The Refinery29 Viewing Guide To This Weekend’s Olympic Events

It doesn't take Paul McCartney, James Bond, and the queen of England to tell us that the Olympic Games are upon us. But after the opening ceremony this evening, they'll all have made sure we're aware of it. Danny Boyle's extravaganza should be one for the record books — he is turning the stadium into a replica of the British countryside, after all — but what we're most excited for are the sports. The running, the wrestling, the swimming, the fencing, the diving … and now, you can get your fill of it whenever you'd like.

For the first year ever, NBC will be streaming Olympic coverage online, so you have no excuse to not tune in, whether you're at home, at work, or just a little too far away from the remote. Getting the games on your computer requires a bit of setup, so we hope you got your access in order this afternoon, so that starting tomorrow morning, you'll be ready to catch a glimpse of these first events.

10:25 a.m.: Dreary from staying up late? Good thing watching some of the world's strongest women lifting insane amounts of weight is proven to get you up right away. (It's all that grunting.)

10:35 a.m.: If weight lifting's not your thing, tune in to see male gymnasts from the U.S.A., Japan, and Italy face off on every apparatus during the qualification round. This'll also be your first chance to stare down Kohei Uchimura, the Japanese nine-time world medalist known as "Superman," who's practically expected to get gold.

11:45 a.m.: Forward Maya Moore's already a big deal back home, and now's the time to see her take charge against Croatia. This game isn't pivotal as it's an early round, and Team USA is expected to win gold, so feel free to flip over to ...

11:50 a.m.: Women's soccer. The preliminary game is against Columbia, but since you're going to wind up watching Hope Solo, Alex Morgan, and the rest of the team play all summer Games long, you may as well start early.

12:55 p.m.: We know, it's brunch time, so go grab some sustenance — unless you're the type that's already fist-deep in a box of Wheaties, waiting to fist-pump the air at any chance of an American grabbing gold. In that case, stick around for the women's individual foil fencing semifinals and finals — and pour some milk into a bowl, while you're at it.

2:25 p.m.: Phelps. Lochte. Need we say any more? While track and field and gymnastics are eternal crowd-pleasers, thanks to the home-team rivalry that's brewing — in addition to U.S.A.'s top-female contenders — swimming is the sport to watch this Olympic season. Tune in as the two race for the first medal up for grabs in the 400-meter individual medley.

9:20 a.m.:So early. So, so very early. But, when else can you see Carmelo Anthony, Kobe Bryant, and LeBron James shoot hoops against a team full of Frenchmen, including Tony Parker? Get another shot of espresso in your iced coffee this a.m., because it'll be worth it. 

9:40 a.m.: U.S.A.! Russia! China! Women's gymnastics' qualification round kicks off Sunday morning with five straight hours of individual events. The U.S. team's secret weapon is the famously difficult Amanar vault, which all of them are able to do. Don't miss your first glimpse at it, especially as world champion McKayla Maroney gives it a go with a broken toe.

2:25 p.m.: Michael Phelps needs just three gold medals in London to be the most-decorated Olympic athlete of all time, and Sunday's 4x100m free relay could bring him one step closer to being the all-time king of athletics. Worth staying in for? We think so.