Michael Phelps has accumulated so much precious metal, he could rent a wing at Ft. Knox. With his gold in the 4x200m freestyle relay, Phelps set an all-time record with his 19th Olympic medal (15 of them of the gold variety, and nine of those 15 individual medals).

The proceedings in the Aquatic Center have been a little hit or miss for Team USA, but there are plenty more opportunities for medals as swimming continues to dominate the early schedule.

Today's Fab Five, which will highlight NBC's prime-time schedule starting at 8 pm Eastern:

Some of the top Olympic finals will be held over the next week, starting with Thursday's 200m backstroke and concluding on August 9th when the men's decathlon. All eyes will be on Usain Bolt on August 5th as he goes for gold in the 100m dash. Can the American duo of Tyson Gay and Justin Gatlin knock him off?

Athlon previews and predicts five of the Olympics top upcoming events.

Call her The Natural. In her first Olympic Games, Missy Franklin, a giggly 17-year-old high schooler from Colorado, has already shown an uncanny ability to flip the switch when the lights come on and transition into steely veteran with a killer instinct. Only minutes after completing a semifinal heat in the 200m freestyle, Franklin hopped back in the pool and swam to gold in the 100m backstroke, perhaps her signature event.

"Indescribable," she said. "I still can't believe that happened. I don't even know what to think. I saw my parents' reaction on the screen and I just started bawling. I can't even think right now."

She had better get used to the feeling. Franklin has five more events and the potential to emerge from these Games as America's breakout star.

Franklin's male counterpart, Matt Grevers, was also up to the challenge in the 100m backstroke, setting an Olympic record to earn the gold medal.

The American exploits in the pool overshadowed a disappointing performance from the American male gymnasts, who slipped to fifth after entering the All Around finals as medal favorites. Princes William and Harry were on hand to watch the Great Britain men earn Bronze, after a successful Japanese inquiry vaulted the Japanese men from fourth to second and knocked the Ukrainians off the medal stand.

Samuel L. Jackson Tweet of the Night
One of the delightful discoveries of these Olympic Games has been the Twitter feed of actor Samuel L. Jackson, who offers real-time insights during the NBC prime-time broadcasts. They're exactly what you would expect from the guy who played Jules in Pulp Fiction: profanity-laced observations that are steeped in pro-America jingoism. Well worth a follow @SamuelLJackson if want to watch right along with him (and if you're not easily offended by liberal use of expletives).

Last night, Jackson signed off with this shout-out to Michael Phelps (slightly censored for family reading): "Just so ya know,looking forward to MIKE P going knee deep in ALL THAT A-- in the 200 FLY!!!! Go USA!

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Misty May-Treanor, right, of the U.S. looks on as  teammate Kerri Walsh digs out a ball during the beach volleyball match against Czech Republic at the 2012 Summer Olympics, Tuesday, July 31, 2012, in London. The beach volleyball matches, held in the shadow of Buckingham Palace, have been among the most popular events of these Olympics.

Michael Phelps chases history in the Olympic pool.

Today's Fab Five, which will highlight NBC's prime-time schedule starting at 8 pm Eastern:

1. Men's 200m Butterfly
Another night, another shot at history for Phelps, who will be going for his third straight gold medal in this event. No Ryan Lochte in this one, so all eyes will be on Phelps as he chases career gold medal No. 15 and attempts to tie Russian gymnast Larisa Latynina's record of 18 career Olympic medals.

2. Men's 800m Freestyle Relay
Provided Phelps is able to medal in the 200m butterfly, this race takes on added significance, as it represents Phelps' chance to become the most decorated Olympian of all time. A medal in the 200 and 800 relay would give the Olympic legend a staggering 19 career medals.

3. Women's Gymnastics Team Finals
The men fell flat, so it's up to the American women to salvage U.S. pride and find their way to the medal stand. Jordyn Wieber will have to shake off the crushing disappointment of failing to make the individual all around finals and the American women to their first all-around gold since the Magnificent 7 in 1996. That's a heavy weight for a 5-2, 117-pounder to carry, but she's up to the task.

4. Men's and Women's Tennis
Novak Djokovic will face American Andy Roddick, and Maria Sharapova takes on Laura Robson of Great Britain to highlight the tennis slate.

5. Men's Basketball
The 2012 edition of the Dream Team should barely break a sweat against Tunisia, giving coach Mike Krzyzewski a chance to experiment with different lineup combinations.

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Jordyn Wieber did not qualify for the women’s gymnastics individual all-around competition at the 2012 London Olympics. Despite finishing with the fourth-highest score during qualifying, the reigning World Champion and favorite to win Olympic gold failed to make the cut due to a rule that limits the number of bids to two per country — known stateside as the “Wieber Rule” until further notice.

The most poignant image of the London Games thus far: NBC's interviews with U.S.

Missy Franklin takes to the pool for one of London 2012's most hotly anticipated events: the 100m backstroke.

Okay, NBC. We'll play along. All during the Olympics, we'll be presenting a rundown of the essential, can't-miss events — according to when they'll be broadcast on NBC. (We don't sanction watching the Olympics at work, but there are streaming options for those who choose to do so.)

Today's Fab Five, with broadcast times (all times Eastern):

1. Women's Volleyball - USA vs. Brazil, 11:30 am
No, this isn't the beach version, so no bikinis. But still worth watching.

2. Women's Basketball - USA vs. Angola, 5:15 pm
There's no Charles Barkley on hand to deliver forearm shivers to defenseless Angolans, but the US will still be heavy favorites. Expect Geno Auriemma to have scared this team straight after some opening jitters vs. Croatia.

3. Men's 200m Freestyle Finals, 8 pm
The ongoing Ryan Lochte-Michael Phelps subplot to these Games takes a breather — the event is Phelps-free — but the field is loaded as Lochte goes for gold.

4. Men's Gymnastics Team Finals, 8 pm
Led by 2008 individual silver medalist Jonathon Horton, the U.S. men are gunning for their first team gold medal since the 1984 Games in Los Angeles.

5. Women's 100m Backstroke, 8 pm
Missy "The Missile" Franklin will attempt to back up the hype in this eagerly anticipated event, which is likely Franklin's best shot at gold.

See more 2012 Olympics coverage.