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Friday’s best bet on television

Americans Shawn Johnson and Nastia Liukin have a shot at individual all-around gold in gymnastics. 8 p.m. Chs, 4, 11

BEST OF THE WEEKEND IN SPORTS

Olympic swimming

Shortly after 11 p.m. ET Saturday, the world will know whether Michael Phelps secured a record eighth gold medal in Beijing as he finishes with the 4x100-meter medley relay, an event the Americans won in Athens.

Olympic track and field

Check out American Tyson Gay in the 100 meters, plus coverage of the heptathalon, hammer throw and triple jump.

NASCAR Sprint Cup

It’s the final race before the Chase, with Clint Bowyer and David Ragan sitting right outside the bubble and Kevin Harvick and Matt Kenseth sitting right inside. Who will be the top 12 drivers Sunday afternoon?

Brewers at Dodgers

Both teams made big trades to improve before the deadline. Both are hot and will look to gain an edge in the playoff race at Chavez Ravine.

TWT FIVE: OLDEST MEN’S TRACK AND FIELD RECORDS

1. Discus — On June 6, 1986, East German Jurgen Schulte threw the discus 74.08 meters, (more than 243 feet) besting the previous record by more than two meters.

2. Hammer throw — Soviet big man Yuriy Sedykh set the record of 86.74 meters during the European Championships on Aug. 30, 1986. Nearly 22 years later, the record still stands, and only two others have topped 86 meters.

3. Shot put — Randy Barnes’ record of 23.12 meters was set Aug. 20, 1990, and has never been topped, even as many shot putters have been linked to performance-enhancing drugs. Barnes himself was suspended for life from the Olympics for drugs, but his record still stands.

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