Transcripts For WRC Today 20120808

olympic champions misty may-treanor and keri walsh-jennings last day today, wednesday, august 2012. >> announcer: from nbc news, this is a special edition of "today" at the olympic games with matt lauer and savannah guthrie live from olympic park in london, england. always a nice view with which to start the day. welcome to today on wednesday morning from olympic park in london. i'm matt lauer. >> good morning, everyone. i'm savannah guthrie. it was two medals in one day for gymnast aly raisman, a gold and bronze in individual events. i think all america was doing cart wheels after that floor exercise. >> it was fun to watch. she nailed it on the floor to the delight of her teammates and parents. mvp while at the end of the beam, she was actually in fourth place. after some tense moments during a judge's inquiry, she ended up getting the bronze. she was thrilled. we're going to talk to aly live just ahead. >> all right. there was more excitement in the track last night. a tight race in the 100 meter hurdles with 0.00 of a second separating gold and silver. dawn harper and kelly wells, all three medal winners with us. a bit later on we'll talk to lolo jones who came in fourth. it was disappointment in beijing and now london, too. >> going to be interesting to hear what she has to say. when we're at the olympic games al and i like to find a sport we can try together. the luge, synchronized swimming, even rhythmic gymnastics. we nearly got arrested for that one. this morning what could be our most daring and painful olympic endeavor yet. we'll fill you innoon that. first to the real athletes in london. natalie morales has olympic highlights. good morning to you. >> good morning matt and savannah. a big day for u.s. women with outstanding in gym narvegs, track and field, beach volleyball and water polo. gymnastics gold for aly raisman, the first u.s. woman to win gold on a floor exercise with a powerful routine that delighted her parents. >> it felt amazing and really exciting. it still hasn't hit me yet. it's amazing. it went exactly how i wanted it to go. raisman also won bronze on the balance beam. she initially finished fourth place but after they questioned the score, the judge awarded her the bronze. raisman called it redemption in what happened in the all around when sheified for third but the olympic tiebreaker pushed her to fourth with no medal. all around gold medalist gabby douglas failed to medal in the individual. she took a fall on the people leaving her in 7th place. jordyn wieber also had a shaky performance and finished 7th in the floor exercise. in track and field australian sally pearson edged out harper for the gold medal in the hurdle. a race so close it took several moments for the judges to figure out who won. in the end, pearson celebrated gold by 0.002 of a second. >> i clipped a hurdle. i thought oh my god, i think you're losing. after bringing home the silver, i'm pretty proud. >> american kelly wells took the bronze while lolo jones finished fourth. it will be team usa against team usa in women's beach volleyball finals. on tuesday misty may-treanor and kerri walsh-jennings beat china giving them a return ticket to the finals. americans jenn kessy and ross rallied to beat brazil for tonight's gold medal showdown. u.s. women's water polo plays for gold medal in the finals after beating australia in overtime. a frightening moment during the weightlifting competition. the german dropped the barbell on his neck. he managed to wave to the crowd leaving the platform. he had to withdraw from the super heavyweight competition. doctors say he's going to be okay, although he did have a bit of back pain. ann romney's horse failed to make the cut in the dressage competition. medal count, china on top, 73, usa, 70 gold, 21 silver, 19 bronze and gbr in third place with 38. two-time olympic medalist aly raisman is with us this morning. aly, good morning. i bet that sounds amazing to you. >> yes, i'm really excited. >> last time we talked you just had the disappointment where you missed the bronze. now you're back with a gold medal and a bronze. this is a roller coaster ride. >> this whole experience that been amazing, a dream come true. the olympic experience was so much fun, the perfect way to end it yesterday. >> you're the most decorated member of the gymnastic team pt the the first american to win a floor exercise in the individual event. i know you loved winning gold with your team but is there something about winning as an individual and standing up on the podium? >> definitely. there's nothing like winning with your teammates and being able to share that with my best friend. individually to be able to share that. my coach and i worked so hard together. to finally get that was so amazing. >> you handled everything that happened with a lot of grace and a lot of poise. did you have extra fire? were you coming in there looking for redemption? >> yeah, definitely. there was another tie again for bronze. this time it went in my favor. that was really exciting. i definitely feel bad for the romanian that got bumped down to fourth. i definitely went into the competition really confident and wanting to go in there and get some medals. >> when you saw it was a tie again and you're all consulting the gymnastics rule book, were you thinking oh my goodness, here we go again. >> it's tough to be in that position. it's nerve-racking. you don't know which way it will go. either way i did a good routine so i was happy with whatever it would be. >> when you finished your floor routine, i think everyone thought if that's not a gold medal routine, i don't know what is. is that what you thought? did you know you nailed it? >> after i finished the first pass, that was the one i was nervous for. when i stuck that, i was calm and enjoyed it. i didn't hear my teammates yelling for me. i felt so calm. >> i was going to say watching it, i know there was so much pressure, it did seem almost fun for you. was it? >> it really was. i wanted to go out and enjoy it because it was my last olympic memory. i wanted to finish strong, the last competitor for us. it was really important i did my best. >> what are you going to do now? you're 18 years old. you've achieved your olympic dreams. how do you plan to celebrate? what are you going to do next? >> i'm going to stay in london for another week. i'm excited to go to closing ceremonies and spend time with family and friends. i can't wait to go back and see everyone. >> aly raisman, we're so proud of you. i had to check to see if there's springs on your feet you hit such great heights yesterday. here is matt with more medal winners. >> it was a thrilling end to women's 100 meter runners, five separated by tenths of a second. australian took the gold, set an olympic record, harper, kelly wells grabbed silver and bronze. they are all here. ladies, congratulations. >> good morning. >> we should mention you don't have your meteorologist medals, gotten them yet. let's play the entire race, all of 12 seconds. here we government here we go. look how close that was at the end. that was the race in slow motion. when we see the race, it's a blur. when you see it, do you go through every foot and every hurdle. >> it takes a long time. on there it's fast. when you're doing it, you can rather everything about it. hurry up, get to the finish line. >> so close between first and second you had to wait to get the official results. >> i didn't see dawn at all through the whole race. she could have been on the other side of the stadium. oh yeah, i think i'm far ahead. i stepped over the finish line and looked to the left and thought oh no, that's closer than i thought it was. >> dawn, how did the race unfold for you. >> i remember when the gun went off and i saw kelly. i thought oh shoot, she did what the coach said. when i got in front of her. don't get coffee and tea, forever before it got on the board. >> kelly, you've had some injuries of late this had to be -- >> i missed all of indoor, a lot of training, just came back full force and came out with the bronze. couldn't ask for better. >> when you see the race, do you look for things you might have done differently, all of you. sall sally, the gold medal. >> there's a few things i'm kicking myself. i know i left it all out there and what i went through to get here, i have no regrets. >> kelly. >> we're all critics, especially hurdlers, there's so many technical things. i came out to pr, a medal, i'm on cloud nine. >> there seemed a look of elation and then relief on your face. is that fair? >> it's fair. the whole country is behind me, to have the weight of the medal, it's huge. you have to do it the best way possible, for me that's putting yourself in a bubble and shutting yourself away from the world. you need to focus on what you have to do to be the best athlete. a show of hands, who might be with us in rio. >> come on, ladies. >> who is going to win that race? sally, congratulations. ladies, so nice to have you here. dawn and kelly as well. the rest of the news from natalie at the news desk. >> good morning, everyone. a life in prison awaits jarred lee loughner after the 23-year-old pled guilty to the 2011 massacre in tucson. miguel almaguer was in the courtroom when it all happened. miguel, good morning. >> natalie, good morning. for the first time jarred lee loughner was in court and engaged with the judge. he took responsibility for the massacre and pled guilty. nineteen months after the attempted assassination of congresswoman gabrielle giffords that left six dead and many more wounded, the judge asked jared lee loughner if he understood, taking responsibility for the deadly attack. >> yes, i understand, avoiding the death penalty entering a guilty plea. the judge asked, do you have a clear mind, a clear head. yes, loughner answered, i do. >> jared loughner will spend the remainder of his life in prison. he will never be able to harm the tucson community or any other community again. >> reporter: before he was questioned by the judge, the doctor treating the 23-year-old said while he suffers from schizophrenia, he is mentally competent. she testified loughner told her he was remorseful for what he did. loughner saying i wish i never had those thoughts and he especially cried about the child, a reference to the youngest victim nine-year-old green. in court, survivors wiped back tears. >> we need to move forward and make sure good comes out of this. >> it's not a perfect solution. the perfect solution is one that we can't have. >> reporter: gabby gifford who wasn't in court said she was satisfied with a plea. in a statement her husband wrote, she hopes the community can move forward and heal. natalie. >> miguel almaguer in tucson. thank you, miguel. police havers arrested the former gunman of michael page, the gunman who killed at sikh. she's not believed to have any connection to the shooting. meantime hundreds gattered to remember the six sikh worshippers killed in sunday's shooting. medical emergency at the bottom of the world. an australian rescue team is hoping the weather will allow them to fly to the research station in antartica to evacuate an american with undisclosed medical problems. it's winter in antartica and getting in and out is difficult. mary is at the new york stock exchange. good morning. >> good morning. the rally on wall street continues with the markets closing higher for the third straight day, finishing at their best levels since may. the reporting agency transunion said the homeowners late on payments dropped 3.5%, housing continued to rise, biggest percentage gain in the last quarter in seven years. back to you. >> all right. thanks mary thompson. girls just want to have fun, even when they grow up to be secretary of state hillary clinton. she got her groove on in south africa in a dinner hosted by the foreign minister. she's got some moves. 7:15 right now. there you go. back to matt, savannah and al. >> all right. best not to say anything right now. >> i never knew the secretary of state knew how to do the dougie. >> one of us did say. >> we is here with a check of the weather. >> historic drought throughout most of the country. as you take a look from the beginning of july, you can see it growing, especially in the midsection of the u.s. as we get towards the end of july and into early august. we are starting to see some more rain develop into the areas that are suffering from extreme drought. also heavy rain along the southeastern atlantic, where there is drought, as well. good news there. but as we look at the rest of the country today, we expect to see plenty of sunshine in the pacific northwest and heat will continue and look for thunderstorms along the gulf coast. that's what's going on around the country, here's what's happening in your neck of the woods. >> good morning. tom kierein in storm center 4. we have a steamy sunrise over the potomac. that's a live view from our hd city camera. 