“They did what great teams typically do, you turn disappointment into dominance, and this was a dominant victory for the United States.” – Rich Lerner on Team USA’s women’s gymnastics gold medal in the team final
“This is an important moment for this group, and for this generation of players as they move forward.” – Tim Howard on the U.S. men’s soccer team advancing to the knockout stage
Simone Biles and Team USA Women’s Gymnastics along with Bobby Finke and Regan Smith in the Pool Headline “Primetime in Paris” Tonight at 8 p.m. ET on NBC and Peacock
LIVE TOMORROW: Katie Ledecky Headlines Star-Studded Swimming Events (2:30 p.m. ET on NBC and Peacock); Team USA Men’s Basketball Faces South Sudan (3 p.m. ET on USA Network and Peacock)
STAMFORD, Conn. – July 30, 2024 – NBCUniversal’s coverage of the 2024 Paris Olympics continues tonight at 8 p.m. ET on NBC and Peacock with “Primetime in Paris,” hosted by Mike Tirico and featuring in-depth storytelling and a cinematic main title sequence.
Tonight’s “Primetime in Paris” features the U.S. women’s gymnastics team, featuring Simone Biles, Suni Lee, Jordan Chiles, Jade Carey, and Hezly Rivera. In the pool, Bobby Finke and Regan Smith headline Team USA swimming action.
Tomorrow, Katie Ledecky headlines star-studded swimming events beginning live at 2:30 p.m. ET on NBC and Peacock and LeBron James, Kevin Durant, Stephen Curry and Team USA men’s basketball, coming off a dominant 110-84 win over Serbia in their Paris debut, take on South Sudan live at 3 p.m. ET on USA Network and Peacock, as they look to secure a spot in the quarterfinals. and more. Click here for more information on tomorrow’s coverage.
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Following are highlights from today’s coverage of the Paris Olympics on the platforms of NBCUniversal:
GYMNASTICS
Rich Lerner on Team USA’s gold medal in the team final: “Four of the five that were in Tokyo. They did what great teams typically do, you turn disappointment into dominance, and this was a dominant victory for the United States.”
Laurie Hernandez on Simone Biles earning a 14.900 in the vault, her first attempt of the women’s team final: “I bet you gym fans and new fans alike have let out a massive exhale after seeing (Biles)...I can’t imagine what it means for her to get through this.”
Hernandez on Jordan Chiles’ bars routine: “If I could scream into a pillow right now, I would. I am so proud of her for getting up there and hitting one of the best routines Jordan Chiles could possibly do here in team finals. The pressure was on, Team USA needs her in every single event tonight, and for the second time tonight, she has shown herself worthy.”
Lerner on Biles: “We may not see the likes of Simone for a couple of generations, in the same way that it took decades to get from Mark Spitz to (Michael Phelps), from Martina (Navratilova) to Serena (Williams), Jack Nicklaus to Tiger Woods. Generational, transcendent athletes.”
Hernandez on Chiles’ floor routine: “An absolute monster of a routine…Quite possibly the best she could’ve done…That was fire, Jordan.”
Lerner after Biles’ floor routine to clinch the gold medal: “Now that’s a comeback...Simone said: ‘We have more to give.’ They gave. And now they’re going to get that gold medal.”
SWIMMING
Dan Hicks on France’s Leon Marchand competing in four qualifying semifinals today: “He’s got exactly the right coach to manage that gameplan. Not only is Marchand peaking at the right time in his home Olympics, he’s got a guy in (coach) Bob Bowman who is at his seventh Olympics and shepherded Michael Phelps through that incredible program not only in Athens, but in China where he swept eight golds.”
Gaines on Marchand’s form during the 200m breaststroke semifinals: “He takes the most inefficient strokes, you have to be born to do it. It’s slow, but he turns it into a tour de force…surging forward, quick heels. He’s got a shot to win double gold tomorrow night. It’s not going to be easy, but it’s going to be fun to watch.”
Gaines on the United States’ silver medal in the men’s 4x200m free relay: “That’s a great job by the United States…Great swim -- remember, they didn’t even medal three years ago.”
MEN’S SOCCER
Tim Howard on Team USA advancing past the group stage: “These guys came in with a lot of pressure on their shoulders…They understand that there’s a maturity that comes with their youth…it means everything to these players and to the U.S. soccer federation. This is an important moment for this group, and for this generation of players as they move forward.”
RUGBY
Rupert Cox on the unique physicality of rugby: “Sometimes we don’t quite appreciate it – there are no pads in this game. It is bone on bone.”
Abby Gustaitis after the United States pulled off an improbable try to win the bronze medal, their first Olympic medal in women’s rugby: “A stunning result from the United States! More history made! … What a stunning victory!”
Cox: “Sevens has got it all, but it’s never seen this before.”
Gustaitis: “A tournament like no other has continued to deliver.”
WATER POLO
Tony Azevedo on the importance of U.S. center Ben Hallock: “It would be like not giving the ball to Shaquille O’Neal. Why would you do that? Feed him the ball as much as you can.”
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ABOUT NBC OLYMPICS
The NBC broadcast network and streaming service Peacock are the company’s primary platforms for its coverage of the Olympic Games Paris 2024. NBCU owns the U.S. media rights to the Olympic Games through 2032, which are scheduled for Paris (2024), Milan Cortina (2026), Los Angeles (2028) and Brisbane (2032).
— NBC OLYMPICS —