>> the flame burning bright or there, 16 hours ahead. keep it right here. thank you for making us part of your morning. have a good one. the today show is up next for you. >> the closest -- good morning. striking gold. >> the united states are going to put away another gold medal. >> a strong start for team usa led by the u.s. men and swimming sensation caeleb dreelsso t begin his quest for six gold medals. and a battle in the pool that lives up to the hype. katie ledecky facing down her archrival from australia, beaten by just milliseconds to win silver. >> delivered as advertised. >> we'll go one-on-one with both stars. and a new generation of american

swimmers already shining in tokyo. surprising start. >> oh, boy. >> simone biles and the women of u.s. gymnastics in an unexpected place, second, heading into the final of the team competition. >> obviously, there are little things that we need to work on. >> will they bounce back when the gold medal is on the line? we chat live with team usa gymnast mykala skinner. making history. >> a gold medal for lee kiefer and the united states. >> this is what we've been waiting for, working for, dreaming about. >> the athletes behind the first ever gold medal for the u.s. in their events are celebrating with us live. all that, plus the thrill of victory from one coach's over the top joy -- >> he is going crazy. >> oh, my goodness. >> -- to a game-winning home run for the u.s. softball team. >> back it goes. it's gone! they will be the home team in the gold-medal game against

japan. >> the not-to-be-missed moments that make the olympics so unforgettable. >> he's like putting on a show like mick jagger on the rolling stones. >> today monday, july 26th, 2021. >> ledecky is on her way to history. >> and there it is. >> announcer: from nbc news, this is a special edition of "today" at the olympic games, with savannah guthrie and hoda kotb from tokyo, japan. and good morning, everybody. welcome to "today" and welcome to tokyo. it is great to have you with us on this monday morning. if you thought that australian coach was excited, you should have seen hoda and i. we were cheering on the gold medal winning u.s. men's relay team. by the way, a couple of the members right over there.

right there. >> we are pumped up this morning, man. >> look at this group. it's happening, you guys. the olympics got off to a strong start. the swimmers are killing it. they are here. they brought their hardware. it's kind of fun to see these fresh and happy faces. you're going to see more team usa athletes sporting their medals from the opening weekend of competition. we'll chat with all of them throughout the morning. >> not just swimming, we have fencing, gymnastics, we've got it all. don't forget our friends back home. we've got a party going, live look at our plaza. >> you're invited. 1a out on our plaza. >> if you are vaccinated, wear your red, white and blue. we are celebrating with our athletes. this is just getting started. we'll check in in a little bit with them. >> the athletes are watching folks back home. they're getting pumped up too. but first we want to start with that strong start for team usa. let's take a look at where things stand in the medal count

right now. >> for more, we go to nbc's tom llamas over at the you aquatic center where the magic is happening. tom, good morning. >> reporter: hey, guys, good morning to you. we are live on the "today" show as qualifying rounds are happening just below us. the next gold medal winner could be in the pool right now. as you mentioned, team usa is dominating here, but in other sports like gymnastics and basketball where you would think they would be on top, they're not. i've had a chance to speak with some athletes who say the pressure in tokyo is real and the empty venues are affecting their performance. in their hunt for medals, team usa earning them in the water. >> the united states who are going to put away another gold medal. >> reporter: the americans taking charge of the men's 4x100 relay. caleb dressel's tokyo debut off to a golden start. >> feels nice to dominate that event.

>> reporter: no fans present, but the swimmers still feeling the love. all the people you see here, those are swim teams from countries around the world cheering on their teammates in the pool. that was the case on the women's side in the 400 meter free stay. >> ariane titmus is looking strong. five meters left >> reporter: american star katie ledecky coming up short behind australia's ariane titmus. for team usa softball, kelsey stewart's walk-off home run against japan setting off an epic celebration the undefeated americans will now face japan in the gold medal game in gymnastics, the u.s. women's team in unfamiliar territory, gunning for their third straight gold, but team usa finishing in a surprising second place to the russian olympic committee during qualifying, plagued by some uncharacteristic miscues later, bil

shoulder at times. i know i brush it off and make it seem like pressure doesn't affect me, but sometimes it's hard," adding "the olympics is no joke. the u.s. men's basketball team is looking to rebound after a disappointing opening loss to france it's the first olympic defeat for the americans since 2004 as they attempt to qualify for the medal round. in tennis, japanese star naomi osaka with the home court advantage serving up another win. after the victory, osaka writing on instagram, "i'm here for a good time. and that's exactly what skateboard fans experienced with its olympic debut and thrilling final rounds japan dominating yuto horigome winning in the men's street while 13-year-old momiji nishiya

took home gold in the women's division for the americans, jagger eaton soaring to bronze in men's street, telling me afterwards, he was grateful to compete >> i'm i ternlly blessed to walk away with this >> jagger is such a cool kid and we are so proud of him i don't know if you've ever heard of the phrase, sometimes when you lose, you really win. that's happened here in tokyo. it happened to an argentinean fencer shechs knock -- she was knocked out of if olympics during a live tv interview, her coach, who happens to be her boyfriend, proposed to her live on tv. she said yes the other lesson here, always never give up. and the reason the coach proposed ten years ago, she said no but here in tokyo, she said yes. so i guess, savannah, love is in the air. >> yes and the olympics are about, you know, exceeding what seems possible all right, tom, thank you. appreciate it. >> so true let's focus on the drama in the pool

we welcome craig in. you got to catch up with two of team usa's biggest stars right after the races. >> yes good morning to you, as well caeleb dressel, remember that name, already drawing comparisons to a guy named michael phelps dressel is hoping for as many as six gold medals here in tokyo. so it's one down, five to go for him. and then there's katie ledecky, widely considered the greatest female swimmer ever. she added to her olympic resume with a silver in her first final. promising starts for the 24-year-old swimming sensations. olympic gold for the u.s. team in the 4x100 men's relay with caeleb dressel notching his first gold in tokyo along with his teammates. first gold in tokyo. how are you feeling? >> i feel good first race is always shaky so i'm glad to get a decent one under my belt. >> reporter: you didn't look shaky at all in fact, at one point, you were on pace to break the world

record >> i haven't seen the race so maybe that's not too bad >> reporter: so far here in tokyo, how are you feeling about things in general? >> i feel great. it feels like a normal race. it's just swimming i'm pretty good at that. >> reporter: there had been so much talk about what it would be like performing without fans, without spectators did you feel that at all >> no. you could feel the energy. you could hear team usa. you could hear the cheering. i'm fine with it it's not as weird as i thought it would be. >> reporter: dressel talking to us without his gold medal because after the medal ceremony, he actually gave it to brooks curry, who he replaced in the relay final. >> i called him down and tossed it to him. he had the heart for it. i got to sit at home and watch it on tv so i tossed it to him. >> reporter: but you're not going to let him keep it >> he'll keep it until he gets his. >> reporter: class act

well done. earlier in the day, katihee queo build on her already legendary olympic career >> titmus has a slight lead. can ledecky now come back on the aussie >> reporter: but in the 400 meter australia final, ariane titmus took the gold, the upset sending titmus' coach into the a celebration. ledecky praising her rival >> i fought and did my best. can't be disappointed with that. >> reporter: you looked great out there. >> thank you >> reporter: how did you feel once you hit the water i've been feeling about in the water. just wanted to put together the best effort i could.yo a little short of gold, but it was a fabulous race for ariane so i can't be disappointed >> what did you say to her

