From a South Jersey native dashing for the title of the "fastest woman alive" to American rowers pushing for gold, here's what to watch Saturday.
DON'T MISS THE ACTION: For a complete rundown of all the day's events in Rio, visit the streaming schedule page for NBCOlympics.com. Watch every event of the 2016 Rio Olympic Games live there, on the NBC Sports App and connected set-top boxes and catch the highlights in primetime on NBC.
The 'World's Fastest Woman' Remains in Jamaica
While Usain Bolt drew many eyeballs to the track on Saturday, fellow Jamaican Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce, the woman lauded as the world’s fastest, was also expected to put on a show.
Fraser-Pryce has been unstoppable in her signature event, the 100-meter dash. But Voorhees, New Jersey’s English Gardner wanted to bring the title back to America in her first Olympics. She says her goal is to "shock the world." [[389087412, C]]
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They both would come up short as Jamaica's Elaine Thompson won gold with a 10-71. Fraser-Price took home the bronze while Gardner finished seventh with a 10.94.
1 Golden Eight, Not 2
Both United States eight boats – each with plenty of Philadelphia-area ties – went for gold Saturday morning in Rio with mixed results.
The dynastical U.S. Women’s Eight rowers – who train in Princeton, New Jersey – won every world championship and Olympic gold since 2006, and they lived up to the hype taking home gold again in Rio. The team's time of 6:01.49 easily beat Great Britain's 6:03.49. [[389503582, C]]
This year’s team returned only two members of the gold-medal team in London: Meghan Musnicki, 33, and Elle Logan. Other Americans in the boat – Amanda Elmore, Amanda Polk, Tessa Gobbo, Kerry Simmonds, Emily Regan, Lauren Schmetterling and the coxswain, Katelin Snyder – took home their first golds.
Great Britain came in second while Romania took home bronze.
Just after the woman rowed, the U.S. Men’s Eight – with Philadelphia’s Glenn Ochal; Cinnaminson, New Jersey’s Steve Kasprzyk; and South Jersey coxswain Sam Ojserkis – tried to return to the top of the Olympic podium for the first time since 2004 but came up just short, finishing fourth in a time of 5:34.23 as Great Britain defended its Olympic gold with a 5:29.63.
Ashleigh Johnson, Women’s Water Polo Leaves Hungary Behind
Coming off of a dominant 12-4 victory of China, the U.S. women’s water polo team kept its winning streak alive against Hungary with an 11-6 win Saturday.
The win gave the dominant U.S. team, which is looking to defend its 2012 gold medal with Princeton’s Ashleigh Johnson in goal, the top seed after going undefeated in pool play. [[390049021, C]]
Johnson and co. now face hosts Brazil on Monday with a spot in the semifinals on the line.
U.S. Women’s Field Hockey Loses
The unbeaten run for Team USA, with more than half the players from Pennsylvania or New Jersey, came to an end in a 2-1 loss to Great Britain on Saturday. The U.S. will still advance to the quarterfinals, as will the U.K.
Goodbye Mr. Phelps?
Is this really goodbye forever? Michael Phelps’ last Olympic swim in Rio, and perhaps last Olympic swim ever, is expected to be the 4x100 medley relay, as he put a golden finishing note to a legendary career. [[389921981, C]]
But is this really goodbye for the most decorated Olympian? His mom is already talking about the 31-year-old returning for the Tokyo Games in 2020.
