What to watch for - Day 8.

The Olympics sure don’t disappoint. We are pretty lucky to live in a country that is successful at stuff like this and that NBC only shows us events that we have a chance to win. Let me also say that if you can’t stay off news sites or social media during the day and end up finding out everything that happens before primetime, you are seriously missing out. I’ve made it through everyday so far without knowing what I’m going to see and it’s so much more exciting. Just try it out if you haven’t already!

No gymnastics tonight. But don’t worry! It’s not over yet. Just a two-day break until event finals start on Sunday. But track and field does start today and the Americans are sure to be just as dominate on the track as they’ve been in the pool.

Speaking of the pool, Michael Phelps goes for his third gold of the games in the 100m butterfly tonight. This is the race that he barely won in 2008 and took the extra stroke at the end, which turned out to be the difference between eight gold medals and seven gold medals and a silver. The guy he narrowly beat, Serbia’s Milorad Cavic, is back and in lane six. Phelps qualified in first and will have a great position in lane four in between American Tyler McGill in lane three and South Africa’s Chad le Clos in lane five. Phelps is looking very strong right now and is going for career medal 21 with this race. I think it’s going to be gold.

We’ve got Missy back in the pool after she failed to medal in the 100m free last night. I hate to use the word “failed” in a sentence about her because she’s so amazing. Tonight is the 200m backstroke and Franklin and Elizabeth Beisel were the top two qualifiers in the race. World-record holder and defending Olympic champion, Kristy Coventry, will be in lane seven with Beisel in fourth and Franklin in fifth.

It’s hard to label something as the most exciting event of the night, but it might be the 50m freestyle. It’s the shortest race in swimming and really proves how fast a swimmer is. After not qualifying in the 100m free, Cullen Jones turned in the best qualifying time and will be in lane five, while the guy that tied him, Cesar Cielo, is in lane four, followed by another American, Anthony Ervin. Cielo is the world record holder and posted the same qualifying time as Jones.

One of the distance swim races happens tonight in the women’s 800m freestyle. American Katie Ledecky, the 15-year-old and the youngest member of the U.S. team, qualified for the final in third and will be in lane three. Analysts say that even at 15 she is the real deal. Great Britain’s star swimmer, Rebecca Adlington, is the defending Olympic champion and world record holder. She qualified in first and will be the overwhelming fan favorite.

There will be some qualifiers for various track and field events and finals in two.

I strongly suggest you cheer for Christian Cantwell in the men’s shot put final tonight. Why? Well, because he is a Mizzou grad (can’t imagine you need anymore reason than that). He won silver in Beijing and qualified for tonight’s finals in first. Americans Reese Hoffa and Ryan Whitnig also qualified for the final. Whitnig won the event at this year’s world championships and has a good chance to make the podium. Germany’s David Storl and Canada’s Dylan Armstrong are also favorites.

There are 22 women in the 10,000m, which is the longest race outside the marathon. Americans Lisa Uhl, Janet Bawcom and U.S. Olympic Trial winner Amy Hastings are all in the final. Bawcom is Kenyan born and the first Kenyan-American to represent the USA in the Olympics.