from nbc news, this is a

special edition of "today," countdown to the olympic games with matt law are and savannah guthrie. >> we enjoyed our time so much at the tower of london that we decided, hey, why not hang out one more day. >> it's beautiful here. the weather, by the way, cooperating again. still now 36 hours away but, wow, what about the controversy and drama already at these games. they're not even under way. first of all, you've got that mix up with the north korean and south korean, if you're going to make a mistake, that is not the mistake to make. then a greek triple jumper has

already been dismissed from her team after she sent an offensive sweet. we'll tell you more about that straight ahead. >> fortunately the excitement still goes on. there's so much to look forward to. we now know who is going to carry the usa flag at the opening ceremony. >> that's right. yesterday i got schooled in fencing by two-time gold medal winner mariel zagunis. she tweeted she's speechless, excited beyond belief. >> and she thought fencing with you was exciting. top that one off. >> also this morning, the royals have been out and about, spending time training britain's next generation of athletes so we'll have more on that coming up. >> let's get right to the news of the day here from london as the games and the countdown

continues. michelle kosinski joins us. good morning to you. >> reporter: good morning, matt. the games have begun. in order to fit all the soccer in, it needs to start early. even ahead of the opening ceremony, women's matches have been held in scotland and wales, which has given the u.s. its first win of this olympics. >> mlondon, tens of thousands streamed in for the opening of the ceremonies. and the torch continued its run, at one point carried by 100-year-old diana gould. and at another, greeted by prince charles and camilla. while athletes keep on coming to the capital. women's soccer revved up in scotland and in wales. a u.s. victory over france.

britain's first national women's team ever also managed to win. >> great britain has the lead! >> but the north korean team walked off the field at first, outraged this were introduced with a giant south korean flag. they returned once the correct flag was shown and they won. for a few athlete, olympic dreams ended before even touching their fields of play. moroccan runner and top medal winder suspended from the games after alleged live testing positive for a diuretic earlier this month. and the long jumper was disqualified from the team for a thweatt. and honored was muhammad ali, he

took gold back when he was cashes clay. >> i will compare him to rocky. he always comes up, fights back and at the end of the day he's standing as the winner. >> and this morning british royalty, william, kate and harry arrived at an event supporting kids and coaches, who offers an inspiration of their own. and an airport customs strike has been averted and at least for now london traffic has not been quite so terrible as many predicted. matt? >> all right, michelle. thank you very much. among those getting ready for the olympic games, gop presidential hopeful mitt romney. he's in london on the first leg of a week-long foreign tour. peter alexander has more on romney's trip and the presidential race. peter, good morning to you. >> matt, good morning to you. already this morning mitt romney is wrapping up his first round of meetings with british leaders. today he'll meet with the

british prime minister david cameron. the wall street journal poll shows by a double digit margin more americans trust president obama than mitt romney to handle foreign policy issues. on this trip, romney is hoping to close that gap with a show of statesmanship. taking a break from domestic campaign politics, mitt romney is hoping to boost his foreign policy credentials. this morning visiting with britain's former prime minister tony blair. >> fabulous. >> in london through friday's opening ceremony, romney is hoping to highlight his own olympic experience, reviving the 2002 salt lake city games, then plagued by scandal and debt. but now even that success story is being used against him with a pro-obama super pac spoofing romney's business background in this new ad. >> there's mitt romney, who ran the salt lake city games waving to china, home to a billion people, thousands owe their jobs to mitt romney's companies.

>> romney will visit three companies in the next six days, england, israel and poland. advisors say he won't outline any major foreign policy positions during his trip. instead they say romney is here to, quote, learn and listen. on wednesday romney told brian williams he will not bash the president. >> i don't want to be in any way critical of the president or fashioning foreign policy departure from the president while i'm on foreign soil. but i can tell you that with regards to any nation that feels its security is at risk that they should have a firm conviction that america is securely behind them. >> reporter: romney's softer tone mark as sharp contrast from earlier in the week when he blamed the president for defense cuts that he claims weaken the military and undercutting the u.s.'s long-standing relationship with israel.

