We pick things up directly after the gymnastics kerfuffle last night--NBC seemed as unfocused as Simone Biles. They came back to swimming, and multiple music cues started then stopped. Meanwhile, NBC hired Michael Phelps to do swimming color commentary, but it appears they are saving him for the major events--and only when the US is a factor. Actually, I suspect we are seeing a lot of swimming prelims they wouldn't have aired if gymnastics had gone differently.
At one point, they showed an old home video of US swimmer Regan Smith in her first hometown race, and as she easily outpaces the others, you can clearly see an official say "What the F--"
More Biles analysis from Nastia Liukin (eat a cookie!) and Torico. They close with a quick interview with the rest of the women's team. We get a lot of "likes". Prime Time Plus included more cycling and water polo--and closed the announcement that Biles is dropping out of the Individual All-Around. She's still eligible for the individual events.
Cut to this afternoon--Lowe sends us off to more rowing, then a rerun of last night's road cycling--why is NBC insisting on replaying events from the previous night? Why not show some event that would otherwise get no broadcast coverage? More swim heats, then a fascinating comparison between the current coverage and NBC's first QISE, also in Tokyo, in 1964 (the year I was born). A US basketball match wraps it up (yawn).
When we hit boring events, you know it's time for QISE-adjacent news:
The New York Times reports that weightlifting, one of the original events going back to 1896, may be dropped due to rampant doping and bribery. I think the games are too crowded with events, and could afford to lose some weight (no pun intended).
The torrid weather continues to be a major concern. Per CNN, a Russian tennis player wants to know who will take responsibility if he dies in the event (frankly, I would say you should pull out if your life is in danger).
Also from CNN, US lawmakers grilled major sponsors of the next games in Beijing (6 months from now, BTW), pushing them to take China to task over "alleged" human rights abuses.
Onto prime time, with a theme of "Bring It Home", showing families of the US athletes. I guess they want to clean the palate after the events of the last 48 hours. Tirico back on the dock, throwing it to Men's Gymnastics. They put up pics of the commentators--Nastia Liukin reminds me of a Pez dispenser. Then more diving--this time men's synchronized springboard. NBC really does a great job with their camera work in diving, with slow motion replays and a camera that tracks them, essentially dropping into the water.
More to come.