what did she say to you? >> she thanked me, she couldn't have done it without me and i can say the same to her and, yeah, i think we've moved out of it forward fun to have a grit race like that >> so both katie and caeleb have a long way to go ledecky going for gold in the 1500 meter event the first time women will be competing in that event. dressel has three more events including the start of the men's 100 meter freestyle and that is tonight primetime here on nbc. >> thank you joining us now, some of the new faces of the swimming, bowe becker, brooks curry helped the men take gold in the men's 4x10 freestyle relay. jay raced to silver. emma weyant did the same on the women's side you look so good with those medals on. bo, can we start with you? >> yes >> you've got the medal hanging around your neck i like how it looks. how did it feel in that moment to watch you and your team win gold >> i've been telling people,

it's just like an unforgettable moment a lot of emotions. just a really, really awesome , know, i raced a experience especially to see i raced a lot of those guys in college and they were my competitors for a really long time and now they were my teammates. so awesome >> and brooks, you're part of the team to help qualify you're going to get your medal tomorrow what did it feel like to watch them and cheer them? were you nervous were you excited >> i knew these guys could bring it home. it was super awesome to be there in person and watch it and watch these guys get gold. >> there were so many cool things that happened, but i have to say, after you won gold, caeleb took his gold medal he looked up and tossed it to you underhand and you caught it. >> that was an awesome experience >> describe what that was about for people who didn't quite get it >> so they got their medal during the podium. so i get mine tomorrow sometime. and he wanted me to experience

that, like, with them at the same time. and so he tossed it up so i could hold it and wear it. and it was awesome >> i have to ask you about the final touch on the relay it was tight i think our analyst said it was just .05 of a second did you watch it back? it was really close. >> we were a little concerned. >> you know, i wasn't too worried. we trained for this, you know? we've done plenty of exchanges i told zach, you know, through training camp, i'm like, dude, i always finish long so be ready for that zach knows what he's doing he's on it >> he was on it. >> by the way, we were there screaming for you. i don't know if you heard us we were trying to be as loud as we possibly could. jay, congratulations usa, 1-2 you have family freaking out because you weren't sure if it was going to be 1-2. did you know how close you were to getting that silver when you were in the pool >> so usually i have, like -- i get to see people on the way

back but for this race, i was just seeing the crowd or like the stands so i just felt the energy. >> you felt the juice. wh that >> well, i mean, the gold went to your teammate, chase, who is your teammate at georgia and your training partner and your buddy. what does that mean to you >> it means so much. two years ago, we made a bet to get the olympic tattoo ring. so i didn't get it in '16. but he was saying if we go 1-2 in tokyo, i have to get it >> looks like you're going to the tattoo parlor. >> i'm going >> emma, you should go to the tattoo parlor, too congratulations. >> thank you >> 19 years old, first olympics. you've got that hardware draped around your neck what does it mean to you when you won? this is the kind of stuff you

dream of when you're a little kid in this sport. to have it become a reality is insane to me being there without a crowd and teammates in the stands meant the world. i think that energy and watching jay and chase before us got hali and i going for the race >> real quick, you're on the "today" show do you want to give a quick hi mom to everybody >> hi, mom i did it >> hi, everybody >> they're so proud of you back home i don't know if you can feel it. everybody in the united states is cheering you guys on. congratulations, you guys. >> thanks for being here you make us proud. >> sure did. thanks, guys >> send it to you. >> thanks, ladies. for more on the start of these games, for more on team usa and what do keep an eye on in the days ahead, we are joined by our pal, mike tirico, nbc olympics primetime host. thank you for being here >> good to be here in the morning, which is the evening here >> so we've seen some swimming,

we've seen some gymnastics, some softball, some skateboarding 48 hours in. compared to other countries, compared to team usa's past, how are we doing >> that first night, usually see the u.s. win in swimming and it didn't happen. but the u.s. ended up with a pretty good haul at the end of that first full session. i think that started some of the momentum the united states has won more medals in shooting, gold, three, than they have in swimming, two. but swimming has won eight medals and that's where the lion's share comes from. you saw some of the folks over there who have won medals. ledecky and dressel will be key to this, and that sets a good tone for the rest of the team. >> we decided to hone in on your talk here. >> oh, please. welcome. haven't seen enough of each other this week. >> i know. i'm like you can't have tirico, he's mine >> gymnastics, that's a big focus. a lot of people are wondering. there was a little bit of a stumble. nobody is infallible

but do you think they're going . so is it a little bit of the pressure, is it a little bit of a reality check? it's one sport you can't play defense. the russian team was really good the americans know, they have to be sharp the best news for simone and everybody else, it all wipes away no scores carry over thoughts so clean mind, positive thoughts, gives them a great chance to have a great couple of days here. >> i'm loving these gold medal games we're about to experience. the women's softball, they're fierce one thing about not being able to leave the hotel, i'm watching so much softball they're fierce i'm watching the women's team and they're incredible they're going to have a huge game with japan. >> every game has been tight this walk-off homer let's them be the home team in the gold medal match. >> what does that mean the home team here >> you get the last at-bat that matters you need a run in the ninth, you get it you can have a walk off like they did against japan so that matters and i think

psychologically to beat them you have a good feeling. the best pitchers didn't pitch that will be fun it's been off the program for a while. softball is not on the program in paris so for a lot of women on this team, this is their chance >> and they're taking on that japanese team 13 years after japan beat them for gold >> one of the great visuals, when the u.s. lost, they left their cleats on the field because they knew they weren't coming back to the olympics. a few of them are back >> tirico, he doesn't sleep. >> i came bearing gifts, by the way. this is a card that has japanese to english phrases and sayings we have it for the olympics, but since you are going be here all week, savannah said, i want one. >> thank you >> i have one left i don't know who i should give it to. if mr. roker says h

>> what about your nemesis >> if he says konichiwa, hello to me, i have one for mr. roker. >> co-in each wa >> thank you >> we'll see you tonight in prime time here on nbc >>ouout the day across the networks and platforms of nbc. >> good evening. >> try it on your own before you do it in front of america. >> fine. >> good point. mr. roker, you have a check of the weather >> it's the first chance i will get a chance to talk about a typhoon. i have never been able to do that and we have a new one. in fact, there's one, an old one that is hitting shanghai the moisture from that is wrapping up on this one. here is the latest on this, the locator. the good news, looks like now we're not going to be worry background this, but it's 450 miles east of yokosuka, japan. 40-mile-an-hour winds moving north north west at 20 miles per hour the path of this takes it to the

north making landfall sometimes tuesday night into wednesday and back out into sea. here is what we expect, though it is going to have an impact. already for tomorrow, shooting and archery and we're also -- the possibility of surfing being a big problem as this continues to move north, makes landfall north of tokyo, but intensifying through the midweek period the good news is, the heaviest rain will be to the north. maybe 1 to 2 inches in tokyo maybe causing problems but for the most part the next seven days, we are looking at scattered showers and thunderstorms. temperatures mid to upper 80s. but feels-like temperatures into the mid 90s. rest of the country, gorgeous day in the northeast few storms down in florida severe storms in the plains. monsoonal moisture continues in the southwest. we're going to get to your local forecast coming up in the next 30 seconds