ann romney's horse will compete for the u.s. next saturday in the exclusive sport of dressage. >> this is ann's sport. i'm not even sure which day the sport goes on. she will get a chance to see it. i will not be watching the event. i hope her horse does well. >> you better believe he'll be watching the highlights. ann romney will be staying behind in london. michelle obama leads a presidential delegation here to the games. sheep has plans to meet with the queen and she will also lead the let's move initiative with an event scheduled for tomorrow. savannah? >> peter alexander, thank you. t t tom brokaw is an nbc special correspondent. good to see you. is it a smart idea, an opportunity to look presidential or is it a week lost when he could be driving the message on

the economy? >> i interviewed senator obama after a very successful trip. times were different. europe was not in an economic meltdown, this was a fresh face after eight years of george w. bush, who was not popular. it's mandatory for a presidential candidate to make these kind of tours. the big stop will be israel. we'll see a lot of governor romney in israel probably with bebe netanyahu, very close and prominent jewish fund-raisers who want to peel away the jewish vote from the democratic party. >> one thing we saw in our poll was that both candidates have high negative ratings. obviously the campaign is taking the toll with some voters. do you think the attacks on romney have been successful? do they hurt president obama where voters say he's likable? >> it's a double-edged sword.

very senior republicans are very worried about the success of the obama campaign and the president himself defining governor romney. that's the last thing you want to do in american politics. on the other hand it probably has lowered the public estimation of president obama personally. they just don't like negative voting. a lot of this will change once the conventions get under way. we'll have a redefinition beginning in august. >> you reported some senior republicans are worried that romney's not counterpunching harder. >> in fact i've been hearing it from almost all the senior republicans i know who are not directly attached to his campaign. one of them says quite simply he has to persuade the american people who hired president obama that they have to fire him. he has not done a good job of that because he has not stepped forward in a way they believe him most. >> it's been remarkably static, the last few months within a few

points of each other. what's the game changer going to be that shake it up? >> first of all, the conventions will and what happens in the economy. then the commission on presidential debates announced yesterday that they would have a series of debates. those will be paramount in the american public's eyes about determining is that someone i'm comfortable with, is that someone i think can fix what's wrong with the country. we have a long way to go. >> yes, we do. >> mitt romney and his wife, ann, will be with us tomorrow and we'll also talk to michelle obama, who is leading the u.s. delegation here. back to matt. >> more on that tragic shooting in aurora, colorado and an ominous package apparently mailed by the alleged gunman. miguel, good morning to you. >> reporter: matt, good morning. the public defender's office got their first look at their client's apartment yesterday, this as the prosecutor's office

gathers new evidence, evidence that could make their case even stronger. on the same day that james holmes sat in silence in a colorado courtroom, his written words were speaking volumes to investigators. monday a haz-mat team descended on the university of colorado's campus, where law enforcement sources say holmes told police to look for a package he had sent to a psychiatrist. a law enforcement source now tells nbc news the package contained writings from holmes about, quote, killing people. the university confirms it received a package monday after the shooting. the documents could prove crucial to the case against holmes, according to a former federal prosecutor. >> to the extent he put in these packages his plans to kill people, that's called evidence of premeditation. and then the only issue is was he mentally ill when he sent that package. was he ill enough to be legally insane?

maybe not. or was he ill enough to avoid at least the death penalty? >> reporter: holmes, seen here in 2006 at a science summer camp, was a neuroscience grad student who had spent his short academic life studying the brain and psychiatric disorders. >> potential order for future research -- >> reporter: what brings you out here today in. >> no comment. >> reporter: attorneys from the public defender's office on wednesday got their first look at his home. meantime near the theater, some of aurora's first responders who saved so many lives in the moments after the shooting stopped by the growing memorial to remember those who couldn't be saved. >> i didn't think i was going to make it out of the theater. >> reporter: for survivor bonnie kate, it was a brave strangier who pulled her out of the chaos after she was shot in the leg.

