How to watch Solano natives Nick Christie, Robyn Stevens compete for Team USA in Tokyo
(Photo courtesy Congressman John Garamendi’s Office, Graphic by Solano NewsNet)
A pair of Solano County natives are hoping to win gold for Team USA at the Olympic Games in Tokyo this week, and you can watch the competition unfold live on television.
Nick Christie of Fairfield and Robyn Stevens of Vacaville clinched their spots on Team USA in the speed walking event after participating in the Olympic Trials in June.
Speed walking may sound like an unusual sport, but it involves more than a casual stroll around the mall. The rules are strict: One foot must be on the ground at all times. The leg of the lifting foot must remain straight "until the body passes over it," according to the official rules posted on the website of World Athletics.
The journey to Tokyo for the pair of speed walkers was tough: Christie gained his spot on Team USA after placing 61st at the Olympic Trials Champions, eventually moving up when another speed walker was unable to attend the Olympic Games.
Stevens was hoping to participate in the 2016 Olympic Games, but a serious injury forced her out for that tournament. Earlier this year, she was honored as one of the top speed walkers in the world and earned her spot at this year’s Olympic Games.
NBC, the broadcasters with the domestic television and streaming rights to the games, will air both events on their cable sports channel, NBCSN, this week. The men’s speed walking event will air early Thursday morning, with the women’s event airing early Friday morning.
Unfortunately, neither event is airing on the NBC network itself, meaning a cable, satellite or streaming subscription is required to view the event. But don’t worry — if you don’t have a cable or satellite subscription, and you want to view the event (or record it, if you can’t get up that early), keep reading for a special offer from Solano NewsNet…
Watch Robyn Stevens compete for Team USA
Event: Women’s 20-kilometer speed walking event
When: Friday, August 6, 2021
How to watch: NBCSN or the NBC Sports app at 12:30 a.m. Pacific Time, or online at NBCOlympics.com (requires a cable, satellite or streaming TV login); on-demand replay several days later on the streaming service Peacock (free, no login required).
Watch Nick Christie compete for Team USA
Event: Men’s 20-kilometer speed walking event
When: Thursday, August 5, 2021
How to watch: NBCSN or the NBC Sports app at 12:30 a.m. Pacific Time, or online at NBCOlympics.com (requires a cable, satellite or streaming TV login); on-demand replay several days later on the streaming service Peacock (free, no login required).
Don’t Have Cable or Satellite? NBCSN Not In Your Package?
If you’re a cord-cutter, or if your cable or satellite package doesn’t include NBCSN, you can still watch both events by signing up for Sling TV, a streaming-only television service offered by Dish Network.
Sling TV is available on smartphones, tablets, web browsers, game consoles and most smart TV systems like Roku, Amazon Fire TV, Apple TV and Android TV. Along with NBCSN, Sling TV gives you access to Olympic events happening on other NBC channels, including CNBC, USA and the Olympics Channel*.
Sling TV comes with no commitment and no contract to sign — just sign up and start streaming. The service normally costs $35 a month, but readers of Solano NewsNet can sign up for Sling TV in time to watch both speed walking events on NBCSN for just $10 for the first month. Here’s how to take advantage of the offer:
Click or tap here to go to the Sling TV website.
Click or tap “Subscribe Now,” then create an account.
Next, choose the “Sling Blue” package, which includes NBCSN.
Enter your payment information, and you’re done!
Can’t be up early in the morning to cheer on Team USA? Sling TV’s got you covered: Locate NBCSN in the Sling TV program guide, scroll to the program you want to watch, and hit “record.” Sling TV will automatically save the show for you in a robust cloud DVR that you can access wherever Sling TV is available.
Want more access to the Olympic Games? Download the NBC Sports app for even more coverage of the Olympic Games, including live streams of events not shown on television — it’s free to access with your Sling TV username and password.
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