When women’s soccer made its Olympic debut at the 1996 Atlanta Games, over 76,000 fans were packed into Sanford Stadium in Athens, Georgia, when the U.S. defeated China 2-1 to claim the inaugural gold medal.
Fans watching from home didn’t have the same opportunity. NBC’s Olympic coverage that night only included a few minutes of the U.S.-China gold medal game.
So ahead of this summer’s Tokyo Olympics, Peacock will be making that 1996 women’s soccer gold medal game available in full. The match will stream in its entirety on July 16, 2021.
In addition to airing the full women’s soccer gold medal game for the first time, Peacock will also debut two shows that highlight the success of American women at the 1996 Atlanta Olympics: The Sisters of ’96: The 1996 USA Women’s Olympic Soccer Team (produced by NBC Olympics) and The ’96 Effect (produced by Lookalike Productions).
The Sisters of ’96: The 1996 USA Women’s Olympic Soccer Team
In The Sisters of ’96, seven members of the 1996 U.S. soccer team that won gold - Brandi Chastain, Joy Fawcett, Julie Foudy, Kristine Lilly, Shannon MacMillan, Briana Scurry, and Tisha Venturini - return to Sanford Stadium to watch the game together for the first time.
“It was a thrill to visit the site of our gold-medal win with my teammates and watch that match together for the first time,” Foudy said. “I’m excited for all of the fans to relive it with us in this documentary.”
ALSO FROM ON HER TURF: Which 18 players will make the U.S. Olympic women’s soccer roster?
The ’96 Effect
The ’96 Effect, which begins streaming on June 17, is a three-part documentary series that looks at the 1996 U.S. women’s basketball, gymnastics, softball, and soccer teams, which all won gold at the Atlanta Games.
The series features interviews with contemporary athletes - including Tokyo Olympic hopefuls Sue Bird, A’ja Wilson, Carli Lloyd, Cat Osterman, and Monica Abbott, as well as interviews with key members of the 1996 Olympic teams:
- Basketball: Lisa Leslie, Dawn Staley, Sheryl Swoopes, and head coach Tara VanDerveer
- Gymnastics: Amanda Borden, Dominique Dawes, and Shannon Miller
- Softball: Laura Berg, Lisa Fernandez, and Dot Richardson
- Soccer: Brandi Chastain, Joy Fawcett, Julie Foudy, Mia Hamm, Kristine Lilly, Shannon MacMillan, and Briana Scurry
