Rio Organizing Committee Releases Session Schedule, Confirms 10pm Swimming Start Time

The Rio 2016 Organizing Committee had previously released the daily schedule of competitive events for the upcoming Olympic Games.  However, we now have insight into a more detailed break-down of each day’s events, as the actual times of each sporting discipline’s competitions have been released.

Complete Rio 2016 Olympic Competitive Session Schedule

There had been build-up of opposition to the prospect of swimming events starting at a considerably late time in the evening – 10pm local – in order to accommodate American TV broadcasters.  In fact, the Australian Olympic Committee initially vocally came out against the timing, only to reverse course and instead offer support just a few weeks later.

Nevertheless, the detailed session schedule reveals that the later start times for pool swimming events do indeed stand, with prelims at 1pm local time and finals at 10pm local time on each day of the competition.

Review of the schedule for other disciplines reveals swimming is not alone in its late start time. Basketball (10:30pm) and beach volleyball (10pm and 11pm) will also finish late domestically, but like swimming are among the more popular Olympic sports and will coincide with prime-time in the United States.  According to a USA Today article late last year, Rio organizing committee head, Carlos Nuzman, indicated that “We need to organize a schedule that the television asks, together with the international federations.  They decided with us.  We have no problems with this.  It will be good for the athletes.”

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Megan
7 years ago

I like the rio

Swimmer
8 years ago

Does this also apply to the Paralympics?

CT Swim Fan
8 years ago

Looking at the schedule, it isn’t that bad for viewing. Rio is an hour ahead of the time in the Eastern US time zone. Therefore, trials start at noon eastern time and finals at 9 P.M. eastern time. We’ll probably see lots of events live for a change.This time doesn’t seem awful for US athletes either. Going to London or Beijing was way worse for the US.

G3
Reply to  CT Swim Fan
8 years ago

Agreed, this is a non-issue. Nothing compared to 2008.

Reply to  G3
8 years ago

Yeah right, NBC will still tape delay all swimming on the west coast until prime-time.

Reply to  Matt Smith
8 years ago

probably but they will have the live streaming option available again too, of course for those that pay for cable tv !

8 years ago

With the athletes all being in Rio or nearby to prepare well in advance of the swimming starting, they will naturally adapt to local time. It’s not like if swimming starts on. Tuesday they all fly in on Monday afternoon.

That being said, this is crummy even for American swim fans. The odds of NBC showing swimming finals in their entirety is ZERO %. They will switch in and out between sports all night.

We will just have to hope and wish that NBC livestreams each sport via their app and watch it on some sort of mobile device like in 2012.

Reply to  Hulk Swim
8 years ago

The 2012 swimming live-streams were all crap: they stopped, started, and froze. Every event was a crap shoot. The only good part of the streams was that Rowdy Gaines was not involved in their broadcast.

Tm
8 years ago

Just ask MP how that went in 08 when the finals were in the usual place of prelims !

SamH
8 years ago

If every athlete around the world has to change time zones anyway, why is it a big deal? Wouldn’t it just be apart of your training to gradually adjust your sleeping to fit your olympic schedule? Don’t understand the fuss.

jim
Reply to  SamH
8 years ago

Sun rises and sets in Rio the same for everyone. No fuss if you’re at home on the couch though, you’re right.

Roll Tide!
8 years ago

Somebody tell me exactly how this will be “good for the athletes”

DrSwim_Phil
Reply to  Roll Tide!
8 years ago

By being live on television in primetime in the biggest capitalistic society in the world? I could see a few ways that would be “good for the athletes”…

Warmup Sprinter
8 years ago

Looks like I won’t be watching swimming at the Olympics next year. Past my bedtime 🙁

About Retta Race

Retta Race

Former Masters swimmer and coach Loretta (Retta) thrives on a non-stop but productive schedule. Nowadays, that includes having just earned her MBA while working full-time in IT while owning French 75 Boutique while also providing swimming insight for BBC.

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