Rio Olympics: Usain Bolt's quest for 3rd consecutive 200-meter Olympic title, team gold highlight Thursday/Friday coverage

Bolt to run in what is expected to be his final individual Olympic race

American Ashton Eaton seeks second gold in decathlon during Thursday's primetime coverage

NBC's primetime coverage of the Games of the XXXI Olympiad continues at 8 p.m. ET/PT Thursday, and features defending two-time champion Usain Bolt and American LaShawn Merritt, who won a bronze medal last Sunday in the 400m, in the men's 200m gold medal final. Coverage includes the conclusion of the decathlon, as American Ashton Eaton seeks to become only the third man ever to win consecutive gold medals in the decathlon.

Primetime coverage on NBC also features platform diving finals, as Jessica Parratto and Katrina Young can compete to win the first American medal in women's individual platform since current NBC Olympics diving analyst Laura Wilkinson in 2000. In addition, NBC presents the men's beach volleyball final, as Italy's Paolo Nicolai and Daniele Lupo battle Brazil's Alison and Bruno for the gold in late night coverage.

NBC's primetime coverage on Friday begins at 8 p.m. and features what could be seven-time gold medalist Bolt's last career Olympic race, as he anchors Jamaica's 4x100m relay team against Justin Gatlin and the U.S. The women's 4x100m relay will feature two-time Rio medalist Tori Bowie - and likely Allyson Felix - as the Americans look for their second consecutive Olympic title in an event that figures to be another U.S.-Jamaica showdown. Track and field coverage also includes the women's pole vault, the men's hammer throw and the women's 5000m.

American David Boudia highlights primetime coverage of qualifying in men's platform diving on Friday. Boudia aims to become the first back-to-back men's platform diving gold medalist since American Greg Louganis repeated in 1988.

Daytime coverage on NBC begins at 10 a.m. with equestrian individual jumping gold medal final rounds, followed by team synchronized swimming gold medal finals. Coverage continues with a men's volleyball semifinal matchup at 12:10 p.m., followed by gold medal finals in BMX cycling and women's water polo at 2 p.m.

The women's soccer gold medal match highlights Friday's NBCSN coverage at 4:30 p.m. NBCSN's coverage begins at 7 a.m. with the men's 50k walk, and continues with semifinal matchups in men's basketball at 2:15 p.m. and men's handball at 7:30 p.m. Friday's coverage concludes with gold medal finals in women's boxing and taekwondo at 11:15 p.m.

MSNBC kicks off coverage with the women's badminton singles gold medal match at 11 a.m., followed by the women's soccer bronze medal match at noon. Coverage wraps with women's field hockey as Netherlands takes on Great Britain for the gold at 4 p.m.

USA Network presents bronze medal matches in women's water polo at 10:20 a.m., followed by women's field hockey at 11:30 a.m. CNBC hosts coverage of men's freestyle wrestling gold medal finals at 5 p.m., immediately followed by a men's basketball semifinal matchup at 6 p.m.

Friday, Telemundo and NBC UNIVERSO simulcast live coverage of the women's soccer gold medal match as Sweden faces Germany at 4 p.m.

Powered by Playmaker Media, NBCOlympics.com and the NBC Sports app will live stream 4,500 total hours of coverage of the 2016 Rio Olympic Games - including all Olympic competition for the third consecutive Olympics - for authenticated pay TV subscribers via TV Everywhere to desktops, mobile devices, and tablets, plus connected TVs for the first biggest time.

For more information on live streaming, visit NBCOlympics.com/Live-Stream-Schedule.

For the full schedule of NBCUniversal's Olympic coverage, visit NBCOlympics.com. 

"The three Americans come in and shut out the rest of the world," Ato Boldon on Brianna Rollins, Nia Ali and Kristi Castlin sweeping the podium

NBC Olympics' primetime coverage of the Games of the XXXI Olympiad from Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, continued Wednesday night on the networks of NBCUniversal.

Primetime host Bob Costas opened up coverage on NBC from NBC Olympics' studio located inside the International Broadcast Center in Rio. Day 12 on NBC was highlighted by defending two-time champion Bolt advancing to Thursday's 200m gold medal final, and America sweeping the podium in the women's 100m hurdles with Brianna Rollins, Nia Ali and Kristi Castlin winning gold, silver and bronze, respectively. Track and field coverage also saw Eaton take the lead in the decathlon after day one and American Bowie winning bronze in the women's 200m final.

Coverage on NBC concluded with the bronze medal match in women's beach volleyball, as Kerri Walsh Jennings and April Ross secured the bronze medal in three sets against Brazil's Larissa and Talita.

This evening's Olympic action on NBCSN also featured a men's volleyball quarterfinals match where Brazil defeated Argentina to move on to the gold medal finals, and a quarterfinal basketball game in which the U.S. easily defeat Argentina, 105-78.

