Pitcher Joe Ryan of Marin County and the U.S. baseball team square off against host nation Japan in the gold medal game early Saturday. Plus, Team USA basketball, featuring Warriors star Draymond Green, coach Steve Kerr and Oakland native Damian Lillard, also go for the gold. Here are the top events to watch Friday and Saturday:
Team USA faces Japan in baseball gold medal game
Team USA is on the hunt for the first Olympic gold medal awarded since 2008. They will face off against Japan, who was the only team to beat them in pool play, at 3 a.m. Saturday.
Marin County product Joe Ryan helped the Americans defeat South Korea in the semifinals to the title game. By making it to the gold medal game, Eddy Alvarez has become the third American to win a medal in both the Summer and Winter Olympics, and he will look to make that medal gold.
The U.S. baseball team captured its lone gold medal in 2000 when it stunned a favored Cuban team at the 2000 Sydney Olympics.
The game will stream live on NBCOlympics.com at 3 a.m. and air on USA Network at 6:30 a.m. Saturday.
Men’s basketball faces rematch against France for gold medal
Team USA, featuring Warriors Draymond Green and coach Steve Kerr, will meet France again in men’s basketball, but this time for a gold medal. After losing the opening game of the Olympic tournament to France, Team USA has dominated the competition, beating Iran, Czech Republic, Spain and Australia.
During the tournament, Kevin Durant passed Carmelo Anthony for most points scored in Team USA history. The United States has won gold in every Olympics since 2008, and will look to continue their Olympic streak.
Durant will look to lead the U.S. men to gold beginning at 7:30 p.m. on NBC.
The game can be streamed live.
Team USA looks to add more medals in track and field in 4x400m relays
In what will be the last full day on the track, Team USA will look to reach the podium in both the men’s and women’s 4x400m relays.
In what will be the final race in Allyson Felix’s historic Olympic career, Team USA will try to send off the one of the most decorated Olympians in history with a final medal to add to her collection.
Team USA is the reigning champion in the event, and will be gold medal favorites after their blistering qualifying time of 3:20:86. Kendall Ellis, Lyann Irby, Wadeline Jonathas, and Kaylin Whitney made up the qualifying quartet, while Felix is expected to run the final on Saturday at 5:30 a.m.
Other final events from track and field on Saturday include: Women’s high jump, the women’s 10,000 meter race, men’s javelin throw, and the men’s 1500 meter race.
Coverage begins at 3 a.m. Watch on Peacock or stream live.
US golfer Nelly Korda goes for gold
Despite a strong push from Australian Lydia Ko in the third round, American golfer Nelly Korda leads the women’s Olympic golf tournament heading into the final round of play Friday evening.
Korda finished Round 3 early Friday morning at 15-under after a weather delay. India’s Aditi Ashok remains in second place at 12-under.
Ko and fellow Australian Hannah Green currently sit tied for third with Denmark’s Emily Kristine Pederson and Japan’s Mone Inami.
Korda, the No. 1 ranked golfer in the world, had nine birdies and an eagle on her way to shooting nine under par in the second round.
Olympic officials hope to get in the final 18 of the 72-hole tournament Saturday in Tokyo even if weather delays are expected.
The gold medal will be awarded in women’s golf Friday beginning at 3:30 p.m. on Golf Channel.
The 2021 Olympics women’s golf tournament can be streamed live.
Women’s marathon begins in Sapporo
The women’s marathon will be one of the marquee track events on Friday as the women’s race begins at 3 p.m. on USA Network. The marathon was relocated from Tokyo north to Sapporo because temperatures were expected to be about 5 to 6 degrees cooler. However, a heatwave in the northern Japanese prefecture will put the race day temperature at about 34 degrees Celsius while Tokyo temperatures are likely to be cooler, in the 30 to 34 degree Celsius range. Japanese officials have also strongly discouraged fans from attending the outdoor event because of surging COVID-19 cases throughout the country.
Nevertheless, the women will face the heat and empty roads of Sapporo in search of marathon gold on Friday. For Team USA, Aliphine Tuliamuk, Molly Seidel and Sally Kipyego are entered in the field. All three will be running their first Olympic marathon, although Kipyego previously won a silver medal in the 10,000m event at the 2012 London Olympics. For Tuliamuk, this will be her first race since giving birth to her daughter in January 2021. She won the U.S. marathon trials in March 2020, about a week before the country shut down due to COVID-19.
The women’s marathon can be streamed live.
Source: NBC Bay Area