78 at reagan national. we have a light wind this morning and generally out of the south the rest of the day into tomorrow and friday pumping in the humidity and heat and afternoon highs around 90 each day. might get an isolated storm later today, as well as thursday. likely on friday, could be >> and that's your latest weather. savannah. >> al, thanks. have you ever wondered what the olympic athletes do after the competition and medals. ryan seacrest found out. good morning to you. >> good morning. you can call it the after life, life after the competition. these goal oriented people have certainly found a way to unwind. work hard and play hard, that's the spirit of the games. >> we've been celebrating for the louisiana couple of days and it's been fun. >> if celebrating were a sport here in london, there are plenty of medal worthy contenders. >> out with friends to celebrate. >> after years of training day in, day out, and once the intense competition is in the rearview mirror, for some that means it's time to kick it up. >> going out and checking out the town. >> for others it's a chance to finally kick back. >> and just relax. >> ryan lochte has got six reasons to celebrate in london, five of them are his new medals. the other, turning 28. we caught up with lochte at his birthday bash. >> i haven't had time to sit down and take a load off. >> across town at an omega party, it was a who's who of swimmers. between 12-time medalist natalie coughlin to the world's most decorated olympian and toast of the town michael phelps. for other winners, different way to celebrate. after winning gold swimmer ricky barons couldn't wait to break training, tweeting this message of his meal, a fast-food feast. britain's tennis star andy murray is sharing his medals with maggie may and rusty, his border terriers. 17-year-old missy franklin plans to commemorate her gold with a tattoo of the olympic rings on her hip. and if you're the youngest u.s. olympian to win gold? what do you do? 15-year-old katie ledecky is celebrating back home with family and friends. at the airport she was greeted with a hero's welcome from her maryland classmates. a teenager celebration for the ages. and with athletes finishing up competition each and every day, there are no signs of the thriving night life here in london will be slowing down. savannah. >> just getting started. ryan, thank you. there is much more to come from london including a defining moment of these games. which olympic sport will matt and al try this time and will spandex be involved? all will be revealed. but first, this is "today" on all will be revealed. but firsi got the chancey" on to start my own business. i know what it's like to hire people and to make ends meet. from those experiences, i had the chance of running the olympics. the games were in real trouble. there'd been way too much spending. and in massachusetts i found a budget that was badly out of balance. our legislature was 85% democrat. and every one of the four years i was governor, we balanced the budget. i want to use those experiences to help americans have a better future. we believe in our future. we believe in ourselves. we believe the greatest days of america are ahead. i'm mitt romney and i approve this message. just ahead, it was a tough night for lolo jones. she came up short in her bid for an olympic medal in london but she'll join us live. >> we'll hear from her. meredith going on a hunt for eccentric people in england and she found them, but first your local news and weather. hey parents, it's a big year. i'm not just teaching music. ♪ i'm teaching performance. here's what they'll need. ♪ get your backpack, your hoodies, harajuku, ♪ ♪ turquoise kinda purple orangish sorta blue. ♪ ♪ backpacks, yeow, ♪ to put their stuff in. ♪ graphic tees and denim, denim, denim, denim. ♪ ♪ backpacks. school takes a lot, target has is all. what are you lookin' at? i wasn't... not looking at anything... we're not good enough for you. must be supermodels? what do you model gloves? brad, eat a snickers. why? 'cause you get a little angry when you're hungry. better? [ male announcer ] you're not you when you're hungry™. better. [ male announcer ] snickers satisfies. captions paid for by . ♪ express yourself [ female announcer ] why not try coffee-mate? with over 25 delicious flavors for a fraction of the cost of the coffee house. . blood disorders have occurred. before starting enbrel, your doctor should test you for tuberculosis and discuss whether you've been to a region where certain fungal infections are common. don't start enbrel if you have an infection like the flu. tell your doctor if you're prone to infections, have cuts or sores, have had hepatitis b, have been treated for heart failure, or if, while on enbrel, you experience persistent fever, bruising, bleeding, or paleness. [ phil ] get back to the things that matter most. ask your rheumatologist if enbrel is right for you. [ doctor ] enbrel, the number one biolog medicine prescribed by rheumatologists. the movie that's fantastic fun for everyone has fish cheering... [ male announcer ] jaws dropping... aaaah! ow! [ male announcer ] ...and everyone begging for more... ooh! ooh! [ male announcer ] ...with not 1 or 2 but 3 all-new mini-movies. "the lorax." rated pg. now available. constipated? yeah. mm. some laxatives like dulcolax can cause cramps. but phillips' caplets don't. they have magnesium. for effective relief of occasional constipation. thanks. [ phillips' lady ] live the regular life. phillips'. i just wish i knew the right time to buy. ♪ now's the right time during toyota's nationwide clearance event. it's your chance to get the summer's best deal on camry, america's number-one-selling car. with its comfortable interior and refined styling, it's our most luxurious camry ever. ♪ but the great deals won't last long. hurry in today. [ male announcer ] get started now at toyota.com. 7:26 on wednesday, august 8th. i'm aaron gilchrist. breaking news on the beltway where problems continue. danella sealock is here with that. >> we're down to two accidents let's start with the inner loop at 295. this was a crash that happened earlier this morning and now the right lane is blocked. the outer loop of the beltway at 355. crash there is still blocking the right lane and you're absloa absolutely jammed. rock solid delays. delays really start out of college park and it's very slow. i can't express that enough. if you can avoid the beltway, i would do so in montgomery good morning. storm 4 radar showing one shower in northern montgomery county near poolsville and later today an isolated thundershower this afternoon, as well as tomorrow and more likely on friday. aaron? >> thank you, >> pretty cool. >> 7:30 on wednesday morning, august 8th, 2012. not a bad way to make an entrance. i didn't know you could drive a stick shift. >> left side to left hand. that is new. >> this is the official team gb car, the mini cooper. this is the car used in the queen's jubilee. >> i like this thing, i really do. you see these all over great britain. it is the official sponsor of the olympics and paralympics. >> i feel like we're missing somebody. >> i'm sorry. >> hi, guys. >> it's got amazing trunk space as well. >> okay. >> fantastic. >> that's fun. >> more fun, why don't you get in the back. we'll show you how much fun it is. >> that is the olympic sport we tried in london. >> it's not. every time we go to the olympic games we try something. we did the luge, swimming, rhythmic gymnastics. >> that was fantastic. >> we tried another sport. by the way, it's dangerous, dramatic and we'll reveal which sport it is in this half hour. >> speaking of sports, we'll talk about the real athletes. lolo jones, just narrowly missed the bronze in the 100 meter. i know she's really disappointed about what happened last night. she's here to talk to us and we'll catch up with her in a few moments. >> first, how about al's english lesson. >> seeing how we came in in automobile today, we decided today's english class would be something automotive. starting easy and working our way up. okay. first of all, petrol. what is petrol. >> gas. >> gas. that's right. speaking of which, speaking of which, don't be in the back with natalie. okay. what is the boot. >> you just came out of it. >> that's right. the trunk. what is the bonnet. >> the hood. >> the hood. >> that's exactly right. >> car talk with natalie. >> i cheated. i saw his cheat sheet. >> you have to do something to pass the time back there. >> some more knowledge. is this a lorey. >> a taxi. >> a truck. >> there you have al's english class. by the way, in the back there, those aren't pillows. >> poor natalie. >> i will never forget unfortunately. >> see what we've got for you. >> on the other line. >> thank you very much. as we check the weather, hot air, boise 100. 100 in salt lake, 114 in phoenix. we're looking at 102 degrees in wichita today. 101 down in waco and memphis, going to be flirting with the 100 degrees. rest of the country we expect to see temperatures a lot nicer in the northeast. in the mid-80s a risk of strong storms southeast, getting those games off and plenty of sunshine in the pacific northwest and temperatures dropping back into the 70s. that's what's going on around the country, here's what's happening in your neck of the woods. >> good morning, tom kierein storm center 4. one more storm shower, otherwise, around the region, just steamy humidity in place on this wednesday morning. we're in the 70s later today in the low 90s and partly sunny and maybe an isolated thunderstorm later this afternoon. tomorrow hot and humid and low 90s and scattered afternoon storms are possible. showers and afternoon storms friday could be severe with damaging winds. lower humidity moves in for saturday a >> and that's your latest weather. savannah. >> all right, al. thank you. well, it was a disappointing finish for lolo jones in the women's 100 meter hurdle. she finished in fourth place four years after she clipped the hurdle in beijing. lolo, good morning to you. good to see you. >> thank you. >> i know you are disappointed. you came so close, i think it was 0.001 of a second. >> that's a big difference in track. seems like a small difference you can't really clock it but in track it's a big difference. >> how are you feeling this morning? >> i'm okay. it's disappointing in one extreme, i didn't get the medal. another extreme, a year ago, exactly a year ago i was having spinal cord surgery. if i look at that, all the things you've been through, spinal cord injury, two hamstring injuries and fought through that. i keep trying to focus on that and not the negativity i receive from the other one. >> you made it here. i know last night you tweeted about dealing with a broken heart. is that how it feels? >> definitely. i was crushed afterwards. i know i had the best race of my season. not the best race of my life. i had the best race of my year. so i mean, i just try to look at that. you know, it doesn't take away from the pain that i was so close once again to having a medal and not getting it. >> this was the fastest women's hurdles race in olympic women's history. does that make you feel better at all? >> no. >> you were facing the toughest competition there was. >> i think it's awesome. all the girls are running amazing this year. we could feel there was going to be something happen, like something special was going to happen. we knew it. it doesn't make you feel better. oh, my time would have gotten me a medal in another olympics. >> "the new york times" a tough piece criticizing you for being more image than accomplishment. how hard was that to deal with? >> i think it's crazy. it was two days before i competed. the fact it was from a u.s. media. they should be supporting our u.s. athletes, instead they ripped me to shreds. i thought that was crazy. i work six days a week every day for four years for a 12-second race. the fact they tore me apart, it was heartbreaking. i'm not -- they need to do the research. i'm the american record holder. i'm the american record holder, two titles. just because i don't boast about these things, i don't think i should be ripped apart by media. i laid it out there for my country. it's just a shame that i have to deal with so much backlash when i'm already so brokenhearted as it is. >> you have been such a public person. you he bared your soul. i wonder how you look at it now. you can't help but put your heart out there. that's who you are. are you sorry that you did? >> i mean, putting your heart out there, obviously it opens you up to a lot of negativity. at the same time if i can just reach somebody out there, maybe a little girl out there who doesn't think she can be an olympic athlete. she sees all the things i struggled through to get here. i wasn't onsupposed to make the olympic team. u.s. olympic team they counted me out. i made the team. she's not going to make the final. i made the final. i went from eighth place to fourth place. i really hope my story will give somebody hope. i didn't run away with a medal but i think there's lessons to be learned when you win and there's lessons to be learned when you lose. >> your pleasurements speak for themselves. lolo jones, really appreciate you being here and talking to us. thank you. >> thank you for having me. >> we'll be back right after this. twinkle twinkle little pie you squashed my willpower like a fly. you looked so innocent and so sweet. convinced my lips that we should meet. you were a relentless flirt. oh no we had indecent dessert. twinkle twinkle hope appears. a stevia leaf erased my fears. it made my willpower a super hero. as for calories, it has zero. twinkle twinkle truvia® star natural sweetness, i love just what you are. truvia. honestly sweet. have multiple ways to help you save. they'll reach out to your doctor... ♪ go above and beyond to find lower priced options... ♪ and enroll you in walgreens prescription savings club... which saves members an average of one hundred and seventy dollars a year. ask your pharmacist how much you can save today at walgreens. ♪ [ male announcer ] savor life's real moments... ♪ ...with mccafé real fruit smoothies. ♪ [ all ] surprise!! ♪ [ male announcer ] in 3 real delicious flavors -- wild berry, mango pineapple, and strawberry banana. mccafé real fruit smoothies at mcdonald's. because life is meant to be enjoyed again and again. the simple joy that lasts forever. because life is meant to be enjoyed again and again. what makes me feel truly decadent? [announcer:] new