they call a “race,” women’s field hockey decides its medals and, on the track, the United States will be running for gold in a pair of team relays.
What To Watch at the Summer Olympics on August 10, 2012:
BMX Cyclng, Women’s and Men’s Finals, live 11:30 a.m. ET (8 p.m., NBC)
The racing is hectic and fun, sure, but this sport was clearly added by the IOC for its sheer potential of wince-inducing GIFs.
Men’s Basketball Semifinals, Spain vs. Russia, 12 p.m. ET, NBC Sports Network
Watch live to learn who gets to play Team USA in the gold medal game!
Synchronized Swimming Women’s Teams Free Routine Final, 12:30 p.m. ET, NBC
Actually, wait, no. Don’t watch this. It’s just too weird.
Women’s Field Hockey Bronze Medal Match, New Zealand vs. Great Britain, 2 p.m. ET, NBC Sports Network (live at 10:30 a.m. ET)
Netherlands and Argentina meet in the gold medal match (live at 3 p.m.), but that will air on tape in the boxing timeslot (5-8 p.m. ET) on CNBC, so tune in earlier for the tape-delayed bronze medal match and see if the host country can end a 20-year medal drought in the sport. For the desperate college football fan, this is your must-watch event of the day -- the blue turf will help soothe your withdrawals.
Men’s Basketball Semifinals, Team USA vs. Argentina, 4 p.m. ET, NBC Sports Network
The United States faces off against Manu Ginobili and Argentina for a chance to face either Spain or Russia in Sunday’s gold medal games. Argentina is the only other country to win gold since the U.S. started using NBA players in 1992, winning the tournament in Athens (USA settled for bronze that year).
Women’s 4x100m Relay, live at 3:40 p.m. ET (8 p.m., NBC)
Get ready for a showdown between the Americans and Jamaicans. Team USA won its heat on Thursday in 41.64 seconds, the second-fastest time in Olympic history behind East Germany’s 41.60 for the gold in 1980. But somewhat surprisingly for the U.S., which hasn’t medaled in the past two Olympics, they’ll be running for their first gold in the event since 1996.
Jamaica will be led by Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce, two-time gold medalist in 100m, and Veronica Campbell-Brown, two-time gold medal winner in 200m and more recently, bronze medalist in the 100m in London. Team USA will be paced by, Carmelita Jeter, London’s silver medal winner in 100m and bronze medalist in the 200m, and 200-meter gold medalist Allyson Felix.
Men’s 4x400m Relay, live 4:20 p.m. ET (8 p.m., NBC)
The U.S. has been dominant in this relay event, winning 16 of the 22 Olympic competitions, and seven straight gold medals (if you include 2000 win in Sydney that has since been stripped after Antonio Pettigrew admitted to using PED). But America’s dominance is in severe doubt Friday night -- Team USA will be without LaShawn Merritt and Jeremy Wariner, both unavailable because of injuries. Add Manteo Mitchell’s recently broken leg to that list, and suddenly the U.S. only has three healthy runners for a four-man race.
Bryshon Nellum, Tony McQuay and Josh Mance. Problem is, a nation needs four to field a relay. That’s not a big problem because the man with the fastest 400-meter time on the U.S. roster isn’t a 400-meter runner at all. It’s 400-meter hurdler Angelo Taylor, who clocked a 44.05 (five years ago mind you). The Bahamas is the co-favorite. If Taylor is the fourth runner, the U.S. holds a .06 edge over Bahamas when you add up all eight runners’ individual 400 times this year. The U.S. has crossed the finish line first in this relay at every Olympics since the boycotted 1980 Olympics (though its 2000 gold was stripped because of positive drug tests).
This race will also feature Oscar Pistorius, the “Blade Runner,” after South Africa won its appeal for entry to the finals after they were interfered with during qualifying.
For more on the Olympics, check out SB Nation’s London 2012 Olympics Hub.
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