FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Sunday, August 21st, 2016

2016 RIO OLYMPIC GAMES – AUG. 21 DAYTIME & PRIMETIME HIGHLIGHTS ON THE NETWORKS OF NBCUNIVERSAL

“Inch for inch, pound for pound, the most stunning athlete I’ve ever seen.” – Mary Carillo on Simone Biles

“I can’t wait to come back again. There’s a great vibe to the country as a whole – and to this city.” – Mike Tirico on Brazil and Rio de Janeiro


STAMFORD, Conn. – August 21, 2016 – Following are highlights of Sunday’s coverage of the Games of the XXXI Olympiad from Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.

NBC concluded its coverage of the 2016 Rio Games with the Closing Ceremony, hosted by Mike Tirico, Mary Carillo, and Ryan Seacrest, from Maracana Stadium in Rio. Today’s coverage across the networks of NBCUniversal was highlighted by Kevin Durant leading the U.S. men’s basketball team to its third consecutive gold medal with a 96-66 rout of Serbia; American boxer Claressa Shields winning her second consecutive gold medal; the U.S. men’s volleyball team winning the bronze medal against Russia; and American runner Galen Rupp earning the bronze medal in the men’s marathon.

Following are excerpts from today’s coverage of the 2016 Rio Games across the networks of NBCUniversal:

 

CLOSING CEREMONY – NBC

Mike Tirico: “Not be a Pollyanna about it – there are problems, there are issues, and they were present here at the Games. Whether it was game, or it was traffic, the conversation leading up about Zika – many of them were around, and are going to be there when all pack up and go home, and the Games are a memory. But there is so much that is so good about this place. I had the chance to experience it in 2014 when soccer’s World Cup was here. I couldn’t wait to come back, and I can’t wait to come back again. There’s a great vibe to the country as a whole – and to this city.”

Carillo on the Rio Games: “Brazil has had a pretty great Games. 19 total medals, which is a record for them, including seven gold medals, which is another record. The first of which was won by a 24-year-old judoka named Rafaela Silva, who comes from a famous favela, known as the ‘City of God.’ That’s when I started crying. This is my 13th Olympics – I’ve never cried so much watching the athletes cry out of joy and out of sorrow. I’m glad we’re having a big party tonight.”

Carillo on what she will take away from the Games: “The good stuff, the joyous stuff, the hard stuff, the depressing stuff…when you’re in Brazil, I love it, but I love it with clear eyes, the way you’re supposed to love anything and anyone. The hope is that now that people have discovered Brazil and have come to understand it and its challenges, it will only get better.”

Mary Carillo on Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe and the upcoming 2020 Tokyo Games: “When he was awarded the 2020 Games in Tokyo, he said, ‘When I heard the word Tokyo, I was so touched and overwhelmed, the joy was even greater than when I won my own election.’”

Ryan Seacrest on the significance of Brazil’s men’s soccer team winning gold: “I was in a taxi earlier today, and the driver said to me, ‘You know what? All is good, because we won gold in football.”

Carillo on American Simone Biles, who won five medals in Rio: “Inch for inch, pound for pound, the most stunning athlete I’ve ever seen.”

***

BASKETBALL – NBC & NBCSN

Analyst Doug Collins on the U.S. men’s basketball team’s dominant performance against Serbia in the gold medal game: “You know that beautiful song by Vanessa Williams, ‘Save The Best For Last?’ Well that’s what the United States have done. They’ve saved the best for last. This is their best performance (of the Rio Games) at both ends of the floor.”

Collins on Kevin Durant, who scored 24 points in the first half and 30 in the game : “A lot of speculation coming into this game. Could they beat Serbia? Serbia played them to a three-point game, had a chance to tie that game…Kevin Durant took only four shots in that game. In 2010 (FIBA World Cup), the 2012 gold medal game, and the Olympics here…he’s come up money. He’s a dynamic scorer – he was built and born to score.”

