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The 2016 Summer Olympics are quickly approaching.
Set to take place from Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, the opening ceremony at Maracanã Stadium is on August 5, 2016. The games will then play out for the next two weeks before the closing ceremony on August 21. You can click here for a complete schedule of events.
For many hopefuls, though, the excitement begins well before that. In the United States, swimming qualifying begins June 26, track & field qualifying begins July 1 and women’s gymnastics qualifying begins July 8.
The final three men’s basketball spots will be determined via qualifying tournament, which starts July 4.
Ultimately, with 42 sports, 206 countries, 306 events and thousands of world-class athletes, there will be no shortage of storylines at this year’s Games.
Can the United States, for the sixth straight edition of the Summer Olympics, walk away as the country with the most medals?
Is Simone Biles, the 19-year-old Ohio native who has absolutely dominated the gymnastics world over the last three years, the next female to become a household name thanks to the grand stage of the Olympics?
Will Olympic legends Michael Phelps and Usain Bolt, both almost assuredly participating in their final Games, make final additions to their individual tallies? Or are their adversaries finally ready to overtake them?
There’s also the addition of new sports, such as golf and rugby sevens, which will assuredly add to the drama in Brazil.
In other words, it’s going to be a busy summer.