Back to Prime Time from last night (I need to reconfigure my schedule--I have 6 hours of programming to watch BEFORE I get to what actually happened today).
Of course, it’s all about Simone Biles--but first, the Zimmer-esque theme. A quick recap of the US-centric Foil Fencing win (gold and silver), and we’re back at Tirico’s cafe (it’s an actual restaurant that NBC reserved for the duration). He immediately throws it to Women’s Gymnastics (limited commercial interruption), with Gannon and Peszek at the mikes setting up the drama. Everybody’s got a story! They go to analyst Roethlisberger, who’s camera angle looks like his mom put him in a time out. Simone gets an “up close and personal” interview (”America hates me!”) before her performance. She does great at first. We actually get prime time coverage (abbreviated) of OTHER COUNTRIES doing gymnastics, then another Tirico whiparound, before he shows us NBC homebase.
Back to Simone--uh, oh, she got an injury during warmups. More events--I think the cream-colored floor really washes out the competitors. Simone returns--I assume they gave her whatever football players get to block pain receptors. Jade Carey blows her floor routine, actually falling out of bounds. Biles does better.
Cut to swimming. Leon Marchand gets his own video package (his coach also trained Phelps) before he easily wins the 400 IM--and we get the medal ceremony. More breathless swims, with Comcast commercials interspersed doing instant “congratulations” videos. Back to Gymnastics--US team members not named Biles are duking it out. We are starting to see those “micro-ads”, which run 5-10 seconds. Meanwhile, Biles is on her own trajectory--she’s doing moves with such a high degree of difficulty that she doesn’t even have to stick the landing.
Another whiparound, then back to Biles and Co. (with an assist from the stars of the upcoming Wicked movie--synergy!) Snoop’s in the stands, watching along with us. The US, as a team, comes out on top, and will go onto the finals.
We get a quick review of US b-ball, and then Snoop drops by to provide highlights of the action so far. He’s surprisingly good--all hail Bob the Cap Catcher! Kornacki (presented by Salesforce) and Jost (from Tahiti) drop by, and then John Mulaney, who’s there to promo SNL’s 50th anniversary. Tirico wraps it up with another medal ceremony and our first medal count--US ahead by 4 over France.
Checked out the "late night" coverage, which is eclectic. Maria Taylor hangs out at a street cafe before running back to HQ. Skateboarding, a segment on the youngest (10 years and 216 days old back in 1896) and oldest athletes (72 years in 1920), a social media check, surfing, a fashion critique, a preview of the next day, and a discussion of flag football, coming to QISE 2028.
OK, a quick rundown of Today Show coverage. The Bobbsey Twins brought in the families of the gymnasts (Hoda: “Wowsville”), Nic Fink (with Phelps), more medalists, and Ina Garten took the gang on a French food tour.
Finally--onto Day 3. Lowe sends us directly to Men’s Synchronized Diving. The UK’s Tom Daley, in his 5th (?) QISE and with a new partner, gets silver. Then it’s team sports, so I fast forwarded through Women’s Rugby and Men’s Beach Volleyball in a desperate attempt to catch up. Nic Fink returns for an interview with Lowe and Melvin. Somehow, he’s a full time engineer (working from home) while training for the Games. More swimming prelims, then we get into men’s gymnastics team finals.
Bugsy Brody Malone gets his video package showing his perseverance, then a team package with their families wishing them luck. Get your tissues out, folks! One of the US gymnasts is particularity interesting--the bespectacled Stephen Nedoroscik. He’s only participating on the pommel horse (his specialty), so they keep cutting back to him in his sweats, waiting hours for his turn. After multiple rotations (and I must admit a nap), the US takes bronze (first team medal since 2008).
Back to the pool, after a quick tennis check-in. The Women's 400m IM final, with Canada's seventeen year old Summer McIntosh taking it in a rout. The Men's 200m Freestyle final, with Romania taking it in a squeaker. Regan Smith (WR holder) gets a video package before she swims a 100m Backstroke semi, followed by Tirico interviewing mountain biking silver medalist Haley Batten back at HQ. A b-ball check in later, back to the Men's 100m Backstroke final--Italy takes it, and veteran US swimmer Ryan Murphy gets the bronze. South Africa wins the Women's 200m Breaststroke. So swimming is not just US v. Australia, despite NBC's storyline.
Tirico takes us to Women's Rugby, then a FINAL swim final. We mentioned the Aussies a moment ago--in the Women's 200m Free, they take gold and silver. More B-ball, then Beach and Indoor Volleyball to wrap up the afternoon.
More tomorrow.
#vivalaqise2024