Teletica and Repretel providing Olympics coverage

For those who have been frustrated in their search for coverage of the Beijing Olympics due to the blackout of NBC broadcasting rights in the country, two local channels have been picking up the slack.

“We are transmitting live games,” said Dagoberto Alvaro, sports coordinator at Repretel. “The vast majority are live, some are pre-taped. We are showing everything, including full coverage of the Tico athletes.”

Repretel´s Channel 11 offers coverage from 12 midnight until 12 noon, including live coverage of many nighttime events from midnight to 4 a.m. from Beijing, which is 14 hours ahead of Costa Rican time. They also air an hour-long rundown of the previous day´s goings-on at 11 p.m.

The Teletica network is also airing the games in Costa Rica.

“From 10 to 12 at night, we show the Olympics on Channel 33,” said Hellen Mesen, sports secretary at the network. “On Channel 7, at 9 a.m., we show a rundown of the games and another at 11:30 p.m.”

Henry Raabe competed in his road race on Saturday and was eliminated, but the majority of Tico athletes´ are still gearing up for their events.

Upcoming Tico events include Marianela Quesada´s women´s 50-meter freestyle swimming competition at 6:30 p.m. Friday, Allan Segura´s racewalk at 7 p.m. that same evening, Gabriela Traña´s marathon on Saturday at 5:30 p.m., Nery Brenes´ 400-meter sprint at 7 p.m. on Sunday, Federico Ramirez´s mountain bike race at 3 p.m. on Aug. 23 and Kristopher Moitland´s taekwondo competition at 7 p.m. on Aug. 23.

The country´s all-time medal count remains at one gold, one silver and two bronzes.