soccer star whose heart stopped 78 minutes and he lives to tell all about it. this is "pie morgan tonight" tonight from london. not just a good evening from london, a great evening for america, thanks to gabby douglas. makes the u.s. proud, the first to win team gold and individual all around gold for gymnastics. that's not the only record. she's the first black woman to achieve that honor. truly an historic day. and 20 medal are now for michael phelps. wins the 200 meter medley. for the women, more pride. rebecca sony broke her record in the 200 meter breast stroke. let's get the latest on this amazing day for the americans. christine brennan, sports columnist for usa today. what a big day for the americans. >> absolutely. i was at gymnastics. you could have been at swimming and had the same headlines. >> watching michael phelps going to the 20th medal, he wanted it badly. got a look at a guy with not enough golds same i am having that. >> and ryan lochte, and phelps not winning individual medal to this point, the pride of the athlete showed through. the sense it is his last olympics and gold is great. to be an individual gold medallist is fantastic. would have been a footnote in a bad way if phelps hadn't gotten that. >> do you think ryan thought psychologically got the glory at the top. >> all gone downhill from there. >> only won two golds. >> he started with an important race and beat michael phelps. for all, it is a bit of an uneven story for lochte and phelps. some great moments. they'll take those away. what really shows is again what an amazing thing we saw four years ago from michael phelps. this is reality in swimming. someone wins here and there. the french men reel in the americans at the end. phelps doesn't win individual races. it even shows how much more remarkable what phelps did. >> i couldn't agree more, a fantastic champion. talk gymnastics. a great day for gabby douglas. aly raisman, i am sure she's disappointed, supremely talented girl, jordan weiber. what do you think about the americans? >> gabby douglas, first time a woman of color has won the individual all around gold medal in the olympics. this is the prized medal, you could say, especially if an american in the entire olympic games. won by an african-american the first time ever. gabby won also the team gold. other women that won that all around, including mary lou retton, carly patterson, they were not part of a team gold, the americans didn't win the gold. so we may well see the most decorate gymnast ever for the united states in gabby douglas, a 16-year-old, just unbelievably calm, comfortable, confident athlete who a year ago we never heard of her. >> amazing talent. the sprint to come. usain bolt and others. how do you see it all with the americans in track and field? >> swimming is bread and butter for the united states. that's where the u.s. should do well and medal count shows it. track and field, women more than the men. relays are always interesting, if the americans don't drop the baton. if all getting along -- >> we call it baton. we are in london. >> don't drop the baton. and they've all done it different times. track and field has taken a real hit over the years because of the steroid issue. if you can't trust a foot race, what can you trust. track and field is -- 20, 30 years ago was "the" sport in the olympics. still in the stadium, where the cauldron -- >> how important to american to reassume that after the chinese went ahead in beijing? >> it was important, not sure it will hpen. the chinese are having a great olympics, too. i often found the medal count is the most overrated thing in sports. i don't know if i change my opinion if the u.s. wins more medals or not. for the u.s. olympic committee, trying to get olympics in the 2020s, just a sense of national pride, it is a big deal. >> i think it is a big deal. the americans want it. today was a big step forward in having a good chance of beating the chinese. christine, thank you very much. >> thank you. the olympics are bittersweet for marion jones. she went to prison for lying to the grand jury about using steroids. these are the first games since being released. marion, welcome back. >> thank you, piers. >> obviously we had quite a heart wrenching interview a few weeks ago, found it moving mainly as i said to you at the time because whatever you did and you know, i have heard what you said and others have said and so on, the fact that you went to prison over it was a pretty severe punishment, and they stripped you of your medals. when you look at the olympic games here in london, what goes through your mind? what do you feel? >> well, actually my memories of my olympic experience, piers, are quite good. i was able to achieve my dream. the experience for me was very positive now. some of the things that happened afterwards were obviously very hurtful and just made things very complicated in my life. so it is actually a positive time of year for me and my family. >> we're going to come to what you think of the american team sprinting chances after the break. before we get to that, want to talk to you about the big doping scandal which may or may not be a doping scandal, involves a young chinese swimmer, ye shewin. when you see the attention she's attracting for her phenomenal performance, what do you make of it? >> i think it is very unfortunate. the attention she should be attracting now is a good one. i mean, she set a world record. she swam some incredible times, of course, but they haven't come out to say she had any harmful drug tests or anything. it is unfortunate. the young lady is 16 years old. because she swam a split that's faster than a male swimmer all of a sudden she's looked upon as doing something wrong. maybe in the future if something comes out, that's different. let her enjoy her moments. let's not tarnish it now because of people's feelings about certain stuff. she swam an incredible race, you know, let's just leave it as it is. >> after what you went through, there are other athletes who have been caught for doping who within two years are performing in olympics, chambers, a british sprinter is doing that. do you think the punishment is enough now for doping? do you think the only way to really eradicate it is to make the punishment so severe that other athletes wouldn't contemplate it? >> no. i certainly wouldn't go that far. i think that, you know, there are going to be athletes from now until the end of sport that are going to try and do things they shouldn't. of course, i am a huge proponent of second chances. i have obviously been given a number of them since i