revlon colorstay whipped crème makeup. its unique formula flexes with skin for a flawless finish. the feel of nothing but silk on my skin. the more options you have, you're trying to lose weight, the more likely you are to stay on track. that's why there are 10 delicious kinds of special k® cereal. ♪ because every girl could use a little variety. ♪ enjoy special k®, in 10 delicious flavors. so many possibilities. what will you gain when you lose? just tuning in, that was a dramatic moment you missed a couple minutes ago as al and natalie and savannah and i rode in a mini cooper through the crowd and nobody got hurt. >> i don't know about that. >> your neck. >> anyway, welcome back, everyone. al and i have put our bodies on the line once again and spandex to the test to try a new olympic sport. are you ready to reveal what we teamed up for this time? >> i know i'm not. >> let's say it together on the count of three, one, two, three. >> grego roman wrestling. >> in a world where choking not only is allowed but encouraged, with terms like the gut wrench, only one thing is more dangerous, mortarifying than the actual greco-roman wrestling itself. all right. let's not get too excited. one thing tat a time. >> morning the luge, this is the one thing that will put us in the hospital more than anything we've done. >> to learn, we needed a coach. he seemed like an affable enough guy. >> you take your opponent right here and control him there. >> show me that again. >> right here. >> you know what, instead of me showing you guys, maybe i should bring out my guys to come. >> if they are like you, how bad can that be. >> they are not bad. let's meet them. >> matt and al, jamil and ellis. >> hi, how are you? >> u.s. wrestlers jamil and ellis are feared on the mat. surely these gentlemen will be gentle with us. >> what do you wear? i understand there's a certain kind of outfit. >> this is good. stay in that dress. that's fine. >> we've got an outfit. >> ellis, i'll put you with matt. al. >> you got this nickname, the flying squirrel. how did you get this? >> put me down, ellis, put me down. >> is that even legal? >> yes, it is. >> don't ever do that again. when i say why do they call you the flying squirrel, just tell me. >> my job is to stop you and throw you on your back. >> that sounds like a hard job. >> called a reverse lift. >> i call that pain. >> you've got to get up. >> called an arm spin. >> hey, i'm seeing a lot of this ceiling. >> are you all right? >> mommy. >> ellis, i think you just ruptured my spleen. the the funny part about it, i landed on my hotel room key, and it felt good. >> half roll over. is that your back popping? >> i think so. >> how are you doing, al? >> i'm doing good. >> matt, nice job. you guys are going to wrestle coming up. >> we're ready. >> my coach says i'm ready. >> welcome back to london, bob costas with mary carillo. we're getting set for one of the most anticipated showdowns of these games, greco roman wrestling, matt the tower lauer and al the sternum choker roker. mary, this should be a doozy. >> it's not just a question of will, also a question of breath. if one of these two mooks has onions or garlic, that could decide the whole thing. >> it could. when you think of all the years these two have known each other, now half naked on the mat or over the mat or on top of matt, there really will be no secrets. >> none. none. >> let's send it to the excel center where lauer and roker are ready to go. i've spoken to greeks and romans and they disavow any connection to this. here we go. >> what are we doing here? >> what do you mean? >> we could go get a beer. >> a beer. [ laughter ] >> you know, it took until yesterday for me to be able to turn my head completely to one side. >> you think you may actually have a bruised rib. >> no, a bruised ego. >> let's introduce our friends. >> we want you to meet the men responsible for neck and back braces. guys, good to see you. >> it's not that good to see you. >> how do you think we did? >> i think you guys did awesome. >> you don't think they wimped out at the end there. >> it's not easy to synchronize that tug. >> i was with ellis. you weigh what? >> 160 right now. >> he lifts me over his head. this guy is as strong as anybody i've seen. jermil is no slouch either. how much do you weigh? >> i weigh different than when i wrestle. i paid 132, i probably pay 160 now. >> how long does it take you to gain your weight back? >> a couple of minutes. >> what did you way. >> the day before 264 pounds. right now i could be 286. >> i'm so proud of you. >> coach, i know the competition didn't end the way you thought it was going to end. you're proud of these two guys. >> absolutely. ellis is only 20 years old. he a tough draw. has he a great future in front of him. we're very proud of him. our champion three-time world medalist, champion first round. we had high expectations. didn't do it, but that doesn't mean we're going to stop in the future. >> you guys were so noise to us. we really appreciate it. >> how do you think they looked? >> we've got to go. >> good. >> does that count as spandex. >> ahead we'll play table tennis, much safer against the 16-year-old sensation who had a thrilling run in london. but first these messages. i've worked hard to build my family. and also to build my career. so i'm not about to always let my frequent bladder urges, or the worry my pipes might leak get in the way of my busy lifestyle. that's why i take care, with vesicare. once-daily vesicare can help control your bladder muscle and is proven to treat overactive bladder with symptoms of frequent urges and leaks day and night. if you have certain stomach or glaucoma problems, or trouble emptying your bladder, do not take vesicare. vesicare may cause allergic reactions that may be serious. if you experience swelling of the face, lips, throat or tongue, stop taking vesicare and get emergency help. tell your doctor right away if you have severe abdominal pain, or become constipated for three or more days. vesicare may cause blurred vision, so use caution while driving or doing unsafe tasks. common side effects are dry mouth, constipation, and indigestion. i've worked hard to get to where i am... and i've got better places to go than always going to the bathroom. so take charge of your symptoms by talking to your doctor and go to vesicare.com for a free trial offer. they're whole grain good... and yummy good. real fruit pieces. 12 grams of whole grains and a creamy yogurt flavored coating. quaker yogurt granola bars. treat yourself good. still to come, wouldn't be the same without one man. jimmy fallon will stop by. >> also meredith stops by to find britain's eccentric side. she's pretty successful after your local news and weather. rubles. eh, eheh, eh, eh.t ] [ brooklyn accent ] 50% more simoleons. [ western accent ] 50% more sawbucks. ♪ [ maine accent ] 50% more clams. it's a lobster, either way. [ male announcer ] the capital one cash rewards card. with a 50% annual cash bonus, it's the card for people who like more cash. [ italian accent ] 50% more dough! what's in your wallet? the lines, the cost, the hassle. ♪ express yourself [ female announcer ] why not try coffee-mate? with over 25 delicious flavors for a fraction of the cost of the coffee house. add your flavor, with coffee-mate, from nestle. add your flavor, one is for a clean, wedomestic energy future that puts us in control. our abundant natural gas is already saving us money, producing cleaner electricity, putting us to work here in america and supporting wind and solar. though all energy development comes with some risk, we're committed to safely and responsibly producing natural gas. it's not a dream. america's natural gas... putting us in control of our energy future, now. there are projects. and there are game-changers. those ideas that start with us rolling up our sleeves... ...and end with a new favorite room in the house. and when we can save even more on those kinds of projects... ...with advice to make them even better... ...that's a game-changer in itself. more saving. more doing. that's the power of the home depot. get this decorative vanity and mirror set at a special buy of just $199. [ music plays ] oranges or just juice the acid that i'm eating could be causing damage to my teeth. the dentist recommended pronamel. he said that pronamel would help protect me from the effects of acid erosion. i feel like i'm doing the right thing for my teeth, and it feels good. the blissful pause just before that rich sweetness touches your lips. the delightful discovery, the mid-sweetening realization that you have the house all to yourself. well, almost. the sweet reward, making a delicious choice that's also a smart choice. splenda no-calorie sweetener. with the original sugar-like taste you love and trust. splenda makes the moment yours. 7:55 is your time now. i'm eun yang. a terrible morning for beltway drivers. danella sealock is here with more. >> outer loop at 355 that crash has moved to the shoulder lane and the damage is done. if you're traveling along i-95 jammed as you make your way southbound towards the beltway and let's look at prince george's county because as you make your way past route 50 solid delays all the way to 355. avoid the beltway, if you can. avoid the beltway, if you can. eun, back over to i'm drinking dunkin'. medium iced, cream and sugar. dunkin' iced all day long. dunkin' keeps me going. it gives me the boost i need. dunkin' iced keeps me moving and grooving. i run on dunkin'. america runs on dunkin' coffee. good morning. storm 4 radar showsing a thundershower near germantown drifting east near gathersburg and else where partly sunny and humid now. maybe another isolated thundershower or shower popping up. likely on friday, in fact, friday afternoon could get strong storms that might produce damaging winds. over the weekend, saturday and sunday looking better with lower humidity and cooler. highs in the 80s and partly morning, the 8th day of august, 2012. you are looking at 16-year-old table tennis sensation. ariel hsing. she's trying her skills again. and 37-year-old champion of the pub crawl, jimmy fallon, taking out some of his pentup frustrations on mrs. hsing. on the table. >> gets a point. yeah. how about that. congratulations. >> go get her. >> we're going to catch up with jimmy in just a couple of minutes. meanwhile see the union jack everywhere in london but tonight you'll see a lot of american flags at the parade. >> an all american final in beach volleyball. misty may-treanor, kerri walsh-jennings going against april ross and jenn kessy. we'll preview their gold medal match. all four of them, gold medal winners to silver medal winners will be here live today. >> pretty cool. the brits can be known to be a little on the quirky side. think monty python. in other words, the perfect person for them is meredith vieira. >> exactly. >> she's come across some real characters here. she's going to introduce them to us in just a little bit. >> a lot of fun coming up. first the olympic news. for that we go to michelle kosinski. michelle, good morning. >> reporter: morning. more of usain bolt, more women's boxing. as we needed further proof that american women dominate beach volleyball, tonight we'll watch the u.s. take on the u.s. for the final. a tough day for america yesterday. we still managed to walk away with more medals. >> what an olympic game for aly raisman. >> a glorious night for gymnast aly raisman winning two medals, a bronze for her balance beam routine and gold for her virtually flawless floor exercise. >> amazing. it feels really great. i've been dreaming of this for a really long time. i do a lot of floor routines, so i'm happy it finally paid off. >> her teammate suffered a series of stunning falls and blunders, jordyn wieber, gabby douglas losing her ballot beam. despite it all heartwarming solidarity about the worm. after comments about the hair style, they have all been wearing their hair slipped back with hair and pins just like gabby. >> dawn harper comes within two hundredths of a second. >> track and field, a photo finish, the 12.35 second race. wh so close, no one knew who won. anxious moments later australian sally pearson celebrated gold. lolo jones came in fourth. >> once again the americans will play for a gold medal. >> reporter: beach volleyball, the dynamic duo has done it again. misty may-treanor and kerri walsh-jennings faced china and now they face an all american battle for gold. >> we fought hard and we fought together. >> prepare to be wowed by the russians. >> putting their michael jackson swim suits aside the russian synchronized swimmers dressed up like dolls for the finals wowing the crowd and the judges for gold. a consolation for one athlete who did not win a medal, pole vaulter was upset and in tears after her final. she soon followed with an elated tweet. epic day. her boyfriend proposed and she said yes. a special day after all. as in the medal count, china open up the gap a little bit with 73 medals to the u.s.'s 70. back to you guys. >> michelle, thanks very much. >> let's head to natalie with a check of the rest of today's stories. morning again. >> morning, everyone. the man who shot arizona congresswoman gabrielle giffords and 18 other people, six of them fatally will spend the rest of his life in prison. jared lee loughner avoided the death penalty pleading guilty to the massacre. gabrielle giffords was not in court but said the community can move forward. a spike in gasoline prices on the west coast. the inferno filled the sky with smoke sending hundreds to the hospital with eye irritation and breathing problems. one of the nation's most influential film critics died at her home in manhattan. in 196 3 she became the "today" show's first movie critic, a run that lasted 10 years. police in louisiana believe they may have found the body of missing college student. the remains buried in the woods near a cemetery, could take three days to confirm the body's identity. shunick disappeared riding home. a sex offender arrested and charged with her murder last month. a look at what's trending today. a roundup of what has you talking online. a publicity stunt got joan rivers booted from a costco. she handcuffed to a cart because they refused to carry her best seller, "i hate everyone, including me." the police had to escort her from the store. take a look, plastic pipe, lumber and concrete to build a backyard roller coaster for her daughter complete with a 12-foot drop. might want a helmet on his daughter. human race evolving animated graphic from the "new york times" is going viral. it puts all 100 meter medalist in olympic history on this same track to show how sprinters have steadily improved their time and how this year's winner usain bolt would beat earlier champions by more than 60 feet. that is an incredible graphic. very cool. 8:06. let's get a check of the weather from mr. roker. >> thanks so much, natalie. we have a house divided. what do you men? >> that's us. >> you're from britain. >> yes. >> i'm from michigan. >> you must be pleased with the results. >> yeah. we're in a win-win situation. second and thnod. bob's your uncle. let's see what we have for you as far as today is concerned. the next few days. a few peeks of sun starting to come out and tomorrow is going to be gorgeous. 