running with a cd player. and having only one way to buy a car. that's why carmax gives you options. you can buy on our lot, online or any combination in between. and it comes with a 30-dayba. the way it should be. carmax. good monday morning. i'm meteorologist kari hall. taking a look at our temperatures, reaching low 80s in north bay, 87 in congress kord. livermore reaching 87. we'll have warm temperatures along with the high humidity, and that humidity may also help spark off isolated thunderstorms and showers during the late evening, early morning hours for tomorrow, and then our temperatures heat up for the middle of the week in the inland valley. >> and that is your latest weather. guys >> al, thank you

still ahead, we're going to hear from simone biles as the women's gymnastics team face a challenge in their quest for gold and we are going to talk to mykala skinner we cannot wait to chat with her live she has tons to be proud of. >> we'll speak with usa's gold medalists, not just any gold, but the first ever in their

still ahead, the greatest olympian all time. but freedom means you don't have to choose just one adventure. you get both. introducing the wildly civilized all-new 3-row jeep grand cherokee l

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yeh, right. pepperoni pocketz, atomic brownie, cuckoo crustiez... there's no promo. just great rates. and a side of ranch. you're the man, man. when you want the real deal...like a good neighbor, state farm is there. a very good morning to you. it's 7:26. i'm laura garcia. here's a look at the top stories including a deadly freeway shooting in east bay. >> reporter: a deadly shooting here, a woman is dead. unfortunately there are no arrests as of yet. the victim was a 24-year-old woman. she was behind the wheel of a toyota camry. she was shot and killed around 6:30 on saturday as she drove westbound. a child in the front passenger seat was also shot but survived.

a baby behind the driver seat was not hurt. good morning. traffic once again the topic of conversation here in the city. but the transportation committee conducting a study that would implement a fee. they're exploring, making sure everyone is able to afford this and what that would look like. they say by september to december of this year, they're hoping to have some final report on implementing this type of a fee. let's check the forecast right now for this monday morning with kari. >> we can see some interesting looking clouds for parts of the bay area. we'll have a chance that a few of those clouds may bring us a chance of rain, even a few thunderstorms. we're watching that for tonight into early tomorrow morning. after that it will be hot in the valleys, reaching 90.

san francisco, warming up with highs in the low 70s for wednesday and thursday. laura? >> thank you very much. thank you for joining us as well. another local news update is coming up in about a half hour. hope to see you then. have a great morning.

♪i got it, you got it♪ ♪i want it, you want it♪

♪when i want it, you've got it♪ ♪when you want it, i got it, i got it, yeah♪ ♪when they want it♪ ♪we got it, yeah♪ hey, guys, it's hey, guys, it's 7:30 it's monday morning. we are back. it's 8:30 here at night in tokyo. i'm still getting adjusted s.g., you've been doing this for a week >> i know. >> still getting the lay of the land >> you guys are amazing because you just showed up this morning or tomorrow or yesterday, i don't even know. >> how's your sleeping right now? the jetlag is real >> it is real. but it takes a minute to get adjusted >> we got up this morning and we went on a big adventure. we'll show you that later. well done, everybody >> thank you

>> we got it the men of u.s. gymnastics are competing right now in the team final, and as we wait on those retewill compete in their team final less than 24 hours from now one of the marquis events in these games. >> but in an unexpected twist, the american squad finished second in the qualifying round natalie morales is here with more that. hey, natalie, good morning >> reporter: hey, guys the good news as mike tirico said is the women go into the finals with a clean slate. one of the coaches and simone biles chalked up their performance to a case of nerves. now simone and her teammates have something to prove. >> oh, boy >> flips, steps, and a few extra bounces. >> oh. >> ooh >> reporter: leaving the spectacular women gymnasts of team usa in unfamiliar

territory, second place. the team, led by simone biles, finishing a full point behind the gymnasts representing the russian olympic committee in qualifying round of competition, something that hasn't happened in more than a decade. >> i feel like we did a pretty good job, obviously. there are little things we need to work on so we'll go back and practice on that >> reporter: the entire team set back by unusual errors simone launching out of bounds and then veering to her side and stepping off the mat on vault. and on her beam dismount, deductions for extra steps on the landing. the beam, a struggle for jordan chiles first an uncharacteristic fall >> looked like she doubted herself there. >> reporter: then another on the dismount, her knees and hands hitting the floor. add to that a rare mistake on uneven bars. >> going first up on the very first event isn't exactly the easiest thing to do. >> reporter: grace mccallum and suni lee with mistakes on their

floor exercises, too but for suni, a bright spot on uneven bars, nailing a >> good wishes are pouring in for th spectacular routine. >> proud of ourselves and otherings. >> reporter: good wishes are pouring in for the other american individual competitor, mykala skinner who did not qualify for an event final, mykala who came back to elite gymnastics after her collegiate career, tweeted "heartbroken, but feeling so humbled and blessed for the amazing performance i had tonight. >> absolutely spectacular. >> reporter: and despite her missteps, simone finished with the highest personal score of the day, the greatest of all time qualifying for the team, all around and all four event finals the first woman to do that at one olympics since shannon miller and romania's lavinia milosevic in 1992. but first a trip to the team final tomorrow the squad's golden olympic moment is still theirs for the taking >> i can say i'm an olympian

now. >> reporter: suni lee will also be competing in the all around competition and in the individual competition, jade carey did equal fight for the vault and the floor. mykala skinner did not make it in the event finals, but she continues to receive a lot of love and support, especially from her teammate, simone biles, who said she's incredibly proud of her and said, "thanks for always keeping the gym lighthearted and fun love you you are amazing. >> speaking of miss mykala, she's with us and we love her, too, simone. mykala, you have so much to be proud of in 2012, you didn't make it. in 2016, you were an alternate you are an olympian for the rest of your life had you taken a minute and said to yourself, i am here, i really

emotions and the tears, but this morning, it's really hit me and it's like, i can't believe i competed it's just here it's crazy but i'm so, so glad that i went out there and had the meet of my life and gave it my all. >> i really admire you, mykala because i love someone who can call yourself the grandmas because if you're a grandma, we're some other category. but anyway, you've been at it a long time. you went through a whole collegiate program but your dream was with you to get here and be an olympian and you made your dream come true. that is incredible >> so incredible >> did it live up to what you wanted it to be, to just be here >> yeah. that was my main goal. obviously, to make an individual event, that would have been icing on the cake. but even just to be there and to compete finally after all these years and everything that i've been through and all the trials and to persevere and get to where i am has been incredible so i'm so grateful and i'm an olympian and no one can take that away from me.