>> he said that he saw me and the shooter and he made a decision and went and grabbed me and risked his life and helped me walk, run, scramble out of there. >> i'm leaving. bye-bye. >> reporter: as shooting victim pierce o'farrell left the hospital wednesday, a church held the first memorial service for the oldest victim, who took his two teen-age daughter to see "the dark knight rises." >> the girls told him as they were leaving the theater he was yelling after them "i love you, i love you both" and they have that to hold on to. >> reporter: more funerals are scheduled for this weekend. many of the hospital who is treated the victims have waved or reduced the cost of those victims who did not have health insurance. >> miguel, it's still a story that's impossible to get your

arms around. out in sentencentennial, colora thank you very much. to savannah. >> there's this morning that katherine jackson may be back home with her grand children. jason kennedy in los angeles with the latest on this. >> reporter: good morning to you. after a very public battle in the jackson family this morning, the word came from paris on twitter "grandma's here, thank you god." her return came right after an appearance on national tv. michael jackson's family has seen its share of drama but wednesday night there was another strange twist. hours after katherine jackson, michael's mother, was temporarily replaced as guardian for his children, the matriarch spoke out publicly on

"nightline" surrounded by her children. >> there are rumors that i've been kidnapped and held against my will. i'm here today to let everybody know i'm fine and my children would never do a thing like that. >> reporter: wednesday some members of the jackson family had gone to court claiming katherine was being held against her will and was not with michael's children for more than a week. los angeles family court appointed t.j. action as temporary guardian. >> i don't think the takeaway from yesterday's decision should be that the judge is taking sides with one party or the other. i think that the judge was simply trying to protect the best interests of the children and that is his obligation. >> reporter: in speaking out, katherine jackson said the ruling was based on lies. t.j. cited a monday incident which seemed to show a

confrontation at their california home, specifically between janet jackson and paris. >> these people can't take so much as a move or do anything without every single person in the world taking it and running with it. >> reporter: saturday night her nephew, trent, reported her missing to police. >> the glue to that family has always been mrs. katherine jackson. i think once she is back in los angeles and she is well, that she will be able to, as she always has, bring the family together. >> reporter: paris tweeted "everyone's taking a role for me." >> the order for temporary guardianship is only valid until

august 22nd. but katherine jackson's lawyers say they plan on addressing this whole thing before that. savannah? >> miss hota kotb is at the news deck. >> we go to syria where the city of aleppo is under siege for the sixth day. >> reporter: syrian soldiers are trying to maintain control of the city of aleppo. it's considered critical to the survival of the syrian government. witnesses say aleppo has been surrounded and is being shelled by syrian troops. syrian troops had to leave this village in order to join the attack on aleppo and villagers

here worry about the thousands of civilians who remain trapped inside aleppo and under attack. >> thanks so much. penn state trustees are responding to the ncaa's unprecedented angs sanctions the $06 million fine and four-gave bowl game man part of a difficult and unfortunate response. 30 members of the football team chose to remain at penn state despite restrictions. >> a blood test shows that kerry kennedy did have traces of a sleeping medication in her system. the test results contradict what kennedy said her own doctors found, that a seizure caused the accident. she tested negative for alcohol but she told the police she may

have taken an amen by mistake instead of her daily thyroid medication. >> los angeles authorities are filing charges under a new california law designed to prevent reckless pursuit of celebrities. it is the first time the 2010 law has been put into effect. and, guys, you know we've had kind of sparse crowds out here lately because they know you guys are in london. well, today, get what? they didn't get the memo! >> a. >> i think this may be the biggest crowd ever. back to you savannah and matt back in london. >> wow, good for them for showing up. but we're here, too, at the tower of london. >> got a pretty good crowd.

>> okay, your turn "tastes great, less filling." >> nothing's changed. how about a check of the weather. >> let's see how i do after the forecast. we've got some strong storms to talk about. i mean the risk of very dangerous storms stretching from central indiana all the way into new england. a slight risk of storms from oklahoma all the way into northern new england. damaging winds, hail, a lot of rain. as you see on the latest radar, these storms stretch all the way from the midwest across the great lakes on into the northeast. rainfall amount, we're talking anywhere from 5 to 5 inches of >> good morning. the heat is back this afternoon. high temperatures will climb into the upper 90's.