Collins on U.S. men’s basketball head coach Mike Krzyzewski: “This is a bittersweet moment for Coach K. He’s put 11 years into USA Basketball. He’s done a magnificent job, winning his third gold medal. He won two gold medals in the FIBA World Cup and went undefeated in Olympic basketball. But more importantly, what he and Jerry Colangelo have done is uplift USA Basketball once again. After Athens, they’ve infused this feeling among NBA players to be a part of this family and this culture.”

Analyst Fran Fraschilla on the impact of the bronze medal for Spain in their 89-88 win over Australia in men’s basketball: “In international competition the teamwork, the effort, the sacrifice…a bronze medal is huge.”

***

INDOOR VOLLEYBALL – NBC & NBCSN

Analyst Kevin Barnett on the men’s indoor volleyball gold medal winning Brazilian team: “What a payoff for a country stretching to host the Olympic Games. To win in their top two sports – soccer and now indoor volleyball. Gold on the beach as well.”

Barnett on Brazil defeating Italy in straight sets to win gold: “An incredible moment for Brazilian volleyball. They worked so hard to get here, so many times with failure in the finals. What a job by this group…Italy played their best volleyball when it mattered, but they just ran into a Brazilian team that played better.”

Barnett on the resiliency of the U.S. men’s volleyball team, earning a bronze medal in a victory over Russia: “Sweet vindication for the U.S. side. How do you erase the bitterness of 48 hours ago? You come out with a victory and do it with exciting fashion. The U.S. giving Russia a little taste of its own medicine from four years ago.” Note: USA came back to defeat Russia in five sets after dropping the first two sets to capture the bronze medal

Barnett on the future of U.S. men’s volleyball: “(Head Coach) John (Speraw) said of his young team, ‘I am already proud of this young group. What they have accomplished from the start of this tournament, to where they went, I’m proud of who they are and how they have handled it’ …No matter what the result of today is, his players will take on a new threshold for what it takes to win.”

***

MARATHON – NBC

Analyst Tim Hutchings on men’s marathon gold medal winter Eliud Kipchoge of Kenya: “He was an outstanding favorite. This man has such an astonishing career. When he was 18 back in 2003, he won the world 5,000m title. Here he is all these years later moved on to the roads and made the most spectacular conversion from track to roads in the history of marathon running. Beautiful looking runner – bounces nicely, wonderful dimensions, powerful, amazing speed.”

Analyst Craig Masback on bronze medal-winner Galen Rupp of Team USA: “No American had won a medal in the marathon since 1908, before Frank Shorter won in 1972. So, the significance of Galen Rupp being among the leading three in this race is huge.”

Masback on the struggle of Team USA’s Meb Keflezighi, who finished 33rd: “When we’re watching these lead runners who look so easy as they go through the race, you forget about how hard the race is and how it takes its toll on individuals. For you to succeed in a marathon race, everything has to be right in the day. You can only fight through so much and remain competitive at a race at this level.”

***

BOXING – NBCSN

Analyst B.J. Flores on Team USA’s Claressa Shields prior to her gold medal winning match: “She’s been ultra-impressive. She’s done an excellent job of really using her experience so far throughout this tournament and letting her opponents know that they don’t belong in the same ring with her, so she’s used that poise, that experience to really put them at a disadvantage. She comes in with a lot of confidence and that’s very valuable in a matchup like this.”

Flores on Claressa Shields’ success: “She had her way with her opponent today, was able to just stay on the outside, land the big shots, counter whenever she wanted and really use her experience and her poise to get the job done and win every single round.”

 

ABOUT NBC OLYMPICS

A division of NBC Sports Group, NBC Olympics is responsible for producing, programming and promoting NBCUniversal’s Olympic coverage. It is renowned for its unsurpassed Olympic heritage, award-winning production, and ability to aggregate the largest audiences in U.S. television history. The 2012 London Olympics were watched by 217 million Americans across the networks of NBCUniversal, making it the most-watched event in U.S. television history.

 

-RIO 2016-