>> the team loves you and needs you. and they got off to a shaky start. and i think a lot of people atrh what happened? but i don't think there's no way to underestimate the pressure. >> totally >> you're not robots yo people with hearts and souls and nerves >> we come prepared. we were busting out routines, we were ready to go it's hard. there is no crowd, no one to come and cheer us on besides the guys that came and watched us a little bit but i think they got the jitters out now, so they'll be ready for team finals and the rest of their events to go on. we're amazing. and i think it's okay to mess up you're not always perfect. so i think they got it out of the way and they're ready to kill it the rest of the way. >> shaky start is number two let's keep things in perspective. simone, i love what she wrote about you. she clearly just adores you. but even she tweeted i do sometimes feel the weight of the world on my shoulders. >> yeah. >> it's a lot. how does it feel back there?

you've been inside it's an interesting perspective that we don't always get to feel in the middle of the olympics. >> we do put a lot of pressure on ourselves simone, she wins so many things so i can feel all that pressure, for sure, on her shoulders she definitely takes the weight of the team. i feel like prelims is the most stressful because that's why we're qualifying for team finals and individual events jordan is pretty new she hasn't had a lot of international experience we just have to keep leading and guiding the girls and building themselves up for team finals because they have to get the job done >> will you take a message back to them? >> i will. >> their country is proud of them and we love them. >> yes, i will >> and mykala, you're going to be there tomorrow? >> yes >> i'm going to be there with you. you might be with me you might be helping us through all this coverage. so i hope you can. it will be fun so we'll be there tomorrow morning

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we are back with two of team we are back with two of team usa's first gold medalists and their medals are extra special >> yes they erped the first for the united states in the events. lee kiefer in foil and anastajia zolotic took gold in women's taekwondo. historymakers, trail blazers i read when you were a little kid, 8 years old, you were running around the neighborhood telling everybody this moment was going to come. you were going to win gold and here you are at 18 years old you made it happen >> ten years later >> yes you really believed. >> yeah. i was that little crazy kid walking around in the hallways yelling at teachers, i'm going to the olympics, guys. and during summer. >> did it live up to what you imagined >> yes it's everything. >> you know what i loved i loved watching some people what i loved more was your celebration after. it hit you in this moment. the guy was counting down, two

seconds, three seconds when it was over, you had that moment there it is. oh, my god, it happened. and look at your coach who is happier you or him who is the first person you spoke to after your coach? what family members did you speak to at home >> i think i called my mom the wi-fi was really bad at the venue, but i called her straightaway she answered and i was looking at the floor and she was celebrating. i'm like, mom, you have to put the camera to your face. and it's not like she's old and she doesn't know what she's doing. she was just so excited. i'm, like, mom, come on. >> lee, the pride and joy of the state of kentucky. you compete in rio you compete in london. you don't medal. there you are sitting with a gold medal around your neck. is it extra sweet knowing what happened in the previous two olympics >> i still don't feel like it's real my happiness comes from the joy of my coach and my family at this point

>> and the joy of somebody extra special who happens to be standing off camera, your husband, who also is an olympic athlete, but he actually said his proudest moment was you winning gold >> going to make me cry. >> what does that mean to you? >> it means everything we've been chipping away at this for a decade we've been together for a decade, married two years. and it's our dream being here together >> and i love that during the pandemic you guys were practicing together. oh, there he is. >> hello >> she makes you proud >> definitely. i see how hard she works day in and day out. yesterday she was incredible >> and you said this was your moment your favorite. >> yeah. she made my olympic dream come true and to see her fight her nerves and go out and win the olympic medal was something special. >> now we're all crying. well, that's beautiful you guys, congratulations.u so .

you guys are what making your own personal history but making history for our country, too thank you so much. you guys are what it's all about. >> and good luck to you. >> she said she's okay, she cries a lot. >> you have a gold medal, so it's okay. >> you did good. you did real good. mr. roker, how about a check of the weather beautiful day in the south and the northeast in new england. a few storms down through florida. we're looking at severe storms continuing across the northern plains a lot of moisture in the good morning. i'm meteorologist kari hall. we're going to see that monsoonal moisture across our region, getting some storms especially late tonight, early tomorrow morning. and there will also be the potential for dry lightning. we'll be watching for that. our temperatures heading for the mid-90s for the middle of the week. by the weekend temperatures come down just slightly. san francisco getting sunshine in the middle of the week.

cooler with more fog in time for the weekend. and that is your latest weather. >> i'm still crying. >> i love lee. >> i'm mad at my husband and i don't know why coming up, the tallest tower in the world our journey to the top and the unexpected surprise when we got there. was it that big of a deal? more on that after this. (music) (music) we don't follow the herd. never have. never will.

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coming up, going to extremes how athletes are handling the extreme heat plus, somebody who knows a little bit about the olympics. michael phelps is here to talk about the next generation making their mark on these games. first, your local news and weather. ♪ ♪ [on your mark. get set.] [cymbal crashes decisively] done! i'm done! get a usainly fast online offer on your car

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someone should've left home earlier. a very good morning to you. it's 7:56. i'm laura garcia. here's awhat's happ i'm cierra johnson. there's a study that would implement a $6.50 fee. they're exploring whether everyone would be able to afford this and what that would look like. they say by september to december of this year, they're hoping to have some final reports on implementing this type of a fee. i'm bob redell in contra costa county am woman is dead and another child injured.

unford nadleh there are no arrests as of yet. the victim was a 24-year-old woman behind the wheel of a toyota cam are. she was shot and killed in concord as she drove westbound on highway 4. a child in the front passenger seat was also shot, but survived. a child in the baby seat behind the driver was not hurt. let's get a look at the forecast for this monday morning with meteorologist kari hall. >> check out the rain across southern california with a surge of monsoonal moisture. we're seeing the clouds feel the humidity, but we have a chance some of that rain will move in later this evening. even warmer tomorrow. the rain chances go down as well as the chance that we could see some lightning by early tomorrow morning, and then the rest of the forecast is pretty quiet but hot with our highs in the mid-90s along the coast and in san francisco. we're looking at some low 70s by the middle of the week.

laura? >> not too bad. thank you for joining us. i'll be back with another local news update for you in about a half hour. see you then.

♪ it's 8:00 on "today" coming up, going for it's 8:00 on today coming up, going for gold. >> the italians are going to be left behind by the united states >> team usa making a splash as the olympic games kick off this morning, we'll talk to the country's very first gold medalist in tokyo, live. and olympics legend michael phelps will join us with a full breakdown of what's ahead. then, all the way up our visit to the tallest tower in the world >> doesn't look real >> are they?

>> they are. >> oh, god >> those are your hands. >> no, that's yours. >> maybe it is mine. and the fearless friend we made along the way plus, the road less traveled we'll bring you on a journey back in time as we get a closer look at the ancient roots of japan. >> you don't see any cars. so it looks and feels like -- >> how the road provides a breath of fresh air for modern- day travelers. and behind the mask, the tokyo olympic mascot will stop by as we introduce you to our very own they are in desperate need of a name how you can help us out today, july 26, monday, july 26th, 20201 >> from rockefeller center to the center of the action in tokyo! >> proud to wear red, white, and blue.

