The first full week of the Rio Olympics continued Tuesday with excitement from start to finish.
From local athletes to global stars, the competition was strong in everything from gymnastics to diving to swimming.
Here are five key things to watch Tuesday:
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1. U.S. Women's Gymnastics Squad Wins Gold
Simone Biles and the United States women’s gymnastics team have won their second consecutive gold medal, beating Russia with a flawless final on Tuesday.
The fiercest competition in the gym was for second place behind the American women, who put on a show. Gabby Douglas, the 2012 all-around individual champion nailed a 15.766 on bars that was only topped by specialist Madison Kocian’s sizzling 15.933.
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The Americans finished on floor, where Laurie Hernandez put up the competition's best score, only to be topped Aly Raisman and Biles in order.
Watch Biles and Team USA compete on NBC 5 Primetime Tuesday evening.
2. Phelps Rakes in 20th Gold Medal, Ledecky Continues Dominance
Michael Phelps made up for his miscue in London, reclaiming his Olympic crown in the 200 meter butterfly and winning the 20th gold medal of his decorated career.
Katie Ledecky outfinished sprinter Sarah Sjostrom to take her second gold medal of the Olympics with a win in the 200-meter freesyle on Tuesday night.
3. Kevin Cordes Aims for Second Chance at Olympic Medal, Dwyer Goes for Gold
Kevin Cordes stayed afloat in his final quest for an Olympic medal in Rio while Winnetka's Conor Dwyer picked up his second medal of the Games so far, and first gold.
Cordes, from Naperville, competed in the men’s 200m breaststroke, his final event in the Rio Games and his last attempt at winning a medal during his first-ever Olympic appearance.
He took second place in the second semifinal, fifth overall, qualifying for Wednesday's finals with a time of 2:07.99.
Cordes made his Olympic debut in Saturday’s 100m breaststroke events and hoped to medal Sunday but fell just short. He took fourth in the finals with a time of 59.22.
Dwyer swam the first leg of the men's 4x200m freestyle relay Tuesday, where he won his second medal of the Games after winning a bronze for the U.S. in the 200 freestyle.
Alongside Michael Phelps, Francis Haas, and Ryan Lochte, Dwyer collected the gold with a time of 7:00.66.
Phelps picked up his 21st gold medal just minutes after winning the 200m butterfly.
4. Diving Duo Amy Cozad and Jessica Parratto Make Olympic Debut
Two Indiana divers hit the platform Tuesday, making their Olympic debuts in the women’s 10-meter synchronized event.
Indianapolis native Amy Cozad will join Indiana University’s Jessica Parratto fell short of a medal amid stiff competition and judging in their first-ever Olympic Games.
The Indiana duo came in seventh place overall in the event, with a score of 301.02.
China's Ruolin Chen and Huixia Liu took gold with a score of 354.00.
Cozad and Parratto's appearance followed Monday’s highly-anticipated performance by fellow Indiana divers David Boudia and Steele Johnson.
The event marked Cozad’s only chance at an Olympic medal while Parratto also qualified for individual 10-meter platform event.
Cozad holds eight champion titles, seven in the synchronized 10-meter and one in the individual 10-meter and Parratto took home the gold medal for the individual platform at the 2011 Junior Pan American Championships.
The event airs on NBC 5 Primetime Tuesday night beginning at 7 p.m. CT.
5. USA's Oldest Olympian Brings Home Equestrian Medal, But U.S. Falls Short in Team Event
Local rider Lauren Kieffer’s Olympic debut may have come to a conclusion as Team USA failed to medal in equestrian eventing, but her teammate Phillip Dutton managed to bring home an individual bronze medal just one month before his 53rd birthday.
Kieffer failed to qualify for the jumping final and was eliminated in Monday's cross-country event, where only two U.S. athletes, Dutton and Boyd Martin, completed the course, causing the team to discontinue comeptition for an Olympic team title.
Dutton, however, went on to win a bronze medal in indivual eventing Tuesday with his horse Mighty Nice. Germany's Michael Jung took gold and France's Astier Nichols won silver.
Often referred to as “three day eventing,” the Olympic equestrian competition lasts a total of four days, and is a combination of dressage, cross-country and jumping. The first test of horsemanship at the Rio Games began Saturday, Day 1 of the Games.
Kieffer, a Mount Carmel native, had been training under Olympians Karen and David O’Connor since she was 18. She made her Olympic debut on the dressage phase of eventing in Rio, ending with a score of 47.30 and ranking in 33rd place. She was later eliminated in the cross-country event.
The 25 best riders in the team competition went on to compete in the individual jumping event at noon (CT) Tuesday. A maximum of three riders per nation were allowed to participate in the individual final.
Team USA ended day 2 of the eventing competition Sunday in the no. 6 spot, tied with New Zealand with a score of 137.50. On Monday, they dropped to 12th place, with a score of 1097.70 and ended eventing Tuesday in the same slot with a score of 1106.70.
France, Germany and Australia ultimately took home medals in the team event Tuesday.
Equestrian is one of three Olympic sports where men and women compete together, and it is the only sport where an animal is used.