>> and that's your latest weather. >> al, thank you. still to come, ryan seacrest is going to introduce us to some athletes to watch here in london. and we'll get his reaction to the nudge judge joining "american idol,"

coming up, the actress kristen stewart's very public apology after cheating on her boyfriend. you...you think these disguises will... no. [ male announcer ] salty. sweet. and impossible to resist.

challenge the need for such heavy measures with olay. regenerist micro-sculpting serum for firmer skin in 5 days. pretty heavy lifting for such a lightweight. [ female announcer ] olay regenerist. about how older people are becoming more and more antisocial, so i was really aggressive with my parents about joining facebook. my parents are up to 19 friends now? so sad. ♪ i have 687 friends. this is living. what!? that is not a real puppy. that's too small to be a real puppy. [ male announcer ] venza. from toyota. [ male announcer ] venza. 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.

hi. we're spreading the word about new honey bunches of oats fruit blends and their unique taste combinations. like peach/raspberry. with one flavor in the granola bunch and one on the flake. two flavors. in harmony. >> this is wbal-tv 11 news today in baltimore. >> good morning. i am stan stovall. officers are looking for an inmate who was mistakenly released from the baltimore central booking center monday afternoon. the department of public safety and corrections services says that the 21-year-old was being held without bond on a second- degree assault charge before his accidental release. anyone with information on his whereabouts is asked to call

911. that's good check on the morning commute with sarah caldwell. >> a couple problems to watch for this thursday morning. delays are forming just prior to baltimore national pike. you can see the website filling up from liberty to edmondson. 32 miles per hour. main street, park avenue, and we have a crash clearing in westminster. other than that, fire department activity on. all boulevard, and monument street remains closed in the city. take orleans as your alternate. you can see that this is picking up. normal volume-related delays. smith starred in this area. smooth -- the start and it is

area. >> partly cloudy skies. the 70's. these are racing towards us just words in hagerstown. by 9:30 or so, we will see some thunderstorms. take an umbrella with you, even though it is dry and your house now. it is going to be hot. high temperatures in the upper 90s.

it's 7:30 now on a thursday morning. it's the 26th day of july, 2012. a beautiful view down from our friends at goodyear in the goodyear blimp, which is flying just above us somewhere. i saw it a second ago. there it is, over the city of london. meanwhile, we have made our way for the second straight day to the tower of london along the thames and we've added a member to our team. matt lauer, savannah guthrie, al roker and manndeville.

this is one of the mascots for the olympic games. ever since think ban introduced, they've been generating, shall we say, some comments. >> do you guys like him? >> he looks like he's from "despicable me." >> he does. he's got one eye, a beef eater outfit, leg bus no feet, arms that hold friendship hands. >> others have been less charitable. they think the one eye is creepy and the actor owen mcgregor said it makes him sad. >> i think they're cute. >> seems like there's no rhyme or reason to the mascots. >> there's always some controversy about the mascots. he's fine. we're digging you. >> also ryan seacrest is introduce us to some athletes to watch. and we have to ask his reaction to the newest judge on "american

idol," mariah carey. >> and we're going to be meeting some of the u.s. men's gymnastics team. they're hoping to go for gold as well. if they would win, it would be the first gold for the men in 28 years. >> and what happens tomorrow night during the opening ceremonies? this guy knows but he won't tell. >> my lips are sealed. >> meredith is going to try to get some information out of the producer of "slum dog millionaire." >> maybe she'll spill it. or not. >> in the meantime, there's a bizarre story unfolding, kristen stewart, the actress, who has apologized very publicly on her boyfriend. >> stewart has been dating london-born actor robert patinson for three years. on monday she issued a statement of regret in the wake of a cheating scandal involving a married man. robert patinson and kristen

stewart had a romance on the set and off. >> there's pictures of them kissing, making out in his car. >> she has this kind of untameable quality about her. >> reporter: sanders is 41 years old. stewart is 22. he's married to british actress model liberty ross, who starred alongside stewart, playing snow white's mother. the couple has two young children. pattinson and stewart met while making the first "twilight" movie and been dating three years. >> they were getting very serious. they were talking about babies, living together, attending weddings together. >> reporter: just this weekend they were photographed looking happy at the teen choice awards.