>> as we cheer on -- >> team usa! >> good luck to all the athletes the first week of the game >> bring home the gold >> usa usa! >> we're so excited for the olympics we're literally flipping out >> from morning in new york to evening in japan, usa all day! >> wow >> all fired up. >> good morning, everybody welcome back to "today" on a monday morning we are so glad that you're starting your day with us. we are ending the day in tokyo we are so happy to see you >> it is so fun and so excite to go be here we have something really exciting happening back home will you guys please look at our incredible plaza our fully vaccinated bunch of

fans, usa pride. we see our jenna, we see our sheinelle. we're going to chat with them in home there is a whole world of people cheering for them >> let's get you catch up on all the olympic action and a very successful start to these games for team usa nbc's sam brock joins us with the latest on that good morning >> reporter: guys, good morning. we have just a few hours left before day three at the olympics officially wraps and already historic gold medals for team usa in sports like fencing and tae kwon do, swimming has made a splash with more than half the medals already earned. in a year like none other, the drama certainly has felt familiar >> stewart, deep fly ball. back it goes, and gone >> the games are on and for team usa, the medals and surprises are stacking up. the women's softball team

outlasting host japan with a walk-off home run in a tune-up to the gold medal game tuesday while in the pool -- >> the italians are going to be left behind by the united states who are going to put away another gold medal >> reporter: swimming phenom caeleb dressel kick-started a 4x100 relay gold one of eight medals for a strong team human highlight reel katie ledecky continues to build her resume for greatest female swimmer of all time. >> titmus has olympic gold >> reporter: but coming in second, edged out by her archrival from down under, ariane titmus whose coach's celebrations created a global buzz american athletes notching new records and also getting reality checks >> nobody is more critical of gymnastics, the star-studded lineup finished second in

qualifying, but they'll be back for the all-around this week >> alley-oop, durant >> reporter: and the men's basketball team wilted in its first-round matchup against france, its first olympic loss since 2004 also a triumphant first in tae kwon do. >> we have the first woman's gold medal in olympic history. >> reporter: anastajia zoltic from florida the first american woman to win gold. >> is this emotional for you after all the work you've put in >> yeah. i think watching the flag rise and standing there hearing the national anthem, that kills me >> reporter: and to take my heart races brought tears to my eyes >> and ana told me when she was 8 years old, in elementary school, basically, she was telling all of her classmates she would one day be an olympic medalist i don't know what you guys were doing when you were 8. i think i was coloring or something to that effect she was true to her word guys, back to you. >> sam, thank you.

we're so thrilled to be joined by team's usa's very first gold medalist here in he's over icenter getting ready for wednesday's 200 meter. chase, put it into words if you can. the moment you touched that wall and you realized you had just >> it's indescribable. brought home gold for team usa >> it's indescribable. anytime you have the chance to represent your country on the highest stage and wear the flag on your cap, it really is the greatest honor that was a lifelong dream of mine and it all came true that was 22 years of dreaming in this sport i couldn't be more thrilled with the result >> and it's such a journey for you and that is such a grueling race you really went through it how are you feeling and how are you feeling now looking ahead t

process it it really -- doesn't really feel like it was a real day yesterday. i still have another event left to swim, so i'm doing everything i can to prepare my body to be successful in my next race >> chase, i don't know if you can hear your folks screaming, but we saw them on tape screaming and they were going wild there was a whole viewing party for you. i love the split screen. it kind of shows it all. but you got the sense from them that there was a lot of love for you. >> yeah, unfortunately, when i got mic'd up, i couldn't necessarily hear what they were saying, but i could see them going crazy. it is a little weird not having them in the stands for the first time and really no fans for the first time so i'm glad they had their own little experience there. >> chase, wee bad connection then, but we've got a pretty good one right now.

we've got kathy -- your mom and dad, kathy and mike. and maybe equally as important, we've got your dog, floyd. i know that you miss your puppy. >> oh, there's my guy. >> there he is hey, mom and dad what do you want to say to your son? >> morning, chase. i'm so proud of you. >> thank you, guys >> chase, love you very much everyone here has been rooting for you. job well done, my friend >> thank you, guys i love you >> mom and dad -- >> love you, chase >> aww chase, i have to ask you, michael phelps is obviously someone that you not only idolized but later got to train with what has his friendship and mentorship meant to you? michael is the greatest role model in this world for me i was the luckiest 13-year-old kid in the world that got to

train with michael so i've had michael -- got to bounce off ideas and questions and just about anything off of him through the years. it was awesome getting to talk to him briefly after that. but i'm about 22 olympic gold medals away from catching him. >> well, he's here and he wanted to say hi to you >> what's up, dude >> what's up, mp >> how are you doing, man? >> i'm good. >> that was -- so i texted chase yesterday and he told me he slept with his medal next to him. that story is so cool. i remember everything you've gone through to get to this point. i couldn't be prouder. >> thank you, mp and you know what you mean to me and you know what you mean to this sport it means the world that you were here in this venue personally. >> thanks, dude. i wanted to be here more than anything

i'm happy i got to watch you live a childhood dream it's just incredible, man. i remember back in the day when you were spinning my wheels. on my car. literally spinning the wheels in the back of the car. >> when he was 6 years old >> yeah. i've known chase basically his whole life so being able to watch him do that, i was in tears just watching you interact with your family i obviously know how hard that is, how hard that race is in particular, and i know exactly what you went through to have this opportunity again, i am so, so, so proud of you. >> thank you so much, chase. >> thank you so much >> you're in the history books too, my friend congratulations. thank you so much for your time and good luck on your next event. >> good luck, honey. >> thank you, guys >> thank you >> and mp, you're going to stick with us. can we call you mp, too? >> sure. >> i love that michael, you're the g.o.a.t.

you're the greatest of all time. everybody idolizes you now you're an analyst. how does that feel, by the way this is the first olympics since 2000 without michael phelps in the pool >> there's some really, really good races that i'm happy i'm not swimming anymore one of them went off this morning, the 200 fly but it's weird i want to be in the water. i'm used to being able to control everything that's going on, right? so a little bizarre, but i'm happy to be here cheering on team usa >> is there any part of you that wants to get back in the pool? >> you know, my wife said to lester in '16 back in rio that if i did come back, it would be in l.a i'm not coming back now. don't get any ideas. but i don't know, i have no desire to get in the water right now. i'm completely happy i get in the water now from time to time for my own personal mental health.

if my boys at some point ask why i'm not competing, we'll see what the answer is anything for my kids and, obviously, nicole spilled the beans in '16 not even beans she made up the story. >> okay. let's talk about current swimming how do you like the team how do you think they're looking so far >> i love it being able to start the olympics as they did, obviously some surprises, but being able to have a team that's 68% rookies, for me, that's amazing because the future of our sport is in good hands >> let's talk about the women, too. katie ledecky had a real tight race, razor thin she was super proud of herself because she had achieved a gold for herself. how do you think she'll do for the rest of the games? >> this morning is a big test. being able to bounce back from o

dominant for so long in that race her being able to swim i think it was her second fastest time it's still a great time. ariane titmus, unbelievable. she swam that race perfectly she set herself up in the first 200 and was able to close that last 50. katie is a strong person she's the g.o.a.t. she's the greatest of all time her being able to bounce back, she has a big race this morning, the mile later on. i think she will be fine >> what about caeleb dressel they're talking about 5, 6 gold medals for him do you think he can do it? >> i chatted with him. he was happy to get the first race out of the way. the first race can be difficult, right? you're overexcited, the adrenaline is going. you want to get it over with he's prepared himself for this moment and he showed us this morning. fastest time in a textile suit >> don't go far.w. i know >> so fun to have you here we're thrilled

>> tell your wife hi for us, too. >> i will. coming up, we go way, way up one of tokyo's newest and most popular attractions, it's called skytree. the world's tallest tower coming up after this. number one in reliability, 16 times in a row. most awarded for network quality, 27 times in a row. proving once again that nobody builds networks like verizon. that's why we're building 5g right, that's why there's only one best network. there's an america we build and one we explore. and one that's forever wild. but freedom means you don't have to choose just one adventure.

