Wednesday’s best bets for Olympic TV

Track and field

Usain Bolt practically jogged through the first round of qualifying for the 200 on Tuesday; he’ll probably breeze through the semifinals Wednesday. But it’s the women’s 200 final that is likely to be far more interesting. It should be a showdown between Dafne Schippers of the Netherlands and Tori Bowie of the U.S. The U.S. could pick up another medal if Brittney Reese can defend her long jump title. The decathlon also kicks off, with Ashton Eaton trying to defend his title.

Soccer

Normally the high interest items involve the U.S., but the men’s soccer tournament could be headed for an epic showdown. Brazil hasn’t been playing that well, but it might have caught a break by playing Honduras in one of the semifinals. In the other semifinal, Nigeria plays Germany. So, if Brazil and Germany win the final, will be a rematch of the World Cup semifinal where Germany embarrassed the host nation with a 7-1 win. Even though its not the same players, the memory and national shame lingers.

Boxing

The best boxer for the U.S. goes Wednesday, and her name is Claressa Shields. She dominated in London and has done well since then, having not lost a match in those four years. Along the way, she’s picked up two world championships and one Pan-Am Games title. She automatically qualified for the quarterfinals, so a win over Yaroslava Yakushina of Russia guarantees a medal.