>> there were never rumors about their relationship getting rocky. they kept is so low key. they slowly revealed their relationship to the world, which is why this was a bigger shock. everyone thought they were in love. >> reporter: on wednesday she issued a public apology "i'm deeply sorry for the hurt and embarrassment i've caused to those close to me and everyone this has affected. this momentary indiscretion has jeopardized the most important thing in my life, the person i love and respect the most, rob. i love him, i love him, i'm so so sorry. and sanders then made a statement of apology to his family. after the story broke, sanders' wife tweeted one word "wow." she has since deleted her twitter account. robert pattinson has yet to

comment. in a recent "vanity fair" interview he said "there's one thing i've never understood, why people cheat." >> we'll see if this has any impact on the box office. back to you, guys. >> kind of a crazy story. al, let's get a check of the weather. >> we still have that crazy heat to talk about that stretches throughout the midwest. big ridge of high pressure, stretching across the southern third of the country, keeps the jet stream up to the north. so we have heat advisories, excessive heat warnings all the way into the northeast. 99 in paduka, raleigh 98 degrees. with the humidity factored in, it feels like >> good morning. temperatures will make it into

the upper 90's. there is a slight chance for some scattered showers. >> and that's your latest weather. >> al, thanks. coming up next, ryan seacrest on the athletes to watch here in london and on his new castmate mariah carey. 1% cash back everywhere, every time. 2% on groceries. 3% on gas. automatically. no hoops to jump through. no annual fee. that's 1% back on... wow! 2% on my homemade lasagna. 3% back on [ friends ] road trip!!!!!!!!!!!! [ male announcer ] get 1-2-3 percent cash back.

apply online or at a bank of america near you. ♪ with no added sugar. just one glass equals two servings of fruit. very "fruit-ritious." or try ocean spray light 50, with just 50 calories, a full serving of fruit, and no added sugar. with tasty flavors like cranberry pomegranate and cranberry concord grape, it's like a fruit stand in every bottle. [ splashing ] just, you know, demonstrating how we blend the fruits. ahem. try all our tasty

ocean spray 100% and light 50 juices. never beat around the bush. you'll just squash the berries. new triple berry newtons. ♪ made with real fruit, 100% whole grain, and fiber. it's one unique cookie. because vitamin d3 helps bones absorb calcium, caltrate's double the d. it now has more than any other brand to help maximize calcium absorption. so caltrate women can move the world. aflac! ha! isn't major medical enough? huh! no! who's gonna help cover the holes in their plans? aflac! quack! like medical bills they don't pay for? aflac! or help pay the mortgage? quack! or child care? quack! aflaaac! and everyday expenses? huh?! blurlbrlblrlbr!!! [ thlurp! ] aflac!

[ male announcer ] help your family stay afloat at aflac.com. plegh! if you're thinking about shopping just anywhere for home appliances, think again. think sears. with more selection. more innovation. more capacity. and more speed. think the only store that gives you the top 10 advantage. with all ten of the top ten brands, including america's number one brand, kenmore. plus, right now at the red tag event, get up to 30% off appliances with your sears card. but these big offers won't last long. this is one incredible chance to save. this is sears.

such a pretty view on the river thames, opening ceremonies just about 36 hours away. this city is ready. lots of people are get being excited. welcome back to london. with us is a guy you'll see a lot during our coverage of the olympic games, ryan seacrest. he's here to share his thought on the competition. and by the way, the new face that will be joining him on "american idol" next season, mariah carey. >> good to see you. >> first olympic games in person. >> yes. >> what's your impression of the city so far? >> so far it's beautiful. you literally feel like you're on summer break here with a lot more people. i'm excited. i think as we get closer to the opening ceremony that we got a chance to see last night, which i know we can't spill too many secrets, but to see what they put together, the choreography, i'm anxious to get going. >> let's explain a little of your role here at nbc and