80 on friday for our final broadcast here. you can see satellite radar combo. a lot of wet weather along the southeastern atlantic states and also looking at strong storms making their way through the upper mississippi river valley and plenty of sunshine as you get through the southwest and rain does continue in the upper mississippi river valley and having some problems with the pga along the gulf coast. gorgeous in the pacific northwest with sunshine and temperatures in the 70s. that's what's going on around the country, here's what's happening in your neck of the woods. >> good morning, partly sunny, warm and humid on this wednesday morning. a slow-moving thundershower in montgomery county near germantown heading towards gathersburg. later today an isolated shower or thundershower and more of the same on thursday, but a greater chance. in fact, a likelihood of showers and thunderstorms on friday. some of the afternoon storms friday might produce some damaging winds. then over the weekend, lower humidity moves in for saturday and sunday. >> and that's your latest weather. >> al, thanks. coming up, team usa versus team usa. we're going to preview the all american gold medal match in beach volleyball coming up next. ♪ look out baby 'cause here i come ♪ ♪ and i'm bringing you a love that's true ♪ ♪ so get ready ♪ so get ready ♪ gonna try to make you love me too ♪ ♪ so get ready ♪ so get ready ♪ 'cause here i come ♪ get ready 'cause here i come ♪ i'm on my way ♪ get ready 'cause here i come ♪ every day ♪ get ready he talks to dead people. what? [ male announcer ] but there's nothing like a 300-year-old curse to turn a weirdo... come on! [ male announcer ] ...into a hero. "paranorman." rated pg. ♪ [ feme announcer ] with its rich, silky smooth taste there's magic in every piece of dove® dark chocolate. ♪ here at the hutchison household. but one dark stormy evening... she needed a good meal and a good family. so we gave her purina cat chow complete. it's the best because it has something for all of our cats! and after a couple of weeks she was part of the family. we're so lucky that lucy picked us. [ female announcer ] purina cat chow complete. and for a delicious way to help maintain a healthy weight, try new purina cat chow healthy weight. hey. hey eddie. i brought your stuff. you don't have to do this. yes i do. i want you to keep this. it'd be weird. take care. you too. [ sighs ] so how did it go? he's upset. [ male announcer ] spend less time at gas stations. with best in class fuel economy. it's our most innovative altima ever. ♪ new pencils, new books... new backpack...looks good. just trying to look our best. gonna take more than looks. from what i hear, ms. haskins is a toughy. oh we had a good breakfast, so we're ready. gonna be another great year, huh guys?! you bet your 8 layers! yeah! long distance high 5. whoa! oh, careful. hey, watch it. [ female announcer ] packed with fiber and nearly a day's worth of whole grains, kellogg's frosted mini-wheats cereal helps keep your kids full and focused all morning long. now available in touch of fruit raspberry. keeps 'em full. keeps 'em focused. brought to you from kellogg's. from great olympic starts come great things. >> misty may-treanor and kerri walsh-jennings will try to make it three in a row when they face first time olympians, jen kessy and april ross. they talked last night. >> they are the most decorated beach volleyball team in history. a dynamic duo. tonight they play what could very well be their last match together. >> and it's over! >> reporter: gold medals in 2004 and 2008 and a break from the court after beijing, kerri walsh-jennings and misty may-treanor are back for their ninth gold medal match. >> words? i don't have words. so overwhelming. we were down in game one and we fought with everything we have. >> when you guys reunited, did you think you would make it to this point? did you know you'd make it to this point? >> kerri and i bloebl in each other and our ability. >> we never took it for granted. >> the only thing standing in the way of the third consecutive gold medal, the other american team. >> the americans have upset the brazilians. they are headed to the gold meteorologist match. >> either way people at home are going to be proud. i'm happy either way. >> your husband is playing baseball and can't be here. do you have a message at home? >> i love you very much. i wish you were here. we want to bring that medal home. go dodgers. >> tell mommy you love her. >> celebrating after the win. >> one more! >> what's it like to watch your wife out on the court with a partner that really fits her so perfectly. >> like a dance. i always tell them it's like a dance an nobody knows. it's the last match together. >> that makes it emotional. >> it's heavy. it's sad but that time, a special time. >> you've never seen anything like that in olympic competition. >> or anywhere else. >> what does it feel like very possibly could be your last match together. >> feels like we need to go out on top and get crazy emotional. >> it may be our last match together but we'll be friends for life. >> the fun is just beginning. >> reporter: this will likely be misty's final match in international competition. she says she plans to retire after these games. >> can we talk about the atmosphere. >> it's so fun. >> unreal. after their match, misty and kerri went around, high fives volunteers. she did a weird little thing. >> not the announcer but the referee. it's so much fun, the best venue i've ever seen. >> incredible tonight. >> can't wait. >> thank you very much. we appreciate it. let's go over to savannah. >> matt, thanks. chris marlow nbc beach olympic volleyball analyst. good to see you. >> glad to be here. >> for diehard fans, this is wonderful, all american final. how extraordinary is it. this isn't exactly the expected result. >> i don't think so. i think most people think misty or kerri to get in the final together. but the way it worked out usa had to play china, a very good team, beetd that them somehow. then they came out and won against a team they lost against nine times in a row. >> have they faced before? >> yes, misty and kerri won nine out of 11. they have the upper hand. i think misty and kerri, as good as they are will get challenged. >> they have chemistry, history, experience. they are going for the three-peat but not as unstoppable as before. >> in beijing they came in with 101 match winning streak, here they came in on a seven-match winning streak. they are a little older, both in their mid-30s. they are still darn good and can crank it up when they need to. >> april and jen able to dispatch the brazilians, which is not easy to do. what do we know about them. >> a very good serving team, defensive team. they had a two-year journey to get to actually beijing, didn't qualify. third american team. rededicated after four years, come back, been playing beautiful volleyball. they are undefeated and peaking at just the right time. >> real quick, put you on the spot. >> if i'm in las vegas, misty and kerri. if they are not ready, hoping to play brazil, jen and april will walk away with the gold. >> i told you would say the americans will win. >> that's a given. >> we want to remind everyone watch gold medal match in prime time here on nbc. both teams will be here tomorrow on "today." coming up next, meredith finds all about grit britain's eccentric and wonderful side coming up. you think that jason bourne was the whole story? there's a lot more going on here. [ glass shatters ] who is he? [ dita ] it's aaron cross. he's the most valuable asset we've ever put in the field. he knows bourne. he knows treadstone. he's got a handle on the whole operation! consider the magnitude of what we're facing. what are you gonna do? [ cross ] i'm gonna finish what he started. ♪ aaron! you okay? let's go. [ male announcer ] "the bourne legacy." rated pg-13. you okay? let's go. try our new lunch-size grilled chicken fajitas, with sauteed onions and peppers, served with soup or salad. lunch break combos, starting at 6 bucks. enjoy them with friends, because a lunch together feeds the friendship. [ male announcer ] every time you say no to a cigarette you celebrate a little win. nicorette gum helps calm your cravings and makes you less irritable. quit one cigarette at a time. anyone have occasional constipation, diarrhea, gas, bloating? yeah. one phillips' colon health probiotic cap each day helps defend against these digestive issues with three strains of good bacteria. approved! [ phillips' lady ] live the regular life. phillips'. it's guaranteed they'll go through a lot. that's why you get guaranteed savings for back to school at staples. now get staples filler paper for just a penny. ♪ your mouth has sipped, snacked, ...yellowed... giggled, snuggled, ...yellowed... chatted, chewed, ...yellowed. and over all those years, your teeth...have yellowed. fact is, if you're not whitening, you're yellowing. crest 3d white whitestrips remove over ten years of stains by going below the enamel surface. and, they whiten 25 times better than a leading whitening toothpaste. crest whitestrips. life opens up when you do. is that your phone bill? sure is. let's see if we can go inside and save you some money on your plan. you ready? sounds great! can you tell them about straight talk? sure. with straight talk at walmart you get unlimited talk, text and data for only $45 a month. but do i get the same coverage? oh yeah. it's on america's best networks. sounds great to me. well we saved you a lot of money, and your girls like their new smart phones. i sent you a friend request. [ both ] we know. [ earl ] save money with straight talk wireless. unlimited talk, text and data for only $45 a month. only at walmart. coca-cola. open happiness. >> in london in search of british eccentrics, we found the ideal, the perfect person to send on that journey, meredith vieira. >> you know what, you'll realize that is a compliment. >> being eccentric. >> people say this is a country full of eccentrics, what does it really mean? i got a chance to spend time with folks that look and behave a little bit differently than him. it was the note heard around the world. the performance of the 2012 opening ceremony by britain's beloved character mr. bean, made famous by the actor was not only a theme steeler but a nod to british humor, the country's long-standing observation of the unusual, off beat, eccentric. american audiences are familiar with quirky antics of the comedy troop monty python's circus, boy george, russell brand often make the list. eccentrics come in all shapes, sizes, occupations. as i learned recently when i met with some members of the eccentric club in london, a club dating back to 1721, which currently boasts prince phillips as a patron and prince william and harry as honorary lifelong members. >> over 100 years ago a member said to be truly worthy of membership of this group one could not know they are eccentric. >> the less assuming rob lowe, not the rob lowe but author and technology expert and minerva miller, a librarian. >> we don't care what people do, as long as it doesn't scare the horses. >> i wasn't initially scared of the man awarded the eccentric award for 2012 for his work as professor elemental, a victorian inspired hip-hop artist. now the chap was challenging me to a tea duel. >> the person who can hold it the longest and yet still when the time comes get it all in their chops in one fluid motion without spilling it down their front is the winner. >> ready? go! >> you lose. >> these eccentrics were quirky but nothing quite prepared me for a tour of the home 20 miles outside of london. do you want these cobwebs here. his nine piece mechanical orchestra included copper tubing, old windshield motors. >> a bit of a drinker. >> party. >> she should have a drink. >> he's a great british eccentric, an in venter. so many eccentrics we know and love are inventors just like him. they make unusual connections and he makes the most unusual connections. >> eccentric people like to do different things with unusual items. so i decided to have a sheep climbing up my tree. >> have you been married before? >> i was