Part of why the Olympics start to feel more real as they get closer is because they're still just an idea until people start qualifying. Sure, there are the stars you know you can expect in Tokyo, but you don't actually know the makeup of the 500-member plus U.S. team until a few weeks before the Games. Once the team fills out, the Olympics are no longer just an idea. They're reality.
That's especially true in the U.S., where there are more Olympic-caliber athletes than places on the team. It's become cliche to say that, in many cases, making the team is harder than the Olympics themselves. But it's a cliche because it's true! That's what makes the U.S. Olympic Trials must-watch TV. And, after five long years, the U.S. Olympic Trials are finally back...and they'll be going all month long!
Things got started today with Wave I of the Olympic Swimming Trials. This whole "Wave I" thing is new, and, yes, it's because of the pandemic. The idea was to reduce the number of swimmers at Trials (and the ridiculous number of heats in some events), so the lower-ranked swimmers are competing this week, with the top two in each event advancing to "Wave II" next week, when the team will actually be chosen.
You know what, though? I kinda like this two-wave format. It's something I can see becoming a permanent fixture moving forward. Because it really is a good idea!
Most, if not all, of the swimmers competing in Wave I have no realistic chance of making the team. They know that. For them, qualifying for Trials was the big deal. But their trip to Trials is usually a short one, consisting of a morning heat that may or may not make its way onto the TV broadcast. With Wave I, however, these second-tier swimmers get their spotlight and there's still a tangible reward...a spot against the big names at the second phase of Trials. And, who knows, maybe the swimmers we see at Wave I this week will be those big names come 2024?
Up next will be diving, where the top two in each event go to Tokyo. Then it's Wave II of the Swimming Trials. Swimming will go for eight consecutive nights, with the event schedule exactly the same as it will be in Tokyo (minus the relays, of course). Just as swimming wraps up, track & field begins (kinda like the Olympics themselves). Gymnastics then serves as the grand finale.
What's so incredible about this year's Trials is the amount of time NBC is committing to broadcasting them. Now, to be fair, they always have extensive coverage and do a great job with it, but I can't remember this many hours of prime time being dedicated to the Olympic Trials. (NBC is even including them in their summer programming promotions.)
Pretty much the entire Olympic team in those four sports will be determined on the NBC broadcast network. The only two exceptions are the synchro diving finals, which will be on Olympic Channel, and two nights of track & field, which will be on NBCSN. The swimming heats and some of the track & field heats will be on NBCSN, but all of the other finals will be on NBC itself.
And, in this world of streaming, it's wonderful to know that this will all be on actual TV. They'll simulcast it on Peacock, but that's different than only being available online. More and more events are being moved to streaming services behind paywalls, including some NBC events. But that won't be the case here. They're not making you pay extra for Peacock Premium just to watch the Olympic Trials.
Starting next Saturday, NBC will have 10 consecutive nights of Olympic Trials live in prime time. Then four more nights after a two-day break. On most of those nights, it'll start right at 8:00 (later on Father's Day Weekend because of the U.S. Open). On eight of them, they'll go directly from one sport to another. It's basically a mini version of what we'll see for 17 consecutive nights seven weeks from now.
In total, it's more than 85 hours, with more than 50 of those in prime time. That's six hours more than their previous record for Trials coverage, which was five years ago. It shouldn't come as a surprise that the coverage will primarily feature four traditionally marquee sports that will also feature prominently during Olympics, too. But, when you consider how much coverage they dedicated to the Olympic Trials in other sports earlier this year, it really is remarkable their level of commitment.
With all these Olympic Trials going on, it's easy to forget that NBC also has the Stanley Cup Playoffs this month. I'm actually left wondering where they'll have room in the schedule for the hockey! Fortunately, the Stanley Cup Final probably won't start until the end of June, when the Olympic Trials are complete.
We were forced to wait an extra year for the Tokyo Olympics. But they're getting close. So close, in fact, that we'll be spending the better part of this month building Team USA. It's the hardest team in sports to make. So, you'd better believe every minute of Trials will be worth watching!
No comments:
Post a Comment