OLYMPICS IN HIGH HEELS: ICYMI 8/15/16 HIGHLIGHTS
RIO DE JANEIRO – August 16, 2016 – NBC Olympics’ primetime coverage of the Games of the XXXI Olympiad from Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, continued Monday night on the networks of NBCUniversal.
Primetime host Bob Costas opened up Monday night’s coverage on NBC from NBC Olympics’ studio located inside the International Broadcast Center in Rio. Day 10 on NBC was highlighted by Team USA’s Allyson Felix winning silver in the women’s 400m, and becoming the most decorated woman in U.S. track and field history with seven career medals. Shaunae Miller of the Bahamas narrowly bested Felix, diving through the finish line to earn gold in the event. Track and field coverage also included David Rudisha of Kenya defending his gold medal in the men’s 800m while Team USA’s Clayton Murphy captured bronze; the gold medal final in men’s pole vault, with Team USA’s Sam Kendricks taking bronze; qualifying in the men’s 110m hurdles; and qualifying in the women’s 400m hurdles.
Coverage on NBC also featured women’s gymnastics with “Final Five” teammates Laurie Hernandez and all-around champion Simone Biles capturing silver and bronze, respectively, in vault; men’s gymnastics rings and vault final; and men’s springboard diving qualifying as 2016 World Cup bronze medalist Kristian Ipsen, and Michael Hixon of the U.S. move on to the semifinal round. Coverage concluded with the Brazilian duo of Alison Cerutti and Bruno Oscar Schmidt defeating Phil Dalhausser and Nick Lucena of the U.S. in the men’s beach volleyball quarterfinals.
This evening’s Olympic action also featured Brazil’s win over France in the preliminary rounds of men’s volleyball on NBCSN; Hungary’s win over Australia in the women’s water polo quarterfinals, and France’s win over Denmark in men’s handball, both on MSNBC.
Following are highlights from tonight’s evening and primetime coverage of the 2016 Rio Olympic Games on the networks of NBCUniversal:
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TRACK & FIELD – NBC
Analyst Sanya Richards-Ross on Shaunae Miller of the Bahamas diving at the finish line to win gold over Team USA’s Allyson Felix: “Shaunae Miller went for it and she did exactly what we saw Wayde van Niekerk do (in the men’s 400m)…Allyson loses by a lean. A really tough loss for Allyson Felix who ran a really great race tonight.”
Richards-Ross on Felix: “This is still a courageous run for Allyson Felix. She had an abbreviated season, only ran one or two 400m this year. To see her come out here and get a silver medal, she deserves so much applause for what she’s done. A courageous champion.”
Felix to reporter Lewis Johnson: “I don’t know, it just wasn’t there tonight. God has been so good to get me this far in my final season, and I just gave it all I had tonight.”
Richards-Ross on Miller: “At this point in the race you will do whatever it takes to win. Training for the 400m is so hard and you just dream about this moment every single night, and she saw it almost slipping away. I actually saw her peek and look for Allyson Felix. She did whatever it took, and she dove for the line.”
Analyst Craig Masback on David Rudisha of Kenya defending his 800m gold medal: “Amazing, majestic win by David Rudisha. It just shows the quality of this guy. It doesn’t matter what anybody threw at him…he took control of this race in the third 200m, and didn’t give anybody a chance to get back in this race.”
Masback on Team USA’s Clayton Murphy with a bronze in the 800m: “Murphy didn’t even want to run this event at the Olympic Trials! His aim was the 1,500m, he missed the qualifying by three hundredths…amazingly he comes to the biggest stage and comes up with a bronze medal.”
Analyst Ato Boldon as Dalilah Muhammad easily wins her heat in the 400m hurdles qualifier: “When you come in with almost a second’s lead in the world standings, that’s the way it’s supposed to look.”
Richards-Ross on Muhammed: “She started running when she was seven and she was never the best. Every year she just kept trying to get better and better. I think a lot of times you see Olympians and just think that they’ve always been the best. This is a girl that has fought her way to the top and now she’s the fastest 400m hurdler in the world.”
Richards-Ross on 17-year-old Sydney McLaughlin, who came in fifth in the women’s 400m hurdles, qualifying for the semifinals on time: “She will be a huge star. What we can’t forget is she’s had a long season. She started indoors in high school, ran really well in the 400m indoors, came outdoors and just ran great. It’s really hard to maintain that level of performance for that long. Then you come to the Olympics. You have the best athletes in the world…it’s really hard when it’s your first time.”