married for a few weeks. >> an aviation specialist by trade, linden's true love is taking old world mechanisms and adapting them to amuse and use. like this rebuilt 1922 car, the first wicker work car that actually worked. but what really floats his boat is his collection of river machines. the titania, electric powered chair, fashioned with bells and whistles. >> do people come out with you in this? >> yes. >> who? >> anyone. >> hello. >> hi. >> cheers. >> i could live an eccentric life and be happy. >> what character is the most eccentric, see if you fit the profile. raise your hand if you have any of the following traits. be honest. you have to be seriously honest. nonconforming. >> not really. >> creative. >> no. >> strongly motivated by curiosity. >> here is one none of you will raise your hand, idealistic, wants to make the world a better place, people in it happier. >> okay. happy people. >> happily obsessed with one or more hobby. >> not that hobby. >> what hobby is that? >> his. i think it's wrestling. none of you actually are very eccentric. >> how about you? how would you have answered. >> creative yes, strongly motivated, idealistically. >> running right into a commercial break. back after your local news. good morning, 8:26 on this wednesday, august 8th. i'm aaron gilchrist a rough morning on the roads for a lot of folks. danella sealock has the latest. >> let's check some travel speeds very slow starting prince george's county from route 50 as you make your way to i-95, just 12 miles per hour. continuing to i-270, 14 miles per hour and i-95 in maryland is slow now, making your way southbound from 216 to the beltway. you're jammed at about 17 miles per hour. the earlier crash, they're gone. delays remain. aaron, back over to good morning. tom kierein in storm center 4. a diminishing shower now in northern montgomery and central montgomery county and slowly drifting off to the east and it's dissipating. else where partly sunny and we're in the 70s. else where low 90s with steamy sunshine and an afternoon ice lited shower or thundershower. and then a greater chance on friday. in fact, friday afternoon and evening might get strong storms with damaging winds. after that, lower humidity moves in for the weekend and highs in the 80s saturday and sunday. could get more storms on monday and tuesday. eun? aaron, i'm sorry. aaron, i'm sorry. >> [ male announcer ] in 1996, president clinton and a bi-partisan congress helped end welfare as we know it, by requiring work for welfare. but on july 12th, president obama quietly announced a plan to gut welfare reform by dropping work requirements. under obama's plan, you wouldn't have to work, and wouldn't have to train for a job -- they just send you your welfare check. and welfare to work goes back to being plain, old welfare. mitt romney will restore the work requirement, because it works. [ romney ] i'm mitt romney and i approve this message. 8:30 now on this wednesday morning. it's august 8th, 2012. we've got a beautiful view of the place to be during these games courtesy of our friends at goodyear. the horse drawn parade, beach volleyball venue. down here in the park we have a lot of people excited to see the action, actually on our plaza. >> going on right now. 16-year-old table tennis sensation ariel hsing. she's taking on jenna bush-hager. >> don't take out the viewers, jenny. >> also talk to jimmy fallon who made the trip to london. but first. >> also showing us how to tailgate at the olympics. >> we want to remind you, once we're done, the fun and excitement isn't done yet. an amazing group of concerts, big acts, talking about the fray, nicki minaj, country star carrie underwood, the smooth sounds of lionel richie. even a rare reunion of 98 degrees. five big concerts live on the plaza next week on "today." >> right now we want to welcome a couple of usa medal winnards. eric competing in olympics took silver, leo, the silver in the 1500 meters. he's the first american to medal in that event in 44 years. just to make the finals, how does it feel to win the silver medal. >> i feel like i should have won gold. >> enjoy it. >> i try. i put my best effort. i'm going home with a little jewelry. i wish it was gold. >> we were watching. you have kind of a ritual. what are you doing? can you explain it to us? >> i'm in my element. i'm in the zone. they kind of ask about the stage being too big. i told them i was ready. i feel like i deserve to be here. i don't get nervous or tentative at meets to compete. i feel like i'm competing among the best because i am one of the best. >> the confidence plays off. >> leo, you were held back, behind for a long way throughout your race and snuck up on everyone coming into fourth place to end up with a silver medal. what was that like for you? were you planning your strategy the whole time? >> yes and no. of course that's my signature kick. i've had that for a long time. i was never able to let it go to my full potential until yesterday. >> you came to this country from mexico, four years old. your parents weren't crazy about you getting into sports. are they feeling different? >> of course. they are big time supporters, all about it now. >> take a good shot of that face. how do you think he's been confused for here in london more than once? kobe bryant. you met lebron at the opening ceremony and he tweeted that picture. >> it's been causing me a lot of grief. >> on twitter maybe my follower count would go up. >> now with a silver medal. >> thank you very much. congrat. >> mr. roker. >> that's what's going on around the country, here's what's happening in your neck of the woods. >> good morning, tom kierein storm center 4. we have the steam, humidity around our region and storm 4 radar showing light to moderate shower in montgomery county beginning to dissipate. else where, partly sunny in the 70s later today and might get an isolated shower this afternoon and afternoon showers and thundershowers possible and likely on friday, maybe in the morning and during the afternoon. some of the afternoon storms friday could be severe. to be followed by lower humidity and coole >> today's olympic moment brought to you by walmart. we've been training your whole lives to save you money. walmart, save money. live better. >> and in today's olympic moment, an inspiring finish after a comeback dream was smashed. he had truly known the thrill of victory and the agony of defeet. he won gold in athens and was china's biggest star in the games only to see injury knock him out of the competition in front of his hometown fans. >> he pulls up before he even gets to the first hurdle. >> but he didn't give up, training for four years to get a shot at redemption here in london. a slight smile on his face as he lined up in his comeback race. then disaster. he has fallen over the first hurdle, out of the competition. >> but he wouldn't let that be the end. hopping back on the track to finish what he started. >> look at him trying to finish. symbolically running for the finish line. >> this feels to me like this may be his swan's song. >> his fellow competitors helping him off the track as the crowd cheered a true champion for what could be the last time. he gives the final hurdle a kiss good-bye. >> pretty amazing. coming up next, jimmy fallon live here in olympic park. but first this is "today" on nbc. [ female announcer ] the power of green coffee extract is now in our new starbucks refreshers™ -- a breakthrough in natural energy. made with real fruit, starbucks refreshers™ are delicious low calorie drinks you can feel good about. ♪ rethink how you re-energize. ♪ get a boost of natural energy with a new starbucks refreshers™, in three ways. natural energy from green coffee extract, only from starbucks. olympic park. look who we found enjoying a few events. jimmy fallon, host of nbc's emmy nominated late night with jimmy fallon. he's such a huge fan of the british show, he's made his own version. >> let me introduce my mother, the dowager countess. my wife norah, with an american accent. >> howdy, indeed. >> my three daughters beginning with my beautiful eldest daughter lady katherine. my smoking hot youngest daughter lady amber, and the middle daughter edith. >> jimmy fallon, welcome to london. great to see you. >> good to see you, man. >> when last we visited, i was on your show and asked you what you were going to do here and you said drink. i thought you were kidding. that's basically all you've done here. >> actually no. i was in the opening ceremony. the olympic ceremony, one of the sick kids getting kicked in the opening ceremony. they were playing prodigy. it was a beautiful moment, thrilling for me, and i just never, ever, ever will forget it. >> it has been somewhat of a glorified pub crawl for you, isn't it? >> i love london, doing the olympics, great. i see it from my hotel tv. give it up for london. you guys are killing it out here. it's so fun. i went to an event, went to track and field. >> how was that. >> i'm trying not to cry. >> you're one of the emotional. >> they are running, pole vaulting for their country. they get up in the medal ceremony. if you have add, there's ten events going onon at once, a woman shot putting over here. like watching aspca commercials, just crying my eyes out. i can't stop crying. i can't look. i'm just going to leave. >> let me put your olympic knowledge to the test. i know you've been boning up on this. i'm going to give you the athlete's name. you tell me the sport in which that athlete participate. trotter. >> punting. >> olympic punting. no. she would be in track. try and think of the names here. there's a clue. michael arms. >> weightlifting. >> no. he's a rower. >> they use arms in weightlifting, too. >> dong dong. this is a live show. >> i would say trampolinist. >> they good. >> how do you not know dong dong. >> destiny hooker. >> the hugh grant event. no. not an event. >> that's a different one. you said give it up for london. what do you like about this place? >> i just love it. i love the people. everyone is going all out for the olympics. they are so nice. they are doing a great job. they are so welcoming. just, i don't know, like the people, the colors, the old buildings. beautiful. >> as you say give it up for london, can we give it up for jimmy fallon nominated for not one but two emmy awards in the last couple of weeks. not only for your show but guest host on "saturday night live." >> just the icing on the cake. we had a great year. i can't complain. it's like too much stuff. again, i'm going to try not to get emotional. >> i got a note. is it true you're being considered to host the oscars? >> no. i'm not going to do the oscars. it's not -- i was honored to be asked by the academy, but it's not my year. yeah. >> okay. we'll end on that note. wasn't exactly where i was hoping to end. you've been boning up -- don't get upset. jimmy fallon, good to have you here. >> good man. >> stick around. up next we're going to learn moves from a 16-year-old table tennis sensation, who whipped jimmy's butt a few minutes ago >> today's athlete to watch is brought to you by p&g, proud sponsor of moms. >> good morning on today's athlete to watch olympic table tennis ariel hsing. the 16-year-old made her olympic debut in london. by all k it was a smashing success. "today's" contributing correspondent jenna bush-hager. >> she's so cute. unlike some people who play for fun, table tennis has taken ariel on quite an adventure. at only 16 years old, american ariel hsing is bringing a fresh face and a little star power to the table. like many of us, she first played in her garage as a young girl. >> i thought table tennis was so cool. immediately when i started playing it, i just fell in love with it. >> she dead indicates countless hours of practice to this sport. education is so important. your parents made a deal with you. isn't that right? they said as long as you make straight as, you can play table tennis. if you make a b, no table tennis. so you've never made a b. >> never. >> united states has never won in table tennis but ariel came close. after winning her first two matches, she gave china a run for her money, nearly upsetting the world's best in an incredible match. >> you played well. you didn't medal. how has that changed your focus for the future. >> before i did not realize i could compete with the world's best. now i've gained a little more confidence. my sights are set ongoing 2016. >> though she seems like a typical teenager, some of her closest friends are far from ordinary. >> you you've made headlines because you have famous friends. how did that come back. >> uncle warren. >> how much people do you think call him uncle warren. >> she was invited to give him a table tennis lesson for his birthday. since then he and bill gates have been her biggest supporters, even showing up in the stands calling her performance phenomenal. >> do you play? >> i played at the berkshire hathaway meeting. we played a few points and they whipped out their huge paddle. >> did you bring me the big paddle? if i play you, i'm going to need it. well, i didn't have a big paddle in hand but i still decided to give it a shot. >> let's go. >> don't be too hard on me. oh no. are you laughing at me? >> no, i'm not. >> yes, you are. >> i may not have what it takes but ariel has brought hope to a somewhat unknown sport. she plans to come back with a vengeance in 2016. well, based on the way all of you are playing today, i thought why not bring you a paddle you can actually use. savannah. >> have some faith, jenna. >> i've seen you. >> thank you. >> exactly. >> table tennis. ariel is here. matt has already been a little competitive here. that can be yours. >> you, too, matt. >> sorry. >> that was a good one. >> oh