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How to Watch These 5 Team USA Olympic Comebacks
These athletes’ setbacks served as their motivation, and their comebacks in Paris are ones to watch.
With the Olympic opening ceremony kicking off the games today, all eyes will be on Paris. And for the over 500 Team USA athletes, the pressure is on for gold and glory. While every athlete’s path involves tremendous grit, skill, and determination, no two journeys are the same. These athletes have faced injury and defeat, and yet, despite it all, they worked their way back to the games to compete for the country and themselves. Who doesn’t love a good comeback story?
These 5 Olympic comeback stories at the 2024 Paris Games are sure to be essential viewing.
1. Sha’Carri Richardson
When her Tokyo Olympic dreams were deferred after a controversial suspension in 2021, Sha’Carri Richardson didn’t let the disappointment stop her from training hard. Her success over the past three years has been seen by many as an inspiring comeback, but Sha’carri doesn’t see it that way. “I’m not back,” the 24-year-old said after winning the 100-meter US title, “I’m better.” Now, Richardson is racing to Paris as a favorite with her signature flare, bombast, and, of course, speed.
How to watch Sha’Carri Richardson:
100m dash:
Friday, Aug 2
Women's 100m Preliminary Round: 4:35 a.m. ET
Women's 100m Round 1: 4:50 a.m. ET
Saturday, Aug 3
Women's 100m Semifinal: 1:50 p.m. ET
Women's 100m Final: 3:20 p.m. ET
Richardson may also run for Team USA in the 4x100m relay, though the team has yet to be announced:
Saturday, Aug 8
Women’s 4x100 Relay Round 1: 5:10 p.m. ET
Sunday, Aug 9
Women’s 4x100 Relay Final: 1:30 p.m. ET
Stream track and field at the 2024 Paris Olympics.
2. Simone Biles
With 37 Olympic and world champion medals, Simone Biles is the greatest and most decorated gymnast in history. But even though she is the GOAT, the 2020 Tokyo Olympics reminded us that she’s human too. After suffering a case of the twisties that robbed her of her ability to orient herself in the air, Biles had to pull out nearly all her events. But after close to a year away from the sport, Biles stepped back into the gym to train hard. This spring she glided through trials to qualify for Paris, and now, Biles says she’s in better shape than she was in 2021, “mentally and physically.”
How to watch Simone Biles
Sunday, July 28
Women’s qualifying, subdivision 2: 5:40 p.m. ET
Tuesday, July 30
Women’s team final: 12:15 p.m. ET
Thursday, Aug 1
Women’s all-around final 12:15 p.m. ET
Saturday, Aug 3
Women’s vault final 10:20 a.m. ET
Sunday, Aug 4
Women’s uneven bars final 9:40 a.m. ET
Monday, Aug 5
Women’s balance beam final 6:38 a.m. ET
Women’s floor exercise final 8:20 a.m. ET
Stream gymnastics at the 2024 Paris Olympics.
3. Brody Malone
After a minor mistake landed Brody Malone a disappointing 4th-place finish in the high bar in Tokyo, the gymnast felt more motivated than ever to head to Paris and win a men’s gymnastics medal for Team USA for the first time in 16 years. And after winning a gold medal at the world championships later that year, Malone was well on his way to doing just that. That is until he suffered a devastating knee injury at a competition where he dislocated his knee, tore multiple ligaments, and fractured his tibia. To make it to Paris, not only did Malone have to train hard to perfect his routine, but he also had to learn how to walk again.
How to watch Brody Malone
Saturday, July 27
Men’s qualifying, subdivision 1: 5 a.m. ET
Monday, July 29
Mean’s team final: 11:30 a.m. ET
Wednesday, July 31
Men’s all-around final: 11:30 a.m. ET
Saturday, Aug 3
Men’s floor exercise final: 9:30 a.m. ET
Men’s pommel horse final: 11:10 a.m. ET
Sunday, Aug 4
Men’s rings final: 9:00 a.m. ET
Men’s vault final: 10:35 a.m. ET
Monday, Aug 5
Men’s parallel bars final: 5:45 a.m. ET
Men’s high bar final: 7:30 a.m. ET
Stream gymnastics at the 2024 Paris Olympics.
4. Caeleb Dressel
With seven Olympic gold medals and multiple world records, sprinter Caeleb Dressel is far and away one of the best swimmers of all time, in a vaunted category with the likes of Michael Phelps and Katie Ledecky. But while Olympians like Dressel may seem invincible, the stress of years of grueling work all coming down to a few minutes on the world stage can take its toll on the body and mind. Dressel has been open about his mental health struggles regarding his swimming career, and back in 2022, he took an eight-month mental-health-motivated hiatus from the sport. When Dressel returned to the pool in 2023, he had to push himself to get back in shape, qualify for Paris, and get to the point where he is now: swimming faster than he did before.
How to watch Caeleb Dressel
Saturday, July 27
Men’s 4x100m freestyle relay heats: 5 a.m. ET
Men’s 4x100m freestyle relay final: 2:30 p.m. ET
Thursday, Aug 1
Men’s 50m freestyle heats: 7 a.m. ET
Men’s 50m freestyle semifinals: 2:44 p.m. ET
Friday, Aug 2
Men’s 100m butterfly heats: 5 a.m. ET
Men’s 50m freestyle final: 2:30 p.m. ET
Men’s 100m butterfly semifinals: 3 p.m. ET
Saturday, Aug 3
Men’s 100m butterfly finals: 2:30 p.m. ET
Stream swimming at the 2024 Paris Olympics.
5. Simone Manuel
In Rio in 2016, Simone Manuel won four Olympic medals, including two golds, and became the first Black American woman in Olympic history to win an individual gold medal in swimming. Heading into Tokyo, as Manuel was swimming at her prime, she was diagnosed with overtraining syndrome, a condition where the body loses its ability to recuperate after intense exercise. One of the fastest swimmers in the world was suddenly unable to even swim 25 meters without being winded. After a five-month hiatus, Manuel persevered to qualify for the Tokyo Olympics, where she took home a bronze. Instead of calling it quits, she retrained again in an unlikely comeback to qualify for Paris, and next week, she’s swimming for the gold.
How to watch Simone Manuel
Saturday, July 27
Women’s 4x100m freestyle relay heats 5 a.m. ET
Women’s 4x100m freestyle relay final 3:34 p.m. ET
Saturday, August 3
Women’s 50m freestyle heats: 5 a.m. ET
Women’s 50m freestyle semifinals: 2:37 p.m. ET
Sunday, Aug 4
Women’s 50m freestyle final: 12:30 PM
Stream swimming at the 2024 Paris Olympics.
Stream every event of the 2024 Paris Olympics on Peacock, starting with the opening ceremony on Friday, July 26.
