What to Watch For: Day 6

Watching the Olympics just doesn’t seem the same without Michael Phelps swimming for gold. With all due respect to all the other competitors, there’s just something special about watching Phelps shatter world records with ease and chase Olympic history and this makes his races so fun to watch. And finally, after a Phelps-less night last night (save for his semifinal race in the 200 IM), Phelps is back at the Water Cube again going for gold medal number six in the 200 IM finals (10:48 PM ET). It won’t come easy though, as fellow American Ryan Lochte beat Phelps in the semifinals by a slim margin. If Phelps wins tonight he will match his gold medal total from Athens four years ago. Phelps will also swim in the semifinals of the 100m butterfly (11:24 PM ET). Before Phelps though comes the mens 200m backstroke, in which Americans Aaron Piersol and Ryan Lochte are expected to go 1-2 (10:19 PM ET). In the women’s 200m breaststroke (10:12 PM ET), American Rebecca Soni goes for her second medal of the competition. Soni won silver in the 100m breast. And in the women’s 100m freestyle (11:04 PM ET), watch as America’s Natalie Coughlin goes for her second gold medal of these Olympic Games. Coughlin won gold in the 100m backstroke. And after the swimming, be sure to check out the women’s individual all-around gymnastics finals as U.S. teens Shawn Johnson and Nastia Liukin each have a chance to win what is perhaps the most prominent event at the Olympics (11:15 PM ET).