Don King once ranted about Mike Tyson’s “double shock power”, but I think it’s more appropriate for the US team in this afternoon’s field event finals. Sandi Morris and Ryan Crouser are the day’s big stars and could pull down two more golds for Team USA.

TODAY’S SCHEDULE

The competition is split into a morning session and evening session. The highlight of the morning session is the marathons – yes, they’re running both of them today, one right after the other.

The afternoon has two field event finals, the conclusion of the heptathlon, and the finals of the women’s 100 meters. Arguably the USA’s two biggest field event stars are Sandi Morris and Ryan Crouser and both are competing for gold today.

And how, exactly, can you watch?

HOW TO WATCH

Today’s morning session will be televised in the USA live on NBC Sports Network from 5:00am to noon EDT and in tape-delayed fashion on the Olympic Channel from 5:00pm to midnight. The evening session will be televised live on NBC from 2;30 to 5:00pm and in tape-delayed fashion on the Olympic Channel from midnight to 2:30am.

Lie streams will be available to US viewers via NBC Sports Gold. There will be a track-centric all-event stream plus one each dedicated to each field event, along with a simulcast stream of the various television broadcasts. A “track and field pass” is required ($70 per year) but is well worth the cost – and unlike other broadcasters’ online platforms, no cable subscription is necessary for access.

Online coverage in Canada will be via CBCsports.ca and television coverage will be via CBC (live at 2:00pm EDT, replay at 6:00pm local time).

The IAAF will also offer a live stream via YouTube and Facebook which will be available in a large number of nations which includes Canada but not the USA. The IAAF Radio service will be available globally and can be accessed through both the IAAF website and the IAAF mobile app.

Determined fans can bypass various geoblocking measures by installing a VPN. Exceptionally determined fans can view CBC broadcasts by temporarily relocating to a postindustrial hellscape such as Detroit, Buffalo, or Toledo.

We also highly recommend the live results & text commentary page at the IAAF website.

EVENT-BY-EVENT

Headline Event: Women’s Pole Vault final
2:00pm EDT
Medal favorites: Katerína Stefanídi (Greece), Sandi Morris (USA), Yarisley Silva (Cuba)
US qualifier: Morris
Canadian qualifier: Alysha Newman, Anicka Newell

Morris is actually the underdog here. Stefanídi won Olympic gold last year and has beaten Morris four times in a row now. Morris will win if she can find her post-Olympic form from last year. The pole vault is the least forgiving and most fickle of all the events.

Headline Event: Men’s Shot Put final
3:35pm EDT
Medal favorites: Ryan Crouser (USA), Joe Kovacs (USA), Tom Walsh (New Zealand)
US qualifiers: Crouser, Kovacs, Darrell Hill, Ryan Whiting
Canadian qualifiers: none

Crouser is the favorite, but Kovacs is a tough competitor. Both of their best marks are the furthest throws since the advent of random out-of-competition testing (in 1991), and Kovacs led Crouser at the US Championships until the final throw. A USA medal sweep is a distinct possibility.

All day: Heptathlon
long jump at 5:00am, javelin at 6:45am, 800 meters at 3:40pm
Medal favorites: Nafi Thiam (Belgium), Carolin Schäfer (Germany), Anouk Vetter (Netherlands)
US entries: Erica Bougard, Kendell Williams, Sharon Day-Monroe
Canadian entries: none

The easiest way to follow the changing fortunes of a heptathlon is to consult a forecasting service such as this one, which predicts results of each event and updates as actual results come in. Thiam is the favorite at this point, and the event that can really make or break these athletes is the javelin.

2:40pm: Men’s 400 meters semifinals
Qualifying format: the top three in each of three heats plus the next two fastest qualify to Tuesday’s final
US qualifiers: Wil London, Fred Kerley, LaShawn Merritt, Gil Roberts
Canadian qualifiers: none

The USA could produce half of the eight finalists, but all eyes will be on South Africa’s Wayde Van Niekerk. Botswana has a pair of good runners too. Fun fact: 75% of the semifinalists represent nations that were once either part of the British Empire or a British protectorate.

4:15pm: Men’s 800 meters semifinals
Qualifying format: the top three in each of three heats plus the next two fastest qualify to Tuesday’s final
US qualifiers: Isaiah Harris, Drew Windle, Donavan Brazier
Canadian qualifier: Brandon McBride

800 meter races can often be a crapshoot, which means the semifinals are sometimes crazy affairs. The USA is equally capable of getting three finalists or none. After the late withdrawal of world record holder David Rudisha, no one stands out as a real favorite.

4:50pm: Women’s 100 meters final
Medal favorites: Elaine Thompson (Jamaica), Tori Bowie (USA) Dafne Schippers (Netherlands)
US qualifiers: TBA; Deajah Stevens, Ariana Washington, and Tori Bowie are semifinalists
Canadian qualifiers: TBA; Crystal Emmanuel is a semifinalist

The semifinals will be held at 2:10pm EDT and will determine the finalists. The Track & Field News preview for this event says “Thompson has a 14-meet winning streak dating back to the beginning of ’16 and we don’t see that coming to an end in London. ” Bowie might be Thompson’s best competition, but the other Americans face an uphill road just getting to the final.