2021 Tokyo Summer Olympics daily schedule: When to watch Simone Biles, Katie Ledecky, others go for gold

This was not supposed to be an Olympic year, but due to the COVID-19 pandemic that has affected the entire globe for the better part of the past two years, the Tokyo Summer Olympics are finally here. Team USA, as usual, is a strong favorite to finish atop the medal table, and with no shortage of star power.

Simone Biles and Katie Ledecky have been household names since the Games in Rio and London, respectively. USA Basketball is always favored in both the men’s and women’s tournaments. Ronnie Baker and Trayvon Bromell will be in the mix to be called the world’s fastest man in the 100-meters, with Usain Bolt firmly retired.

The 17-day sporting event that captivates and unites the world for a little more than a fortnight can be seen on NBC and streamed on fuboTV (try for free) and you can stick with CBS Sports to follow along to see which nation tops the medal table, who brings home the gold and which athletes from the U.S. and around the world etch their names in Olympic history among the pantheon of legends that have preceded them. 

How to watch the Tokyo Olympics

Olympics key events daily schedule

The complete daily schedule for the 2020 Tokyo Olympics can be found here

(All dates U.S. and times eastern)

Day 2 – July 24

• Softball opening round – USA vs. Mexico – 1:30 a.m.
• Women’s beach volleyball – USA vs. China – 8 p.m.
• Women’s gymnastics qualification – 9 p.m. — Simone Biles and Team USA get their Olympics started in the 2 a.m. ET timeslot of this gymnastics window 
• Softball opening round – USA vs. Australia – 9 p.m.
• Swimming finals – Men’s 400m individual medley, Men’s 400m freestyle, Women’s 400m individual medley, Women’s 4 x 100m freestyle relay – 9:30 p.m.

Day 3 – July 25

• Men’s (66 kg) and Women’s (52 kg) judo medal rounds – 4 a.m.
• Men’s soccer group play – Brazil vs. Ivory Coast – 4:30 a.m.
• Swimming heats – 6 a.m. — Katie Ledecky swims in the 400m freestyle qualifying heat at 7:20 a.m. in this swimming window
• Men’s and Women’s fencing medal rounds  – 6:50 a.m.
• Men’s basketball preliminary round – USA vs. France –  8 a.m.  
• Softball opening round – USA vs. Japan – 9 p.m.
• Swimming finals –  Women’s 100m butterfly, Men’s 100m breaststroke, Women’s 400m freestyle, Men’s 4 x 100m relay – 9:30 p.m.

Day 4 – July 26

• Men’s synchronized diving 10m platform final – 2 a.m.
• Men’s gymnastics team final – 6 a.m.
• Swimming finals – Men’s 200m freestyle, Women’s 100m backstroke, Men’s 100m backstroke, Women’s 100m backstroke 9:30 p.m.

Day 5 – July 27

• Softball bronze medal game – 12 a.m.
• Women’s basketball preliminary round – USA vs. Nigeria – 12:40 a.m.
• Women’s gymnastics team final – 6:45 a.m.
• Softball gold medal game – 7 a.m.
• Swimming finals – Women’s 200m butterfly, Men’s 200m butterfly, Women’s 1500m freestyle, Men’s 4 x 200m freestyle relay 9:40 p.m.
• Men’s and Women’s cycling time trial medal rounds – 10:30 p.m.

Day 6 – July 28

• Men’s basketball group play – USA vs. Iran – 12:40 a.m.
• Women’s water polo – USA vs. Hungary – 1 a.m.
• Men’s gymnastics individual all-around final – 6:15 a.m.
• 3×3 basketball Men’s and Women’s medal matches – 7:45 a.m.
• Men’s golf round one – 6:30 p.m.
• Swimming finals – Men’s 800m freestyle, Men’s 200m breaststroke, Women’s 200m butterfly, Women’s 4 x 200 freestyle relay – 9:30 p.m.

Day 7 – July 29

• Men’s water polo group play – USA vs. Italy – 1 a.m.
• Women’s gymnastics individual all-around final – 6:40 a.m.
• Women’s volleyball pool play – USA vs. Turkey –  8:45 a.m.
• Track and field heats – Women’s 800m, Men’s 400m hurdles, Women’s 100m – 8:50 p.m.
• Men’s golf round two – 6:30 p.m.
• Swimming finals – Women’s 200m breaststroke, Men’s 200m backstroke, Women’s 100m freestyle, Men’s 200m individual medley – 9:30 p.m.

Day 8 – July 30

• Women’s basketball group play – USA vs. Japan – 12:40 a.m.
• Women’s soccer quarterfinals – 4 a.m.
• Baseball opening round – USA vs. Israel –  6:30 a.m.
• Men’s golf third round – 6:30 p.m.
• Swimming finals – Men’s 100m butterfly, Women’s 200m backstroke, Women’s 800m freestyle, Mixed 100m medley – 9:30 p.m.