shoot. >> wait. why don't you play with the paddle. >> don't hit the people, savannah. >> i'm sorry. i didn't know my own power. >> back in there. >> all right. >> shoot, i'm terrible. >> get in here. >> yeah. >> go, al. >> i'm your backstop. thank you. >> matt middle of the table, al. >> sorry. >> natalie. >> now you go. >> you take this. i need the little paddle. >> here is the little paddle. ready, ariel? >> yes. >> it snuck over. >> oh no. >> trying to put the spin on it. >> put a little spin. >> see. >> one last point. >> for the world championship. >> ariel, thank you so much. >> thank you. >> thank you so much. [ applause ] >> this is "today" on nbc. >> this morning on today's olympic kitchen, british favoritesith an american tailgating twist. the chef and owner of a restaurant here in london. >> how are you? >> we don't think of french cooking and tailgating together but you managed to pull it off. >> this is american tailgating in london. we brought down mini there. >> we're ready to go her. >> what are we going to make? >> a very british sort of classical dishes. i'm also making a bangor with somerset cheddar inside. >> potatoes are bubble and squeak. >> basically made of leftover cabbage, potatoes, root vegetable. when you make a meat or roast. the next day you take it cold and put it in the pan. this is the chef in london. >> looks like a high degree of difficulty on that maneuver. why do you call it the bubble and squeak? >> because it's going to bubble and squeak in your stomach. when you will be eating this or maybe sometime the next day. we do that bubble. you see the cheddar out of the sausages. it's delicious and beautiful. >> how do you serve it? do you have a sauce to go over it? >> yes, a sauce right there. the sauce is basically red currant dressing with some peppers. it's hot, it's sweet, it's spicy. >> kind of like a gravy. >> voila. kind of like a gravy. when you're french you don't do gravey. >> we're american. we do gravey in american. >> what are you making here. >> new england lobster rolls. >> it's right by the park where the action is. lobster rolls, local. we like to represent the locals. old bay. very new england. chopped chervil, fresh lemon. >> look at those little sliders. we always like to have a little touch of new york, a little touch -- a touch of america, a touch of british, and a touch of french. barbecue pulled pork sliders. fantastic. >> how do you serve this, like a pizza? >> serve yourself. this is family style. basically you just cut the potato, cabbage and carrots with the sausage. voila. >> i think we've got some takers here. >> how are you, matt. >> chef, thank you so much. you have to come back and show us more treats later. >> yes. we have a couple more treats for you coming up. >> thank you so much. we'll see you in a few minutes. our coverage continues. >> i would love to make you taste it. >> you don't have to make us. >> last event of women's gymnastics. >> it's been so amazing. definitely a dream come true. >> i like this thing. i really do. you see these all over great britain. >> oh, hi, guys. >> with jimmy in just a couple of minutes. jenna bush-hager. >> ariel making mince meat. >> put me down. >> we could go get a beer. 8:56 is your time now on this wednesday, august 8th, 2012. good morning, i'm eun yang. big delays on the roads all morning. danella, good morning to you. >> here's what it looks like if you're traveling the outer loop of the beltway from prince george's county to montgomery county, you're looking at a 16-mile backup. a live look at 202. 202 sluggish all the way to georgia avenue, even just past georgia avenue. that's where your delays are. i hate to say it, you are absolutely jammed. if you can avoid the beltway, i would say so. eun, over to good morning. storm 4 radar showing showers in montgomery county and spotsylvania county. otherwise, partly sunny, hot and humid and more of the same tomorrow. could get some showers and thundershowers off and on from friday morning all the way into the evening. some of the storms friday afternoon could be severe and then lower humidity for the weekend, highs in the 80s. that's the way it looks right now. back to we're back now with more "today" on wednesday morning, the 8th day of august, 2012. it's a great day in london's olympic parks. the nice people gathered behind us waving to people back in the states. we're always thankful ty stopped by. in the plaza i'm matt lauer with savannah guthrie and al roker. coming up, an emotional end to the olympic games for lolo jones. >> yeah. she was very emotional this morning. she came in fourth in the 100 meter hurdles last night. she was disappointed in that finish. that came on the heels of her disappointing finish in beijing, which really opened up about how difficult these games have been, some of the criticism she endured. we'll hear from her in a few minutes. >> contrast the end of her games to aly raisman. the gymnast took a gold and a bronze medal on the beam. she was beaming this morning. we'll be talking more to aly in a few minutes. >> after the pathetic and embarrassing event of greco roman wrestling, i thought what else could i do to embarrass myself. i got a lesson in cricket, it was a sticky wickett. >> before we go further let's bring in the cyclist who got a silver medal. >> not one but two silver medals you're coming home with in these games. how does that feel? >> so amazing, not one but two. just to have a medal of any color, it was a dream to actually be able to hold one of these. it hasn't left my sight since i got them. >> i think a lot of people watching at home might say what is the omnium. >> it's six events over two days. everything from a short sprint to a longer endurance event. timed events, jostling for position. everything that is track cycling all put in one in the pressure cooker. >> you had to adjust because your best event was the individual pursuit. that was dropped after beijing. you kind of had to learn a whole new support. that was my sport, i was sad to see it cut from the olympic program. i said, next up. i'm going to get an olympic medal however i have to do it. let's do it. >> you more than landed on your feet or your wheels as they say. you did a great job. >> congratulations. fantastic. >> good for you. >> over to natalie with the rest of the olympic news. natalie. >> along with sarah's win it was a huge day for u.s. women in several events and the competition was filled with thrilling moments and heart pounding suspense. it's gymnastics golds for aly raisman. the 18-year-old is the first u.s. woman to win olympic gold on the floor exercise with a powerful routine tuesday night that delighted her parents. >> it felt amazing and just really exciting. it still hasn't hit me yet. this day is amazing and went exactly how i wanted it to go. >> raisman also won bronze on the balance beam. she initially finished in fourth place. after raisman's coach questioned the score, the judges awarded her the bronze. >> yes! >> all around gold medalist gabby douglas failed to medal in the individuals. she took a fall on the beam leaving her in seventh place. jordyn wieber also had a shaky performance and finished seventh in the floor exercise. >> the victory, dawn harper in second. >> in track and field australian sally pearson edged out dawn harper for the gold medal in the 100 meter hurdle. a race so close it took several anxious moments for the judges to figure out who won. in the end pearson celebrated gold by just two hundredths of a second. >> i did clip a hurdle. i remember thinking, oh, my god, i think you're losing it. i'm bringing home the silver, pretty proud. >> american took the bronze while lolo jones finished fourth. >> it is over! >> team usa against team usa in women's beach volleyball. on tuesday misty may-treanor and kerri walsh-jennings beat china. a frightening moment during the weightlifting competition. germa germany's athlete dropped the barbell on his neck during the lift. the olympic champion managed to wave to the crowd as he left the platform. he had to withdraw from the prosecute heavyweight competition. doctors say he's going to be okay, although he does have a bit of back pain. one other note, ann romney's horse failed to make the cut in the dressage competition. now to the rest of the day's top stories. admitted killer jared lee loughner faces life in prison after pleading guilty to last year's massacre in tucson. the shooting killed six people and wounded 16 others including congresswoman gabrielle giffords. his guilty plea was part of an agreement with prosecutors that will spare loughner the death penalty. giffords and her husband welcome the plea saying it will help the community recover. former girlfriend of michael page is facing gun charges in wisconsin. page was killed after a shooting rampage at a sikh temple. there's no indication misty cook's arrest is london, england, to the shooting. last night hundreds turned out for the shooting for six people killed in the temple shooting. they remember the victims for the dedication to their family and their faith. a medical emergency at the bottom of the world. an australian rescue team is hoping the weather will allow them to flee to the research station in antartica to evacuate an american facing undisclosed medical problems. it is winter in antartica and getting flights in and out is difficult. a moderate earthquake shook parts of california during the middle of the night. the 4.4 quake was centered near yorba linda near los angeles, no reports of damage or injuries. lights on broadway will dim to pay tribute to composer who died monday at the age of 68. one of the most decorated artists ever he won three oscars, four emmy, grammy, a pulitzer and three golden globes. he wrote the music for chorus line and composed more than 40 film scores including the way we were. barbra streisand called him a true musical genius. take a look at this great play in baseball last night, not by a player but by a fan. happened in the cubs padre when the ball was hit, fouled down the third-base line. the fan leaned over, caught the ball bare-handed while holding his baby, amazingly. pretty good. sign him up. seven minutes after the hour, back to savannah, matt and al. >> cool as a cucumber. >> and was changing a diaper. >> multi-tasker. >> unbelievable. natalie, thank you very much. mr. roker, how about a check of the weather. >> severe weather making its way through the midsection of the country. will it help the drought situation? not by much. you can see that we have extreme drought expanding into the upper mississippi river valley, also in the southeast. eventually now we're going to see rain starting to fall in the southeast and also in the mupper midwest, but no where near enough to alleviate the drought. as we look at the rest of the country as far as your weather is concerned. showers and thunderstorms and more rain in the upper mississippi river valley and beautiful day in the pacific northwest and sunshine continues in southern california and the heat continues in the rockies into the midwest. that's what's going on around the country, here's what's happening in your neck of the woods. >> good morning. in the morning steaminess, we have a couple showers showing up on storm 4 radar north and south of washington. those are slowly drifting east and later today, could get some more of that and maybe thunder and lightning during the afternoon and highs reaching the low 90s. otherwise partly sunny and more of the same on thursday and then friday, more widespread showers and some thunderstorms. in fact, the afternoon storms on friday might be severe. lower humidity and cooler weather moving frin the weekend. and that's your latest weather. >> al, thanks. the disappointing finish in the 100 meter hurdles for lolo jones. she was very emotional after finishing fourth place four years after she clipped the ninth hurdles during the finals in beijing. we talked to her earlier this morning. i began by asking her how she was feeling about this olympic experience. >> i'm okay. i think it's disappointing in one extreme as in i didn't get the medal. but in another extreme, a year ago i was having spinal cord surgery. if i look at that, look at all the things you've been through, spinal cord surgery, two hamstring injuries and you fought through all that, you know. i keep trying to focus on that and not the negativity i received from the other one. >> you made it here. i know last night you tweeted about dealing with a broken heart. is that how it feels? >> definitely. i was crushed afterwards. i know i had the best race of my season. not the best race of my life. i had the best race of my year. so i mean, i just try to look at that. you know, it doesn't take away from the pain that i was so close once again to having a medal and not getting it. >> this was the fastest women's hurdles race in olympic women's -- olympic history. does that make you feel better at all? >> no. >> you were facing the toughest competition there was. >> i think it's awesome. we all knew, all the girls were running amazing this year. we knew something special was going to happen. we knew it. it doesn't make you feel better. my time would have gotten me a medal in other olympics. >> you've been dealing with tough stuff lately. "new york times" did a tough piece criticizing you for being more image than accomplishment. how hard was that to deal with? >> i think it's crazy. it was two days before i competed. the fact it was from a u.s. media. they should be supporting our u.s. olympic athletes. instead they just ripped me to shreds. i thought that was crazy. i work six days a week every day for four years for a 12-second race. the fact they tore me apart, it was heartbreaking. i'm not -- they