olympics. addition for being responsible for all the flag ceremonies and -- >> for the record, that was not my mistake. i'm walking away for an hour before we can talk now. >> exactly. >> i will be down on the actual field after the parade of nation comes through and i'll talk to some of our athletes, live in the moment to get the reaction to what happened in the opening ceremony which you'll be announcing. >> you had a chance to talk to some of the athletes. we had your interview with mi michael phelps and you spent some time at his home in baltimore and got a report on the phelps women. >> reports are that the naughty bench when they are punished or acting up around this pool, what do you know about this bench, ladies? >> i was never on the bench. >> i wasn't on the bench. >> yes, she was on the bench. >> not the phelps women. >> just michael. michael was on the bench. >> whether it was running

around, whether it was pushing a kid in the water, i was just always the annoying, fast-paced, moving little kid that wouldn't shut his mouth, wouldn't sit still. >> what's your impression of michael and team phelps so far? >> it's interesting to see with the women without michael around because they love to talk about him and we got a lot out of them. those three women, the sisters and as you know his mom, i think that they have a different possible outcome to all of this. while i think he's going to break this incredible record at the games here in london, i believe that his mom would like for him to go on and compete in rio, whereas i think michael is saying, hey, i want to have a great games here in the sunshine and then i want to go enjoy the sunshine around the world. >> she said she's always wanted to see rio and the olympics would be a good opportunity. you're going to talk to other athletes but you're also going to talk about social media. these are being called the first olympic games that involve

social media. what are you looking for? >> we're looking for breakout stories. we going to follow the trends and the culture of 24/7 information. i think that's an important aspect of our coverage here at nbc. it doesn't stop. as you know, this goes around the world and around the clock and we'll have all that for you. >> take your olympic hat off for a second, put your "american idol" hat on. >> i need a tie and a suit. >> there's a lot of changeover there. we have j-lo leaving and steven tyler leaving and the show announced that mariah carey is the new judge. talk about your reaction to that. >> very excited. obviously we love jennifer, sad to see her go. having mariah on board, she has that five octave range and the whistle registry, which she can hit. >> you have talked to her about the announcement? >> i called her last night and said welcome to the family. sheep said let me put the babies down, i'm making turkey

meatballs, i'll call you right back. i said what are you going to be like on the show? she said i'm very honest, you know me. >> who is going to replace steven tyler? >> good question. i've heard rumors about pink. we read about the rumors and about an hour before the show i get the call saying guess who's on the show. >> glad to you have here the next couple weeks. >> i'll see you tat the dorm. >> moose lodge. >> next up, we'll members of the u.s. men's gymnastics team. 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.

to your kids' wet skin. neutrogena® wet skin kids. ordinary sunblock drips and whitens. neutrogena® wet skin cuts through water. forms a broad spectrum barrier for full strength sun protection. wet skin. neutrogena®. for full strength sun protection. ho w do for full strength sun protection. edelicious hershey's chocolate with 30% less fat? new hershey's simple pleasures chocolate. 30% less fat, 100% delicious. gives you a 50% annual bonus. and everyone likes 50% more cash. [ russian accent ] 50% more rubles. eh, eh eh, eh, eh. [ 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? call it 'mother's intuition' [ italian accent ] 50% more dough! but somehow i knew that these bright pink sperry top-siders were the right choice for my daughter. daughter + friend: *screamsá (in her head) nailed it. how'd you know mom? the styles they really really, really want for back to school are here. famous brands. famously easy. famous footwear. victory is yours. welcome back to london.

the men's gymnastics team who is not won team gold since 1984. a lot of the expert say the team you're about to meet could change that. let's introduce you to the athletes on the men's gymnastics team. good morning. thanks for being with us. did it hit you when you walked into the olympic village? how do you feel? >> it's awesome. we're humbled by the experience. how many times do you get to go to the olympic games in your life? it's awesome. i'm so pumped. how do you guys feel about it? >> it's unlike anything we've ever experienced. a lot of us, it's the first time, almost all of us, except john horton. >> the veterans. we have video of you guys playing basketball the other day. is this a secret warm up for gymnastics or is it more calming the nerves?