made my mistakes, and i think every athlete and every person should be given that second chance. and the fact that dwayne and other athletes in similar situations are getting a chance to perform, and they're still having to face tough moments even though running fast and made the olympic team and stuff, they receive a lot of criticism. although they've done their time, they're still doing their time, and people don't see that. so i don't -- certainly if you continue to make mistakes and do what you shouldn't and fail drug tests, at some point there should be a lifetime ban. i think for the first time to be a lifetime ban i think it is unfair. a lot of people are going to say of course she's going to say that, she has been involved in all of this. but people need to look in the mirror. have you ever made a mistake. do you wish you had a second chance? of course. give the athletes a second chance. they made a mistake. see if they can redeem themselves. >> let's take a short break. we will talk about usain bolt and american rivals, what you think about the fascinating, on-going battles in the american women's sprintsing team. i don't know what you thought about that debacle. let's come back after the break. marion jones on the track. i am back with her now. marion, what do you make of the big sprinting races, is usain bolt going to be beaten? there's a general feeling he is not quite as good as last time, certainly not quite as fit. >> well, it's certainly going to be an incredible athletic competition in the next few days. of course, the favorite will be usain and the question marks regarding his health status are certainly important, but usain is a champion, world record holder obviously, and he's coming to the olympic games to do some fantastic things, and that's to win. certainly he is going to be challenged by his training partner. on the women's side, all the controversy to pass a few weeks ago in allison and the runoff that actually was disappointed not to see. >> what did you think of that? i thought it was a strange conclusion to that. i assumed that they would both prefer as athletes to have a runoff. in the end, jennifer didn't want to go through with it. felt so crushed having been told she was in then out that she just gave up, which i was surprised by. >> piers, i'm going to be as honest as i can with you right now. i was so disappointed to get that memo and see on the news there was not going to be a runoff. so you've worked your whole life to get to this moment to try to get on the olympic team. something crazy happens like there's a tie, which never happens. and your opportunity is right there. you and one other person, right? why wouldn't you? i mean, i don't care if it is raining, cold, people talk about weather conditions were going to cause injury. who cares. this is your opportunity to make an olympic team and you're not going to do it? i'm going to probably get criticism for saying that, but that's every athlete's dream. i don't know the politics involved with coaches and sponsors. i'm sure there was pressure here and there. allison has been to other olympic games. she's going to be on the team for the 200, running the relay. this young girl should have gone out there and ran the race and put it all on the line, and obviously i am a competitor, so not seeing the runoff, i was quite disappointed. >> well, i completely and utterly agree with you. i was staggered. i thought it was unlike an athlete to not rise to that challenge. you know what my theory is, the reason she didn't, secretly she knew she was lucky to get ahead of allyson felix and that she would probably beat her. that's the only thing i could think of. >> but piers, even so, forget the fact that it is allyson felix, all of that. this is your moment. it was going to be on prime time, probably the biggest coverage that usa track and field receive for a lot of time, right? it is you and one other athlete. in the sport of athletics, that never happens. it is never you and one other person. it is you and eight or nine or seven other competitors. it is a once in a lifetime opportunity. why not do it. why not do it. who cares about the sponsor pressure, who cares about coaches. get on the line and put it out there. i just hope that years from now she doesn't look back and say gosh, slap herself in the face for not putting it out there. >> i agree. i find it as baffling as you do. the other thing was the story of the south african that uses prosthetic limbs. michael johnson was on last night, a good friend of his, he feels uncomfortable about it. he says it gives an advantage which he doesn't think he should have. what do you think. to me, you have a guy who had no legs who has limbs running with able bodied runners. >> i disagree with michael in a few points of this. i think if we're using that argument that this prosthetic leg gives him advantage, what about the argument that there are countries, third world countries that don't have all of the resources to give their athletes the best training, training on the best tracks, the bestpikes, the best clothing, the best supplements, all of that. what about those countries that don't have the same advantages? he can use that argument for a lot of things. your reasoning exactly. the guy doesn't have legs, you know? how is he somehow at a disadvantage? you can't use that argument. there arpeople that lined up against michael johnson in the first round of the olympics from countries that don't have spikes to share with their athletes, don't have superior training, don't have mondo tracks to train on. aren't they at a disadvantage? isn't michael at an advantage because he lives in one of the most powerful countries in the world and has every advantage given to him? you can't use that example. >> michael had more expensive shoes than the national debt of some of the countries. >> and he trained on the best tracks in the world. i mean, come on. you can't go there. >> well, for the second time this segment, i agree with you completely. let's turn to a more contentious subject, i'm sure, michael phelps has become the greatest statistical medal winning olympian in history. many people are saying that makes him de facto the greatest olympian in history. do you agree or do you think there are other worthy contenders? i had one last night that has a better claim to the crown in carl lewis. what do you think? >> i think that the wording in all of this is just very important. i think certainly he will be considered one of the greatest olympians ever. i certainly think you need to look at all of the factors involved, obviously