Following are highlights from the evening and primetime coverage of the 2016 Rio Olympic Games on the networks of NBCUniversal:

TRACK & FIELD - NBC

Analyst Boldon on Merritt in the men's 200m semifinal: "We can talk about speed all day. Let's make tonight the day we talk about lack of deceleration. ... That is an easy qualification as Merritt gets through to his first 200m Olympic final. He is looking up at the board as if it is his door, and no one is really challenging him in this semifinal."

Boldon on why Bolt is so good at the 200m: "He does something that no one else in this field is able to do. He doesn't get enough credit for his ability to run the turn. ... He is able to run the turn and then not decelerate during the final 100m."

Boldon on Bolt's dominating history in the 200m: "He has dominated this event in a way that is just mind-boggling. He has run seven times under 19.60 seconds. That is a time that very few men have bettered. Just a handful of men have run the sort of times that Bolt has run in this distance."

Bolt to reporter Lewis Johnson after his 200m semifinal run: "I'm ready and I'm feeling good. That felt smooth. I'm happy and I'm on the right track. It is going to be hard (to go under 19 seconds). I may get a world record."

Boldon on Gatlin missing the 200m final: "I think Gatlin looked over way too early. And when he looked over he would have seen he had a lot of company. ... Kids at home: Do not look across until you get to the line, particularly in an Olympic semifinal."

Boldon on Jamaica's Elaine Thompson beating out Dafne Schippers and Bowie for the gold in the women's 200m: "Unlike last year, Thompson was ready this year and found a way to get it done. She is an Olympic champion now times two in the 100m and 200m. This was such a close finish last year, as Schippers tore into the lead and eventually caught Thompson. Not this year. Schippers has to settle for second."

Boldon on the women's 100m hurdles semifinal heats: "The U.S. has now put three women into this final, in quite spectacular fashion, winning each of the three semifinal heats."

Hammond as the results come in for the women's 100m gold medal hurdles: "A U.S. sweep, the first sweep in this event in Olympic history."

Boldon on Rollins, Ali and Castlin winning gold, silver and bronze in the women's 100m hurdles: "The three Americans come in and shut out the rest of the world."

Analyst Trey Hardee on Eaton after losing to Canada's Damian Warner in the first event, the 100m: "Ashton is in a little bit of unfamiliar territory. Despite that smile I think he knew that this one wasn't going to be very easy. Damian was going to make sure of it. I've never seen Ashton strain like this."

Hardee on Eaton four events into the decathlon: "From what I've seen so far, he hasn't had that cutting edge killer mentality. But when he set the world record and won the World Championship last year, he was 20 points ahead of Damian Warner. Right now, Ashton sits 68 points up on Damian, so I really think he is going to do it."

Eaton to Johnson on day one of his decathlon: "I was just trying to be tough and smooth. These Olympic and world decathlons are not like the other ones. It is 10 p.m. now and we started at 10 a.m. this morning, so it has been incredibly slow."

Play-by-play commentator Todd Harris on defending Olympic gold medalist Brittney Reese before competing in the women's long jump final: "Whatever brand she is building, it is all about winning."

DIVING - NBC

Analyst Cynthia Potter on Parratto's mentor, Jenny Thompson: "Jenny has been the No. 1 inspiration in Jessica's life according to Jessica. It is so great to have those role models. ... Being around the great Olympic champion, Jenny Thompson, for all these years, I think it has just put her in a great mindset."

BEACH VOLLEYBALL - NBC 

Analyst Kevin Wong in the second set as Walsh Jennings and Ross battle back to take the lead for the first time: "Marcio (Sicoli) the coach for team USA talks about the tempo of volleyball. By pushing it deep you change that tempo and, all of a sudden, the passes are a little higher, the approach takes a little more time. And back-to-back it has paid off."

Play-by-play commentator Chris Marlowe on Walsh Jennings and Ross victory over Brazil's Larissa and Talita: "It wasn't easy. A very rough first set as passing problems popped up for Walsh Jennings again. But in set No. 2, they suddenly found a rhythm and Kerri was able to steady out. From then on they were the dominant team."

BASKETBALL - NBCSN

Analyst Doug Collins on the keys to the game for the U.S.: "This is a very small Argentina team. The United States must pound the paint, pound the boards, and defend the three-point line."

Collins on the U.S. battling back from an early deficit: "Eventually, the United States' size will wear Argentina down. They (Argentina) are playing with great passion, but they just don't have the depth of the United States."

Play-by-play announcer Marv Albert on the U.S. men's team defeating Argentina to advance to the semifinals: "The United States able to answer the call after the slow start in what has been a 'no question about it' scenario here tonight as they look to Spain on Friday."