Day 9 – July 31

• Men’s soccer quarterfinals  – 4 a.m.
• Women’s rugby sevens medal matches – 4:30 a.m.
• Baseball opening round – USA vs. South Korea – 6 a.m.
• Track and field finals, Men’s discus, 4x400m mixed relay, Women’s 100m – 7:15 a.m.
• Men’s basketball – USA vs. Czech Republic – 8 a.m.
• Men’s golf final round – 6:30 p.m.
• Swimming finals – Men’s 50m freestyle, Women’s 50m freestyle, Men’s 1500m freestyle, Women’s 4 x 100m medley relay, Men’s 4 x 100m medley relay – 9:30 p.m.
• Men’s boxing semifinals – welterweight, light heavyweight – 11 p.m.

Day 10 –  August 1

• Gymnastics finals – Men’s floor exercise, Women’s vault, Men’s pommel horse, Women’s uneven bars  – 4:30 a.m.
• Men’s Greco-Roman wrestling semifinals – 5:15 a.m.
• Track and field finals – Men’s high jump, Women’s triple jump, Men’s 100m – 6:10 a.m.
• Track and field finals – Men’s long jump, Women’s 100m hurdles, Women’s discus, Men’s 3000m steeplechase, Women’s 5000m – 9:20 p.m.
• Men’s water polo preliminary round – USA vs. Greece 10:30 p.m.

Day 11 – August 2

• Women’s basketball preliminaries – USA vs. France 12:40 a.m.
• Gymnastics finals – Men’s rings, Women’s floor exercise, Men’s vault – 4:15 a.m.
• Men’s Greco-Roman wrestling semifinals and finals – 5:15 a.m.
• Men’s basketball quarterfinals  – 9 p.m.
• Track and field finals – Women’s long jump, Men’s 400m hurdles, Men’s pole vault, Women’s hammer throw Women’s 200m – 9:50 p.m.

Day 12 – August 3

• Men’s diving 3m springboard final – 2 a.m.
• Gymnastics finals – Men’s parallel bars, Women’s balance beam, Men’s horizontal bar – 4 a.m.
• Cycling finals – Women’s team pursuit and Men’s team sprint medal rounds – 4:15 a.m.
• Women’s basketball quarterfinals – 9 p.m.
• Track and field finals – Women’s 400m hurdles, Men’s hammer throw, Men’s 800m, Men’s 20m – 10:30 p.m.

Day 13 – August 4

• Boxing semifinals – Women’s flyweight, Women’s welterweight, Men’s Super heavyweight – 1 a.m. 
• Baseball semifinal # 1 – 6 a.m.
• Equestrian jumping individual final – 6 a.m.
• Men’s weightlifting (+109kg) final – 6:50 a.m.
• Track and field finals – Men’s triple jump, Men’s shot put, Women’s pole vault, Men’s 400m  – 10 p.m.

Day 14 – August 5

• Men’s basketball semifinal #1 – 12:15 a.m. 
• Women’s diving – 10 platform final – 2 a.m.
• Baseball semifinal #2  – 6 a.m.
• Men’s basketball semifinal #2 – 7 a.m. 
• Women’s beach volleyball medal matches – 9 p.m., 10:30 p.m.
• Women’s soccer gold medal match – 10 p.m.

Day 15 – August 6

• Women’s basketball semifinal #1 – 12:40 a.m.
• Women’s field hockey gold medal match – 6 a.m.
• Women’s basketball semifinal #2  – 7 a.m.
• Track and field finals – Women’s Javelin, Men’s 5000m, Women’s 400m, Women’s 4 x 100m relay, Men’s 4 x 100 relay – 7:50 a.m.
• Women’s marathon – 6 p.m.
• Women’s golf final round – 6:30 p.m.
• Men’s basketball gold medal game – 10:30 p.m.

Day 16 –  August 7

• Boxing finals – Men’s flyweight, Women’s flyweight, Men’s middleweight, Women’s welterweight – 1 a.m.
• Men’s diving 10m platform final  – 2 a.m.
• Men’s baseball gold medal game – 6 a.m.
• Track and field finals – Women’s high jump, Men’s Javelin, Men’s 1,500m, Women’s 4 x 400m, Men’s 4 x 400m – 6:35 a.m. 
• Men’s soccer gold medal match – 7:30 a.m.
• Men’s marathon – 6 p.m.
• Women’s basketball gold medal match – 10:30 p.m.

Day 17 – August 8

• Women’s volleyball gold medal match – 12:30 a.m.
• Boxing finals – Women’s lightweight, Men’s lightweight, Women’s middleweight, Men’s super heavyweight –  1:30 a.m.
• Men’s water polo gold medal match – 3:30 a.m
• 2020 Tokyo Summer Olympics closing ceremony – 7 a.m.