need to do the research. calling me the anna kournikova. i'm the american record holder. i'm the american record holder, two titles. just because i don't boast about these things, i don't think i should be ripped apart by media. i laid it out there for my country. it's just a shame that i have to deal with so much backlash when i'm already so brokenhearted as it is. >> you have been such a public person. you have bared your soul. i wonder how you look at it now. you can't help but put your heart out there. that's just who you are. are you sorry that you did? >> i mean, putting your heart out there, obviously it opens you up to a lot of negativity. at the same time if i can just reach somebody out there, maybe a little girl out there who doesn't think she can be an olympic athlete. she sees all the things i struggled through to get here. you know, i wasn't even supposed to make the olympic team. for the u.s. olympic team they counted me out. i made the team. she's not going to make the final. i made the final. i went from eighth place to fourth place. i really hope my story will give somebody hope. yu, i didn't walk away with a medal or run away with a medal but i think there's lessons to be learned when you win and there's lessons to be learned when you lose. >> our conversation a bit earlier with lolo jones. there's much more ahead from london, including a surprise on the medal stand in synchronized swimming. later on al takes on the very british sport of cricket. first these messages. >> are you supposed to hit the guy with the thing? it's no wonder i'm getting gray. but kate still looks like...kate. [ female announcer ] with nice'n easy, all they see is you -- in one step, nice'n easy with colorblend technology, is proven to give more blends of tones. for color that's perfectly true to you. [ rob ] i don't know all her secrets but i do know kate's more beautiful now, than the day i married her. [ female announcer ] with the dimensional color of nice'n easy, all they see is you. [ humming ] [ babbling ] the cheerios bandit got you again? [ both laugh ] ♪ the one and only, cheerios ...with great prices on thousands of supplies. that's a big deal! so are free composition books with any $5 purchase. save big on back to school... at officemax. had kraft mac & cheese without me. so this time, i took precautionary measures. looking for these? [ rattling ] [ male announcer ] kraft macaroni & cheese. you know you love it. [ rattling ] mommy! i went potty! that's great, honey.... where? for life's bleachable moments. hgotta start the day off right. wardrobe. cute. then new activia breakfast blend. a great way to help start the day. mmm... creamy lowfat yogurt with grains in yummy breakfast flavors, like apple cinnamon. its hearty, with twice the protein of regular lowfat yogurt and helps regulate your digestive system. our morning routines are important, aren't they? new activia breakfast blend. we showed you the drama with synchronized swimming. the first medals awarded. michelle kosinski is at the aquatics centre with the details. >> hi, al. don't let sequins and smiles fool you. this is one of those sports beautiful on the outside, fierce on the inside. it was originally water ballet, this is more water battle like esther williams with a vengeance. packed, cheering house, rabid fans of synchronized swimming. competitors dressed like dolls, preparing for battle. nose plug, check, gelatin on hair, check. slink out ferociously and melt into starting smiles. they are ready for takeoff. the americans an olympic theme, a dragon. spanish fierce. italians, kind of weird. above the water all grace. beneath, pure power. these women tread water eight hours a day, six days a week. they even put weight on their ankles during training to build more height. >> it was a challenge. we wrote this program two months ago. >> reporter: it requires a change of mood and like a switch is flipped. don't worry, they are not scared or mad at you or in a fight down there, though they might appear to be. wait a moment. all is fine once again. the exaggeration of it grew over time from creativity and helping the judges see them. at times a tad spooky. but in this sport of precision, you virtually never glimpse a single mistake. >> like muscle memory. you don't even have to think about it. the note comes and this music and your body goes here. >> it's a water war. the judges impressed, each team knocking out the next. the perfect russians expected to sweep it. in the surprise ending to the high drama, spanish managed to displace the chinese for silver. it's all zone up for the event as delicate as lace, as strong as steel. that u.s. coach is the second high-profile person we talked to in the sport who would like to see costumes and makeup go away. she thinks the less it becomes like theater, the less people think of it as athleticism. she may be leading the charge to dial it back a little in the future. al. >> michelle kosinski, thank you so much. up next, more tailgating, but first these messages. o you defi? the blissful pause just before that rich sweetness touches your lips. the delightful discovery, the mid-sweetening realization that you have the house all to yourself. well, almost. the sweet reward, making a delicious choice that's also a smart choice. splenda no-calorie sweetener. with the original sugar-like taste you love and trust. splenda makes the moment yours. and the cravings begin... again. for nights like these there's special k chocolatey delight cereal. an unguilty pleasure. what will you gain when you lose? fighting it with every muscle on his teen face. every urge to be happy. because i didn't just get him a pair of nikes, i got him the pair of nikes. look - he can barely control himself. (in her head) i'm amazing. the styles they'll totally freak over for back to school are here. famous brands. famously easy. famous footwear. victory is yours. when your beauty sleep is cut short new almay wake up liquid make up with hydrating water and caffeine to energize your skin gives you a radiant, well rested look. "hello morning!" these are sandra's "homemade" yummy, scrumptious bars. hmm? i just wanted you to eat more fiber. chewy, oatie, gooeyness... and fraudulence. i'm in deep, babe. you certainly are. [ male announcer ] fiber one. gotta get that bacon! bacon?! bacon! smokey bacon, meaty bacon, tasty bacon! bacon? ohh, la, la... oh, i say, is that bacon?! oh, good heavens! bacon! bacon! bacon! bacon! who wants a beggin' strip? meee! i'd get it myself but i don't have thumbs! yum, yum, yum, yum, yum... it's bacon!!! mmm i love you, i love bacon. i love you. i love bacon. i love you. beggin' strips! there's no time like beggin' time. and check out beggin' thick cut. i'm gonna need a bigger mouth! we may have heard of u.s. athletes like alex morgan and todd rogers but teammates know them by other names as well, their nicknames. >> he's the thin beast. >> he's the professor. >> he's tall and he's thin, but yet he's just an absolute animal. >> todd is the professor because he's known for his mental game on the court. >> my name is quanitta underwood. everyone knows me as queen underwood, queen of the ring. it's just who i am. queen of the ring. >> schnitzel von d. >> baby horse. i don't know how it started or who started it. baby because i'm the baby on the team. horse because of my unique odd running technique. i sort of gallop like a horse. >> the mose. people say i mose around when i'm not playing water polo. >> the money because i guess i bring the money in. >> my nickname created in high school was shin dig. they said because i'm the life of the party. >> missy the missile. i got it when i was 12 years old. my dad and i were goofing around and it spilled out of his mouth. >> michael phelps is superman and mine is rock star. >> she's the turtle. >> six feet of sunshine. >> misty obviously is not slow. however, sometimes she retreats into her shell only to pop out and get you. so she's a turtle. >> okay. learned a lot about olympic athletes. still to come, you're taking on another sport. >> that's right. i'll be a little more covered up for this one. >> spandex. >> no. i par took in the british sport of cricket. >> rules. >> not any better than i did before. >> see how that turns out. we'll check it out after your local news and weather. >> i didn't see dawn at all during the whole race. she could have been on the other side of the stadium. >> not one but two silver medals you're coming home with. how does that peel? >> just to have a medal of any cle. it was a dream. >> how does it feel to win a silver medal. >> feel like i should have done the gold. >> i'll give you the athlete's name. you tell me the sport in which that athlete participates in. dong dong. here's my morning routine. gotta start the day off right. wardrobe. cute. then new activia breakfast blend. a great way to help start the day. mmm... creamy lowfat yogurt with grains in yummy breakfast flavors, like apple cinnamon. its hearty, with twice the protein of regular lowfat yogurt and helps regulate your digestive system. our morning routines are important, aren't they? new activia breakfast blend. you could spend as much as $200. olay says challenge that with an instrument that cleanses as effectively as what's sold by skin professionals for a whole lot less. olay pro x advanced cleansing system. pleeeeeeeease... [ female announcer ] betty crocker fruit flavored snacks. pleeeeeeeease... less than 100 calories and made with real fruit pleeeeeeeease... thanks mom! [ female announcer ] betty crocker fruit flavored snacks. good morning, it's 9:26 on this wednesday, august 8th. we are still seeing big delays on the roads. let's go to danella sealock with the latest. >> it is a little bit better, but slow from laurel all the way down to the beltway. we connect to the beltway if you're taking the outer loop. that's where you're still seeing the bulk of the delays from green belt as you make your way to 97 georgia avenue. you are slow. want to show you what that looks like at new hampshire avenue. the good news is, no accidents on i-95 in maryland or the beltway, but still storm 4 radar showing thunder and spotsylvania drifting off to the east and that will be around for another hour and sun in and out and highs and low >> jenn kessy swings, and she's got it. the americans have upset the brazilians. they are headed to the gold medal match. >> it's not often we can see this. we are certain team usa will take the gold in women's beach volleyball tonight. >> and the silver, too. >> that's because it is an all american final, misty may-treanor and others will all be here. i sense an outing. horse guards parade, just an amazing place, venue. probably the biggest venue in town. >> our friends at good year providing that shot. if you can't see it personally, it's on nbc tonight. it's the hottest ticket in town. >> get to a bar. >> what time do you want to head over there. >> to the bar? >> they serve beer there. we don't have to go. i scoped it out. we're good. >> all taken care of. >> meantime matt and i hit the mats for greco roman wrestling, i decided to try something more gent he'll. i opted for a sport where you wear a little more clothing and look a little more dignified, cricket, tea and cucumber sandwiches. >> i did like the wardrobe. i would like to see more wrestling with matt and al. >> natalie? >> i think that's a mistake. >> what do you get when you match up traditional scottish bab pigs and rock and roll? red hot chili pipers. >> we have more goodies from the the chef. thanks for sticking around with us. starting with as far as your london forecast, the good news, looks like the rain it out of here into friday. plenty of sunshine and temperatures upper 70s to 80. it's going to be warm. closer to home, you are looking at wet weather into the central gulf. the sunshine returns to the pacific northwest with lower humidity and lower temperatures. tomorrow, risk of strong storms stretching from the mid-mississippi river valley into the northeast. showers in the upper great lakes and sizzling conditions in the southwest right on into texas. very humid along the gulf coast and showers in the upper midwest. that's what's going on around the country, here's what's happening in your neck of the woods. >> good morning, tom kierein storm center 4. right now storm 4 radar showing some showers with some thunder and lightning in montgomery county and south of washington and spotsylvania county we're near 80 later today and low 90s partly sunny and maybe an isolated shower or thundershower and on friday a likelihood of showers from the morning into the afternoon and afternoon storms on friday could be severe and maybe lingering into friday night. walk, though, looking cooler and less humid. and that's your lat weather. >> all right, al. thanks. coming up next, cricket anyone? al learns to play the wildly popular british sport after this. hey, i love your cereal there -- it's got that sweet honey taste. but no way it's 80 calories, right? no way, right? lady, i just drive the truck. right, there's no way right, right? have a nice day. [ male announcer ] 80 delicious calories. fiber one. ♪ ♪ [ male announcer ] you've been years in the making. and there are many years ahead. join the millions of members who've chosen an aarp medicare supplement insurance plan insured by unitedhealthcare insurance company. go long. had kraft mac & cheese without me. so this time, i took precautionary measures. looking for these? [ rattling ] [ male announcer ] kraft macaroni & cheese. you know you love it. anyone have occasional constipation, diarrhea, gas, bloating? yeah. one phillips' colon health probiotic cap each day helps defend against these digestive issues with three strains of good