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pull around back in 20 minutes. i'll hook you up with the good parts. when you want the real deal... like a good neighbor. state farm is there. and welcome back to tokyo with that olympic flame, as you can see there, burning we turn to some of the fun we've been having. haven't been here long, but we've squeezed in some fun >> a short time after we arrived, we met up with savannah and headed to a popular landmark it's called skytree. the tallest tower in the world >> we got special permission from the tokyo government to see this attraction before it opened to the public. to accommodate us, they went above and beyond just like our view of this spectacular city. >> we made it to tokyo, you guys

>> yeah. >> let's go to the tallest point in the city, the tallest tower in the world >> raise your hand if you're scared of heights. i'm a little scared. you guys, it's stairs are you ready? >> let's go get a nose bleed >> at 2,080 feet high, tokyo's skytree is the tallest tower in the world. >> let's go, skytree >> it only takes 45 seconds in this high-speed elevator >> my ears just popped >> same here >> to get to the first of two observation decks. >> oh, my god. >> look at this. >> that is unreal. >> oh. >> holy! >> looking out over tokyo, we are already way above all the 37 million residents of this spectacular city >> real cool >> and in case looking straight out the window wasn't scary

enough, how about looking straight down. >> it almost doesn't look real >> your hands are sweating >> no, that's yours. >> no, it's yours. oh, maybe that is mine >> for some of us, it made our palms sweat. for others, they may as well have moved in. but there was one more level that put our fears to the test >> and there's still one more up to go? >> no. this is high enough. >> no. let's keep going higher, faster, stronger >> together. >> and the trip to the highest observation deck at 1,480 feet took yet another elevator. the last 16 feet had to be on foot but we weren't the only ones high in the sky. >> look at these guys, they're window washers look at this look at these guys >> hi. you're doing great >> you missed a spot >> imagine being a window washer for the tallest tower in the world.

>> how do you get the attention of the men's most dangerous job in the world just keep yelling. >> this is a perfect way to say hello to tokyo and thank you for hosting us >> love you. >> those window washers are like who are those guys >> we shouldn't have distracted them >> they were very calm >> i guess if you do that every day, you have to be unflappable. >> speaking of unflappable, mr. roker, how is that coming? >> oh, you know, i'm seeing things there is a weird -- oh, we can't show that yet. exactly. that's why i'm so crazy. anyway, we are looking at some showers making their way to southern california. wet weather down through florida. but it's going be a gorgeous day

in the northeast with comfortable temperatures but you just go a little further to the south and the southeast gulf coast into the central plains, temperatures 90s to 100s 90s to the southwest record highs in the pacific northwest with monsoonal moisture continuing in the southwest. we look for severe storms in the northern plains. a fantastic day, great lakes, mid-atlantic on into new england, it's going to be spectacular. >> are you functioning >> i'm trying. good morning. i'm meteorologist kari hall. as we go into today, we're watching out for a chance there cold be some afternoon to evening showers and thunderstorms. it could be moving through early tomorrow morning. there may also be the rain evaporating before it hits the ground. we'll keep an eye on. that temperatures warm up. our inland valley temperatures reach into the mid-90s while san

francisco will have low temperatures for wednesday into thursday. and that's your latest weather. now to something new, something we're calling talking tokyo. it's all about the olympic moments that have the world talking. in a few moments, we'll also explain why we're wearing these vests. >> looks very cute on you. first up, oksana chusovitiana, the 46-year-old athlete stuck her final landing at the women's vault qualifications. watch that, wow. ending her olympic career as the oldest women's gymnast in games history representing uzbekistan this time around. she has participated in every olympics since 1992. at yesterday's event, she received a standing ovation after her score showed that she would not be advancing in tokyo. even in a nearly empty arena, everybody from her competitors,

her coaches and even the judges got up to applaud her. she is iconic. she said this eighth appearance at the olympics would be her final one. so we wish her a big congratulations this morning. what an accomplishment. i mean, incredible. coming up, we are at peak summer here in tokyo. temps in the 90s. a lot of humidity. basically, we're saying it's kind of hot here and we've been noticing out on the streets there are three ways people keep cool. one is the traditional paper fan. >> in fact, we created some "today" show fans. >> that's nice. >> they have some pretty traditional ones and we made these. >> you know what it's called. >> what is it called? [ speaking japanese.] >> okay. >> you say it, i believe it. >> this is what the kids are using. just a little -- i don't know. >> people do walk around with these. >> like a beyonce fan. but if you really, really want to keep cool, you have to look

at al and craig. they have something called a fan vest. i can hear yours, roker. >> it's blowing and there's a control there. you put that in your pocket in the front. >> you have a fan going. >> two fans. >> where is it? >> right there. >> it fans your inside? >> it fans your back. >> it fans your fanny? >> exactly. >> it's vibrating. >> do you like it? >> he's way too jet lagged to go down that road. >> we're going to take these back to 1a. >> all right, kids, that was cute. still ahead, a special trip through the old roads to tokyo. keir simmons standing by to give us a firsthand look at the hidden and historic beauty that surrounds this olympics host city. plus, it's mascot fever here in tokyo as the olympic mascots join us. and we decided we need our own, but we need help naming them. >> you are an olympian for the

rest of your life. >> no one can take that away from me. >> tomorrow, hoda is there live as simone biles leads team usa in their debut. at the tokyo olympics "today" is where the games begin. a very good morning to you. it's 8:26. i'm laura garcia. a try-county summer camp is canceled after a covid outbreak. it's for kids 5 to 11 years old. last week five campers tested positive. symptoms for all are said to be camp has been cancelled for the rest of the summer. other events were canceled so they can disinfect the building. they're saying it might be a little humid today. >> yeah.

we're feeling the humidity, and we're seeing the monsoon move closer to the area. you see all if rain moving across southern california. we'll have a chance for rain later on this evening, maybe even some lightning. that's very concerning as our vegetation and everything is very dry. then as we go toward the middle of the week, it's going to heat up our inland valley temperatures in the mid-90s and slightly cooler for the weekend. san francisco will see much more sunshine and highs in the low 70s by the middle of the week and a little cooler for the weekend. >> sounds good. we'll be back with another local update in a half hour. in the meantime, enjoy your monday morning.

tonight, the men's gymnastics team eyes a spot on the podium. >> on fire, team usa. >> while in the pool, olympic champions and rising stars are all going for gold. the tokyo olympics tonight on nbc. 8:30, guys. it's monday morning, the 26th day of july, 2021. and we've got our own mascots. >> who is this? >> this is miraitowa. hello. i call her mira.