Boldon on Team USA’s Devon Allen in the men’s 110m hurdles qualifying round: “When I was asked who is flying under the radar on this team that could leave with a gold medal, my answer was this – Devon Allen. That’s because he is a big performer…this is a young man that does not shy away from big races.”
Boldon on Omar Mcleod of Jamaica in the 110m hurdles qualifying rounds: “That looked like the Omar McCloud that we saw in the beginning of 2016…13.27 for the world leader – this was just about flawless.”
Analyst Trey Hardee on Team USA’s Sam Kendricks, who won bronze in pole vault: “He’s been consistent all year, this is exactly what we expected of him. Garnering the first medal for an American in pole vault since 2004…it’s a special breed and a special group of fearless men that do this event.”
Hardee on pole vault gold medalist Thiago Braz da Silva of Brazil: “I don’t believe what I just saw. Thiago is on another planet – he is not thinking about anything. His countrymen have just willed him to an Olympic record jump. It wasn’t even close – he was at the back of the runway on the biggest pole he’s ever been on in his life with zero fear and zero doubt.”
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GYMNASTICS – NBC
Play-by-play commentator Al Trautwig on the beam final: “We talked yesterday how strange things happen in the event final. Sometimes, those strange things become memorable things. This is memorable for a lot of reasons. Simone Biles’ mistake, and first individual medal for the Netherlands ever.”
Analyst Tim Daggett on the end of Laurie Hernandez’s routine: “A beautiful double pike and just the smallest little adjustment. This was a tremendous routine.”
Daggett on beam gold medalist Sana Weavers of the Netherlands: “Crazy good, just gorgeous. Shades of Betty Okino. It was gorgeous, it was artistic, beautiful presence on the beam.”
Nastia Liukin on Biles’ near-fall on the beam: “She under-rotated…but that was an incredible save.”
Liukin on Weavers’ routine: “A triple turn on the balance beam, that is incredibly difficult to do. It’s only four inches wide!”
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DIVING – NBC
Analyst Cynthia Potter on Ipsen choosing a dive of lower difficulty for this third dive due to wind conditions:“I think he’s going to look like a genius. Not taking any risk on a day like today is really fortuitous. He can do this dive any time of day, any time of night, in any conditions, and he proves it…fabulous.”
Potter on how the wind effects the competition: “It has been unbelievable. You see the Olympic champion hitting the board, you see divers stopping because of the wind, you see divers falling off of the board and not being able to complete their dives, divers asking for a re-dive and not being allowed once they have made the decision to go.”
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BEACH VOLLEYBALL – NBC
Analyst Kevin Wong on the high winds for the men’s quarterfinal between the U.S. and Brazil, won by Brazil in three sets: “It’s chaos out here. It’s going to come down to the team that embraces that chaos more.”
Wong on the top-seeded Brazilian duo of Alison Cerutti and Bruno Oscar Schmidt: “Had a rocky road through pool play, caused a rumble in Rio with a confrontation (against the U.S.) a couple rounds earlier than we expected. But with all of the pressure and all of the excitement, they really brought their ‘A’ game today.”
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INDOOR VOLLEYBALL – NBCSN
Analyst Kevin Barnett on the atmosphere for Brazil vs. France: “I’m looking around this arena, it has been crowded throughout the Games, but there is not a single seat available. Unless you have a media credential, there’s no getting in.”
Play-by-play commentator Paul Sunderland on Brazil’s Wallace de Souza: “Wallace has been virtually unstoppable in this match. Brazil had been waiting for him to play like they’re used to seeing…Wallace has rescued Brazil.”
Barnett on why France: “If France loses this match and goes home, the story will be the lack of ability to generate service pressure.”
Barnett on Brazil advancing to the quarterfinals: “Brazil was nearly dead, they’re back, and they live to play another day!”
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WATER POLO – MSNBC
Analyst Julie Swail on the Hungarian women’s team’s win over Australia in a shoot-out: “And oh are they excited… I didn’t think a lot of people expected that Hungary would be in this position, able to compete for a medal. They definitely earned it, although they are a little bit surprised that they are in this situation.”
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HANDBALL – MSNBC
Analyst Dawn Lewis on the perfect performance by Daniel Narcisse, former IHF player of the year, and a dominant French win over Denmark: “Daniel Narcisse, he has been the player of the game for France. Eighth goal and he is perfect, 8 out of 8. Every shot he has attempted has gone in. He has been ‘the man’ of the French team in the past and he continues to be a force to be reckoned with.”
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