bacteria. approved! [ phillips' lady ] live the regular life. phillips'. from a witch's curse... aah! [ male announcer ] ...an unlikely team will come together. oh, yeah! [ male announcer ] the cheerleader... this is getting completely out of -- hand! [ male announcer ] ...the jock... what do we do? you're the oldest! not mentally! [ male announcer ] ...the bully... zombies! are they gonna eat our brains? yeah! ow! i think you'll be safe. [ male announcer ] ...the geek... don't make me throw this hummus. it's spicy. [ male announcer ] ...and norman. i know a way to stop this. [ roars ] [ screaming ] [ male announcer ] "paranorman." rated pg. welcome back to london. you know, the finest athletes in the world are competing in these games. there's one sport that's not on the schedule anymore. it's loved here and it's called cricket. our special correspondent ben fogle took me out to have a go at it. >> al, you look the part. >> yeah, i feel british wearing this. what the heck is this? >> okay. these, you want to protect this. >> ben is giving me a crash course in cricket. >> do what you think you do? no. hold it nice and tightly. when the ball comes -- >> are there bases. >> you've just got one base. you're just running back and forth. >> back and forth. >> back and forth, back and forth. >> when do you stop. >> lever means bounce once. running up. nice bounce. bam. >> oh yeah! got it. >> okay? >> okay. >> clear as mud. >> crystal clear. >> a bit of background to really understand. >> this is the man, w.g. grace. this the babe ruth of cricket here. >> he was a hairy fellow. my goodness. >> i absolutely love cricket. i could stay out there -- >> turns out cricket goes back a long, long way. in fact, it sounds like the brits, who invented everything, according to ben, even came up with baseball. >> after dinner went to play baseball. the game that has become synonymous to america can be traced in some form back to the uk. >> who was it? >> i don't know. it's fascinating, though. >> guys, looking very smart. >> now to meet the team. it's time for some real action. >> ben and al, you're in first. >> thank you so much. nervous. very nervous. ben begins with what he calls skinny batting. >> what? running. do i keep running. running, baby. oh yeah. oh i'm staying right here. >> well done, al. >> thank you. >> now it's my turn to face mean mike, the demon bowler. ♪ >> i'm running. ♪ >> really? really. i did score one run. so out and on to the next cricket ritual. >> tea and cucumber sandwiches. have a bite of your cucumber sandwich. >> excuse me. they say cricket matches can take up to five days. ben is back to bat for britain and i'm dreaming of going up on the wall of legends at the thames cricket club. >> you're good. >> they have got to do something about those sandwiches. >> you didn't really enjoy those so much, did you? >> how about some spam. spam sausages. >> next time we'll do that. >> he played well. >> it was all right. i had a good teacher. >> what are some of the expressions of the game. >> sticky wickett, like being stuck between a rock and a hard place. someone has a good innings. >> al have good innings. >> he's still alive, still around. the most famous. that's just not cricket. if something is not fair, that's -- >> al, that was just not cricket. >> not cricket. >> maybe we can work that into our regular sayings back in the u.s. >> that's not crick. >> ben, thank you very much. that was fun. tomorrow ben is taking me out biking. >> you boys are having fun. >> up next, we're going to rock out with the red hot chili pipers right after this. [ music plays ] [ music plays ] here's my morning routine. gotta start the day off right. wardrobe. cute. then new activia breakfast blend. a great way to help start the day. mmm... creamy lowfat yogurt with grains in yummy breakfast flavors, like apple cinnamon. its hearty, with twice the protein of regular lowfat yogurt and helps regulate your digestive system. our morning routines are important, aren't they? new activia breakfast blend. oh, it's so good! if this image robbed you of the great taste of untopped triscuit, claim your free box online. goat cheese? come on! this is america! [ male announcer ] 100% whole grain, woven for an untoppable taste. [ sneezes ] [ male announcer ] if you have yet to master the quiet sneeze... ♪ [ sneezes ] [ male announcer ] you may be an allergy muddler. try zyrtec®. it gives you powerful allergy relief. and zyrtec® is different than claritin® because zyrtec® starts working at hour 1 on the first day you take it. claritin® doesn't start working until hour 3. [ sneezes ] [ male announcer ] zyrtec®. love the air. join zyrtec® rewards. save up to $7 on zyrtec® products. join zyrtec® rewards. try our new lunch-size grilled chicken fajitas, with sauteed onions and peppers, served with soup or salad. lunch break combos, starting at 6 bucks. enjoy them with friends, because a lunch together feeds the friendship. [ female announcer ] pop in a whole new kind of clean. with new tide pods. just one removes more stains than the 6 next leading pacs combined pop in. stand out. the more options you have,pacs you're trying to lose weight, the more likely you are to stay on track. that's why there are 10 delicious kinds of special k® cereal. so many possibilities. what will you gain when you lose? welcome back to london and olympic park. bagpipes are an ancient part of scottish tradition. these days some locals are taking the musical instrument to a new level. here is late night host mary carillo. >> you wouldn't know it until you saw it but nothing rocks like the bagpipe. on the eve of the biggest weekend in bag piping, the globe trotting red hot chili pipers, they come home and celebrated. a 3,000-year-old instrument gloriously electrofied. it's an infectious matchup that made these scottish lads world famous. are there ever time you've been booked thinking the other band and they say what are you doing in skirts? >> no. some people have come up and thought it. they made a mistake and enjoy what we've done. we're taking rock music and mixing it with bag peeps and calling it bag rock. >> it's a new day in scotland. any gender of any origin can be fitted with a kilt, with no prior experience from pillaging required as i learned here. >> put this on you. it's gaelic for purse. >> no pockets. >> what's in here. >> keys, screwdriver, small hot sauce. >> this is the logical setting for the world bagpipe championship, glasgow green, echoing with the ancient sound. 8,000 pipers from across the globe hope months and months of preparation lead to five minutes of perfection in front of exacting judges. >> first place -- >> yet even here, stereotypes are quickly put to rest. >> we're here with new york metro pipe band. this is our first year competing at world. >> do you have friends that scratch their heads when you tell them what you do? >> yes. i don't know too many people. >> then there's this decidedly feminist twist, the story of a single mom from canada, gayle brown, piping pioneer, whose award winning boys, graham, glen, and blair are proud products of a tough love teacher. >> she was actually the first ever woman to play in a grade one band, the highest level. >> we actually didn't get a choice to play the drums. it's i'm going to the highland games to play. so choose pipes or drums because i'm not getting a babysitter. >> if you wanted to learn about the bagpipe or learn how to play it, this is the place. >> absolutely. >> national piping center glasgow celebrates pipes year around. the director kindly brought me a bag. >> i am a leftie but it's not really going to matter. it's tough, and i'm full of hot air. hey, it's really a two-man operation for me. sure, on a summer's day imposing men in plaid skirts still shamelessly muscle around. the defiant soundtrack is keeping up with the times, gender neutral and ready to rock. >> up next, more british tailgating fare with noted chef. first this is "today" on nbc. you keep hearing amazing things about verizon fios. blazing fast internet. the best tv picture quality. but you're still sitting on the fence. so they're making it as easy as possible. now, you can switch to fios without an annual contract. they'll even set up your whole home and give you upgraded equipment, free for six months so call or go online today. this is way better than sitting on a fence. [ male announcer ] get the fios triple play now with no annual contract and get everything you need to set up your whole home free for 6 months. now's the best time to switch to life on fios. call the verizon center for customers with disabilities at 800-974-6006 tty/v. this morning on "today's" olympic kitchen more british inspired tailgating ideas for the olympics. chef daniel boulud is here, he's the owner of a restaurant here in london. good morning. good to see you again. >> good morning, madam. >> this morning we're going to do smoked fish. tell us about it. >> a potted smoked mackerel. basically when you do a tailgate or picnic, you want food prepared the day ahead and sort of ready to be spread. here i have mackerel, smoked mackerel, which i really crushed well. i'm adding a little lemon zest, some tarragon, a spiced butter with coriander and pepper, coriander, a little bit of mace also inside. it's kind of a melted butter, put that over. a little bit of shallots. >> a smoked salmon, chef. >> i could do a smoked salmon. better do a cooked salmon, poached salmon and smoked together. that's delicious. potted smoke mackerel. we also made a picnic tailgate perfect with vegetable, all lightly poached. we serve that with garlic aioli. >> is that a quail egg? >> yes. made some seafood. that's when you invite the chef to the tailgate and make a fish platter. >> this is fancy for a tailgate. >> if you invite us to your tailgate, we'll come. we'll come with a truck fully loaded. >> you can tailgate with us any time. >> this is a cheese spread, vegetarian in a way. with the vegetable. we have some wonderful hot dog here which i'm sure the crowd will go crazy for that one. >> that looks like your take on the hot dog. >> this is spanish tunisian with yogurt, pepper. >> what do we have over here. this is so fascinating. >> this is the parisian side. we have a chocolatier. this is duck. we have also a pate, a shredded beef with pistachio and tomatoes and nuts. we have also a lot of different dishes. voila. you want to taste? >> let us taste. >> potted mackerel. >> all right. tasting party. >> this is very brush. can't do any better. >> that's really good. >> mini cooper with a tailgate basket there. >> wow. >> nice. >> that is nice. like the champagne in there. >> what's the fruits? >> the crowd. >> the roar goes up on the crowd. >> some crab from devon, winkles and welks. the seafood here is amazing. we just want to showcase that. we do these as well. >> i have my eye on this lobster roll. anybody want to try these? >> now you're talking. >> that was the sausage. >> i think i'm going to give them a little bit of mackerel, too. >> thank you. >> thank you so much. >> still to come this morning after your local news, complete coverage of the olympics from this morning's action. >> don't forget tonight prime time, the all american beach volleyball gold medal match. >> the usa will win. 9:57 is your time now on this wednesday, august 8th, 2012. i'm eun yang. a tough commute this morning. let's check in with danella sealock to see if things settled down. >> i wish i had good news but instead an accident at frederick seeing an accident there. let's head over to i-270. delays here and the rain is coming down, so, it's slowing you down. we'll give you a live look right now at shady grove. you can see very sluggish and wet roadway here. delays continue all the way to rockville and no accidents, just pretty slow. tom, when is this rain going to let up? >> it does look like right there in montgomery county over the next hour it will dissipate, but right now storm 4 radar showing some downpours there and thunder and lightning and farther south, too, just to the west of i-95 and stafford and in spotsylvania county and thunder and lightning a little more later today. highs 90s and more of the same on thursday and friday greater chance of showers and storms around and over the weekend, lower humidity and cooler. back to yo hey, there's barely a line at space mountain. you there ! i am looking for someone, hair black as night, skin white as snow ! yeah, yeah, i got that ! she is at the castle. dad ! honey ! but she's on the move. disney mobile magic, on verizon. you wouldn't happen to have an apple ? find characters, access wait times for the park you're in, and enjoy premium features when you download disney mobile magic, powered by verizon.

Related Keywords

New York ,United States ,Canada ,Glasgow ,Glasgow City ,United Kingdom ,Australia ,Germany ,Texas ,Brazil ,Beijing ,China ,California ,Wisconsin ,Montgomery County ,Russia ,Washington ,District Of Columbia ,London ,City Of ,Reunion ,Tunisia ,Rockville ,Mexico ,Athens ,Attikír ,Greece ,Maryland ,Spain ,France ,River Valley ,Ontario ,Italy ,Brazilians ,Britain ,Americans ,Australian ,America ,Spanish ,French ,Chinese ,Italians ,British ,Scotland ,Russians ,Tunisian ,American ,Mary Carillo ,Gabrielle Giffords ,Lionel Richie ,Aaron Gilchrist ,Greco Roman ,Queen Underwood ,Alex Morgan ,Nicki Minaj ,Ben Fogle ,Todd Rogers ,Jimmy Fallon ,Savannah Guthrie ,Carrie Underwood ,Ariel Hsing ,Esther Williams ,Eun Yang ,Gabby Douglas ,Meredith Vieira ,Betty Crocker ,Michelle Kosinski ,Ann Romney ,Matt Lauer ,Sally Pearson ,Gayle Brown ,Los Angeles ,Al Roker ,Daniel Boulud ,George Russell ,Graham Glen ,Barbra Streisand ,Yorba Linda ,Lolo Jones ,Jared Lee Loughner ,Minerva Miller ,Kraft Mac ,Savannah Matt ,Babe Ruth ,