this is the boy. and someity in the pink. hello. did i say your name right? yes. just give a thumbs up. their designs were picked by three-quarters of all the almost -- the elementary schools here in japan. aren't they adorable? >> they're the best. in fact, this country is wild all about mascots. there's one for just about everything. coming up, we're going to introduce you to some of the latest. but first, we decided to get our very own "today" show mascot. we're going to have our big reveal and how we want you to help us name our mascot. >> exciting. also ahead, we've got some more brand-new gold medalist toes introduce you to after a u.s. sweep in men's and women's skeet shooting. >> congratulations. got gold here. and then a journey back in time to the japan of the past. keir simmons gets a look at what life was like here hundreds of

years ago. and coming up, we are going to meet gymnast suni lee's dad as he talked about rearing a olympian. and also what it's like to watch his daughter compete on the other side of the world. first, we want to check on things back home. jenna and sheinelle out on our plaza. and a few hundred of their very close friends, olympic enthusiasts, red, white and blue. what have you got? >> good morning. we have our stars and stripes. it looks like a beautiful night in japan, but it is a fantastic morning on our plaza. >> we know one of the things y'all are missing in tokyo is a bunch of fired up fans. guess what? we've got them here. a fully vaccinated crowd. they are all cheering on team usa. >> should we get to know some of them? >> we're going to do a crowd moment. remember those? >> why don't we meet four of our friends from marlboro, new jersey. >> good morning, sheinelle. >> robin, we know you're celebrating the olympics, but you're also celebrating

something else that's special. would you like to tell the class? >> yes. happy 50th birthday, stacey. >> stacey, we are so happy to celebrate you. it's been a while since we could all get together and celebrate milestones. what is it like to be here on the plaza? >> it's amazing. it's awesome. and i'm really 40, i'm not 50. >> we wish we had a gold medal for you. >> yes. >> y'all's kids are at camp, too, right? >> yes. >> are you missing them? not missing them? >> thank you guys all for coming. >> yes. this is our first time on the plaza. thank you guys. and now we are going to be out here on the plaza throughout the next two weeks and we would love for you to join us. all you need to attend, head to today.com/plaza. there's lots of energy. lots of red, white and blue. come and join us and we'll celebrate. and back to you in tokyo. we have a big screen, we're

watching the events. >> hey, can you guys get them to do the wave? >> start on this side. ready? one, two, three. oh, yeah. there you go. a wave from the plaza. >> all right. >> thanks, guys. >> see you in a bit. >> bye, y'all. al, do you have a check on the weather? >> absolutely. that's a good looking fully vaccinated crowd there. let's show what you we have for the week ahead. high humidity for the gulf of mexico into the mid-atlantic states with some showers. needed rain in the southwest. severe storms up to the plains. as we get into the midsection of the country for the week, we're looking at more wet weather for the gulf, near record heat in the mid section of the u.s. and toward the end of the week, we are looking at more rain in the northeast, but cooling off, hot and humid down to the south. good morning. i'm meteorologist kari hall. we will see a chance of rain,

possibly some storms to go along with that. if the rain evaporates before hitting the ground, we may be left with lightning, which would not be good because we have a high wildfire danger. after that our temperatures warm up to the low 90s tomorrow and we continue to heat up to the mid-90s by the middle of the week in the inland areas. san francisco will have highs in the low 70s. >> and here is a look at the medal count here in tokyo. tight race at the top between team usa, china and japan. guys. >> oh, yeah. we're getting a close look. we're looking good. right there. 14 medals, we got it. >> as tirico said earlier, we're right on track. coming up next, keir simmons tracing the steps along an ancient path. his firsthand look at how modern day travelers are reconnecting

with japan's past. but first, this is "today" on

♪♪ order for janine! this should be easy.... oh boy. well, we got this. janine! maybe she's the one in the green cap? janine! they're all in green caps janine! okay... uh... janine! janine! sooo... whatcha thinkin? janiiiiiiiine! oohhhhhh. thank you.

see, told you we had this. bye, not-janines. and we're back from tokyo with a closer look at the history of the host country of these games. >> yeah. today's senior international correspondent keir simmons joining us to share a beautiful journey of discovery the ancient roots of this really fascinating place. >> hey, guys how are you doing? my goodness, it's been a long, hard road to get here and that was just out getting to the airport. i can tell you, it was worth it. come with us as we travel on the old road to tokyo. a journey through japan's tech, international history and beauty

japan's unique culture combines high tech, international city, and historic, hidden beauty. with its mountainous terrain unchanged for centuries. the roads to tokyo are a journey back in time one of the most famous called mn this is one of five roads that led to the shogun capital to tokyo. >> reporter: the story of this ancient path as historian oleg explains depicted in these 19th century block prints >> here we see a few pilgrims, we see peasants, we don't see any wheeled traffic. the bas kits >> reporter: this strange headgear was worn by buddhist monks, a mask from another era and not unlike the road to tokyo 2020, embarking on this journey required strength and courage. >> this looks like it might be the start of the samurai procession you can see people wearing two

swords >> reporter: two swords. >> the samurai would normally wear two swords. >> reporter: these days, the roads provide fresh air for hikers seeking a break from the troubles of modern life. and the pandemic >> nature in the japanese old culture. >> reporter: in the olden days, this 350-mile trek took two weeks and along the routes were 69 so-called post towns. >> you can see people arrived, we have a few horses here, people having a chat >> reporter: it's a wild west kind of scene. >> it certainly has that feeling. i think there's a fewer six shooters than you might have in the american wild west but, yeah, it's certainly got that vibe. >> reporter: this is the ancient post town of sumago. >> it looks like a movie set, everything is so well preserved. you don't see any cars so it looks and feels like it did 100, 200 years ago.

>> reporter: in the tourist he tells us it charts a route through the mountain where travelers encounter beautiful bamboo forests, water falls, shrines, and castles. >> this image here is of inuyama castle, which is the oldest surviving castle in japan. it still exists today. >> reporter: the road could be dangerous, too in the early days, there were bandits. this bell is for scaring off bears. at the end of a long day, a welcome time to rest, checking into an inn, or as the japanese call them, a riocad. >> this would be a traditional japanese inn a lot of paper sliding doors you can see people eating their meals. >> and you get to have a bath.

>> and you get to have a bath. >> reporter: this past few years, we've all felt a little like weary travelers escaping to japan's historic mountain roads, a chance to forget the troubles of today and take a breath. >> wow >> and if you get the chance to travel, you get one of these amazing stamp books and they'll stamp the book with each town that you've passed through beautiful little stamps. that's really lovely my children have taught me never to come back from a trip without gifts, so here we go these are some sweets from the local area they come in this lovely wrapped box, but i put them in a -- they're chestnut flavor. and see about that >> take one and pass it down >> okay. here we go >> what are they called, keir? >> watch out you remember what happened with

the cotton candy >> that was so funny >> mm-mmmm yum. >> i've had a few. >> it's yummy. >> i have your coffee. >> it's caramely >> eat it. >> okay. >> i can't wait to -- >> thanks for the treats these are great. these are really good. what's up next, savannah >> well, let me work through this situation coming up next -- thank you, keir -- the u.s. gold medalist rolls on to the superstars of skeet shooting there they are there they are triple bacon chee... how's that song coming along? that's for me? oh no, you're making music, i don't want to get in your way. oh c'mon man. oh. hang on a second. my triple bacon cheesy jack combo. only at jack in the box.