the fact that his particular events are so similar, right, but it is not like he has to run in the pool, see how far he can jump, then see how fast he can swim, you know, as opposed to the sport of track and field, for example, the disciplines are so much different. it might be easier to say well, jessie owens or a carl lewis might fit in that bill a little better, just because they were so -- they can do so many different things, but certainly one of the greatest olympians. >> gabby douglas won the gymnastics. she beat aly raisman. >> yay. wow. >> quite a victory. it was a huge runoff for those two. what's your reaction? >> i love it, i love her. she's so -- i follow her on twitter and every time, i mean, all the girls, let me tell you, watching them the past few days has really made the olympic experience for me even that much better. but the fact that gabby has now won and can top off her team gold with individual gold, she's such an inspiration, such an inspiration to little girls, and even more specific to young african-american women that now -- this is the time they're looking for role models, people to grab hold to and aspire to be. and just a worthy, worthy recipient of winning today. it is just incredible. i'm happy for her. >> great news, i completely agree. i feel sorry for aly, she's also a brilliant role model. marion, a pleasure to talk to you. thank you so much. >> thank you, piers. enjoy your time in london. tomorrow my interview with veronica campbell brown, three time winning gold medal sprinter, now having to smash records in london. she has competitive spirit as a child as i found out. here is a preview. you're one of nine brothers and sisters. i imagine it was very competitive when you were young, right? >> absolutely, yes, a lot of us, and so i learned to be competitive from a very young age. >> and you used to run barefoot, is that right? >> absolutely. you're correct. i actually used to race boys on the street, barefoot. i actually completed at national stadium barefoot. so yeah, that's true. >> did you beat the boys? >> i do. i used to race boys and i used to beat them as well. coming after the break, i reunite two old friends. want to say friends. they tried to beat each other into submission twice in world heavy weight boxing bouts. lennox lewis and evander holyfield. round three. ding ding! okay. now i'm going to get very overexcited. i am being joined by two of the great heavy weight boxing champions in history. america's pride, evander holyfield and lennox lewis. both titleholders, both olympic winners. welcome. >> thank you. >> what are you? >> you can't see what i am? i am part of the comlth.monwea >> where did you grow up from this spot? >> about five minutes. >> seriously? >> five minutes. don't recognize the place again. >> how much has east london changed, seriously. >> this is crazy. what enormous buildings erupted into a place -- they're great buildings. >> it is amazing. you two slugged it out in two memorable fights. first was a draw. >> wasn't a draw. i won. >> it was declared a draw. evander, have you learned to accept he nicked that first one? >> he could have, but i got the second. they gave it to him. >> they were both criminally wrong decisions? is that how we're leaving this? >> you know what, i give you the benefit of the doubt, say i won them both. [ laughter ] you may have won the first, not the second. >> the second one was closer. he was actually ready for me. i was kind of pissed off because he was singing in the first one. saying this guy is singing to fight me? okay. i'm going to take it serious. second one he wasn't singing. >> tell me this, you both competed in the olympics and won. how big a part of a career as a professional boxer is competing and winning at the olympics in terms of the global attention it gives you and everything else. >> i think winning the olympics is a great thing to do because you're basically, you start as an amateur boxer and to complete your amateur tutelage, you have to be an olympic gold medallist. winning that is like winning a gold medal, a gold ticket to the professionals. it is a pedigree thing. once you won an olympic gold medal, you're supposed to go on and win heavy weight championship of the world. >> do you agree with that? >> i do believe that -- just like graduated with a degree. you get paid more money, you springboard into your professional career and it showed that because you went to the olympics, all the adjustments you had to make through amateur to allow you to be the complete fighter to be the champion. >> huge debate raging about who the greatest olympian of all time is because of michael phelps breaking the medal record. forget that. i don't want to ask you that. i am more interested in what will be a more lively debate. who is the greatest heavy weight boxer of all. you two would be mentioned on many people's lips. who do you think, who was top dog? >> depends how you look at it. what you did in the ring. >> let me ask this question. who would be the boxer in history heavyweight that you would least want to fight. present company excepted. >> i would say jack johnson. he is the first heavyweight for me. you could say muhammad ali. it was amazing. every time he fought, i wanted to see him fight. the thing i loved about ali, every time he moved his feet fast, the shoe shine, that was the greatest thing. once he did that, it is like look at his feet move. but as far as if i would want to fight them, no. it breaks down into errors. -- into eras. my era is different. our era, we're bigger. muhammad ali's era was smaller. it is a different era. >> who were your personal heroes? >> ali was. i was eight years old. i was told i cop a heavyweight champion like ali. i weighed 65 pounds, eight years old. they said if you don't quit, you can be it. i didn't quit. 20 years later, became heavyweight champion of the world. >> you two slugged it out, went 15 rounds together? 12 rounds. 24 rounds of smacking seven bells out of each other. >> doesn't ring the bell around here. >> how can you still be friendly. how does the boxing fraternity deal with the fact that for months you prepare to smack each other to seven bells, then now i see you and you can -- >> with me, it is a job and i truly believe we both have the right to be the best we can. i trained, he trained. we get in who the best at night. when the night is over, i like brush it off. >> did you look at evander holyfield's eyes? even now they terrify me. didn't they bring back terrible memories, bearing down on you followed by fists? >> not really. we solved that all in the ring. we'r