♪♪ with triple the beef. triple the cheese. and triple the bacon... i call this burger the perfect triple threat. but you can call it the triple bacon cheesy jack. my $6.99 triple bacon cheesy jack combo. only at jack in the box. and the celebrations can and the celebrations can begin. hancock with a record-breaking third olympic gold medal in skeets by one point, it is amber english who takes the gold

>> we are back with this morning's golden sweep in skeet for team usa amber english with gold on the women's side vincent hancock doing the same in the men's competition >> each setting an olympic record in the process. and we are so delighted to have both of them here with us this morning. amber, vincent, good morning congratulations. >> hi. good morning >> congrats. >> vincent, this is the third time you've done it. is it any less sweet the third time around? >> no. i think it just keeps getting sweeter, honestly. it's been such a long, hard road getting back here, getting on top after rio. i didn't quite accomplish what i wanted to there, but i'm thankful to have this thing hanging around my neck right now. >> amber, yours was a nail biter. it came down to one point. we could call you amber or we could call you u.s. army first lieutenant english you're been serving our country and now you're serving our country in another way describe what it felt like when you won the gold >> it was such a surreal moment. i don't think it's set in yet.

but just overwhelming. we can feel all the support from everybody. >> and you've been competing at this level for over a decade what does it mean to you and this was such a long road. i mean, the stops and starts and not sure if the tokyo olympics would even happen. for it to end this way >> it's been quite a ride, honestly you know, with being on the first three olympic teams that i've made and making this team, it was the week prior to everything shutting down for covid. thankfully, we got to stay on the team it's a grueling process just to make our teams and then have to wait for a year and not knowing if it's going to happen but her and i both said we'll believe it's going to happen when we set feet in japan. so when we got here we were like, okay, we're going to make this happen. this is our dream. let's go do it >> who is your biggest cheerleader, amber i think i gave it away >> her name might be anna. anna is also known as mom.

>> i was thinking i am so excited because we actually happen to have your mom on screen for you >> oh! >> anna, are you there >> yes hey! >> where are you >> i can hear your voice so exc. >> i'm so excited. >> well, mom, tell us what it means to you to have your daughter win that gold >> i can't even -- it's surreal is the word. i am so proud of her i am so amazed, and her determination and how much she has fought throughout the last five years to make this happen i am so proud of you and every -- i'm sure she heard me cheering her across the water. as well as everyone else that is here cheering her on >> thanks, mom >> vinnie, you don't have to be sherlock holmes to figure out

what might be coming up next we have your little daughters, bailey and brenlyn they're up early this morning with your mother-in-law, cecelia. hi, girls. what would you like to say to your daddy who won a gold medal for the u.s. >> good job. >> girls, thank you so much for being there, just for watching me, for always being there and supporting me. you've spent a lot of hours on the range and i can't thank you enough for putting up with me, first of all, and for being my little girls i love y'all so much >> mrs. young, are you pretty proud of your son-in-law >> very proud. >> well, she speaks for all of us we're all real proud of you guys >> thank you >> thank you guys so much. >> congrats, guys. >> thanks. >> you did it. you guys have known each other since you were teenagers and you get to experience this together. pretty cool. >> thanks. coming up next, one thing that japan is wild for, mascots. from the olympics to food and

even the police. we are about to reveal our very own mascot, but we need your help, okay we need you to help choose the name but first, this is "today" on

we're back and still enjoying our visit from the tokyo olympic mascots.lympic ma. >> they're >> they're so cute >> adorable. >> we've been talking during the breaks here in japan, these mascots are just the tip of the iceberg. mascots can be found everywhere for just about anything. and we decided, here we are, maybe "today," maybe "today" show needs its own mascot. >> we tracked down one of japan's top mascot designers who is making her mark as a rare female ceo overseeing an all female workforce and we asked her to make a special mascot for our show take a look. japan is mad for mascots for mascots for fermented soybeans to a mascot for the tokyo police

department there's even an anti-coronavirus cat. and, of course, we have the tokyo olympic mascots, miraitowa and someity. but the mickey mouse of japanese mascots might be a bear created to draw tourists to a prefecture of japan it is so popular, it's generated an estimated $8 billion in worldwide sales. creator of the kumamon mascot, hiromi kamo. >> something is very difficult to deliver the message of the company to the people. the character can deliver the message instead. >> khano is a rare female ceo in a country where barely 4% of executives are women

>> we have 22 staffs and all of them are women >> they produce 200 mascots a year with demand booming internationally. >> kigurumi character is very kawaii do you know kawaii cute product >> we wanted a cute kawaii mascot for ourselves and commissioned khano to create a "today" show mascot. >> i see some pictures of the tv studio and there are very beautiful set, like a rainbow color, orange and blue so we chose some colors from that studio. >> our famous sunrise logo becoming a prominent feature >> and i put the orange logo on the head as the ears >> hours of sniping, sizing and sewing and the "today" show mascot is ready for its debut. hope

>> i hope american people say kawaii also when they see him. >> we're about to reveal now to the big moment, without further ado, our "today" show mascot is -- >> yay >> so cute >> she is adorable >> by the way, i don't want to give it away, but one of our brilliant producers here is playing the role she's a fullbright scholar >> i know. >> she's brilliant our mascot is going to join us throughout our coverage, but she needs a name isn't she the cutest >> is she a panda, do we think >> i'm not sure. >> she's super cute. >> i guess we've narrowed it down to a few options for her name you can vote at today.com. there is kiwo kuma, which means today bear

asa, which means morning, mochi which means sweet rice cake, and there is hinode. that means sunrise >> there was one other >> i said todaisy. >> go to today.com -- choose your favorite >> can we write in todaisy >> we can. >> it's a very special day we want to say happy birthday to one of our incredible -- >> malia >> malia is the bomb >> she is. she has been at the olympics with us many, many years we can't leave here, so these are some lawson's chicken nuggets that we told you about last week on the show. good morning. it's 8:56. firefighters are making progress with the dixie fire. at least 16 structures are destroyed, but the number likely to increase.

some 8,000 people are still under evacuation orders. last night cal fire listed the fire as being 20% contained. now some improvements for firefighters with the tamarac fire. it's burning 30%. the fire now 30% contained. happening now, a work by air coast. can head over to our twitter post for the full details. and masks are becoming a bigger deal nationally and locally. starting today, masks again required inside all facilities whether or not you're fully vaccinated. get complete olympics coverage on nbc bay area.

out of control. how things are contributing to the crews on the front line. >> and we take a look at what the leaders could take when it comes on the bachblt tomorrow,

4:30 to 7:00.

live f this i live from tokyo, japan, this is a special edition of the third hour of "today" at the olympic games. >> good morning, everybody, and welcome to the third hour of "today" for monday, july 26th. it's a little later here. >> what time is it? it's 10:00. 10:00 here. i'm in tokyo with craig and our good buddy, sheinelle, back in new york with our pals, jenna bush hager, jacob. good morning. >> we wanted to join in on the fun. >> you got dressed up for the