>> i guess it's calming the nerves kind of thing, not getting too nervous about the olympic experience. >> you guys got game? >> a lot of luck. it's a lot of fun, just keep our mind of gymnastics while we're out in the village, just hanging out and a good team activity. a lot of fun. >> john, you are the veteran of the team, you've been to the olympics before. what advice are you giving to these guys? >> i tell them all the time just to be yourself. it's the olympic games. there's a lot of hype around it. we're going to be excited. go out there, do your gymnastics, do what you've done to get here. don't be any different. soak it all in. it's the olympic games. >> danell, you have quite the rivalry going on with orozco. is there a friendship or a

rivalry with the competition? >> it's a rivalry with him and with the other guys. the team itself is really strong. can you tell we're doing really well with what we're doing. >> when we get together, we're pushing each other, motivating each other. it's a friendly competition. it's not like we're standing off with each other. it's a basic team and that's the most important this evening to here. >> we have a picture here. did you really climb the rings? >> me and john went out. we saw everybody sitting down in front of it and saying "hey, yeah, olympics" and we were like, we're going to climb the rings like we can. >> and your event is the vault? >> the vault. >> anything you're doing to

prepare? >> just trying to stay focused, playing basketball with these guys and having fun. >> now we have matt lauer. >> i have a summons for someone who trespassed at the olympic rooms yesterday? >> you know how up get out of trouble, if you do some sort of handstand or trick. can you show us what you got? >> cart wheel. >> standing back. >> standing back? >> not with a phone in my pocket. >> give me your phone. i'm going to call your mom. >> is this smart? do we want to risk an injury here prior to the olympic games? >> have some faith, matt. okay, guys. >> be careful, though. >> at the same time or one by one? >> on three. >> i know there's a fence behind you, right? >> i'm going over the fence. >> one, two, three. [ cheers and applause ] >> that is so impressive. thank you so much. we are going to be rooting for

you. the competition starts this weekend, right? whose phone do i have? good luck to all of you. >> when we come back, we're go to presue soview some other eve right after these messages. [ male announcer ] introducing doggie dentures. because four out of five dogs over the age of three develop gum disease, and tartar buildup is a contributing factor. [ dog ] or new dentastix fresh. clinically proven to fight tartar and now with added ingredients to fight dog breath, too.

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. [ female announcer ] gross -- i'll tell you what's really gross: used dishcloths. they can have a history that they drag around with them. for a cleaner way to clean try bounty extra soft.

in this lab demo, one sheet of bounty extra soft leaves this surface 3 times cleaner than a dishcloth. it's super durable too. it's the cleaner way to clean. bring it with bounty extra soft. in the pink pack. and try bounty napkins. more generations of fleas. frontline plus uses two ingredients. one to kill adult fleas and ticks. plus another to kill the next generation, flea eggs and larvae. ask your vet about frontline plus. here's what the kids will n-e-e-d. ♪ pens and markers, paper wide ruled. ♪ ♪ hoodies, sneakers, tape, sticks of glue.♪ ♪ large boxes pencils, highlighters. ♪

♪ sneakers and t-shirts. ♪ notebooks and jeans, ♪ notebooks and jeans, ♪ notebooks and jeeeeans, yeah! ♪ ♪ notebooks and jeans! announcer: school takes a lot, target has it all.

>> this is wbal-tv 11 news in baltimore. >> good morning. i am jennifer franciotti. time for a check of the morning commute. >> a couple of problems out there. it is getting busier by the minute. we will start on the outer loop at park heights. we're getting delays due to an accident coming in. liberty road and brunn were could drive, a crash. speeds on average of 18 mi. per hour. that is because an accident

southbound on 29. carroll county line, watch for a disabled truck. city-county line, north point road, accident with delays in the city. orleans is a better bet. let's see what is going on on the. harrisburg. -- the harrisburg expressway. southbound delays are heavier approaching timonium. here at park heights, delays on the outer loop due to the accident. that is the latest on traffic pulse 11. >> we are starting out with the dry conditions. that will change the next couple of hours. for now, it is dry. we are watching this line of thunderstorms out of the mountains. going through the hagerstown area right now.

heading of reports baltimore, between 9:00 and 11:00 this morning take an umbrella with you. scattered thunderstorms possible.

8:00 now on a thursday morning. it's the 26th day of july 2012. anticipation is really building with just one day to go now until the opening ceremonies of the london olympics. good morning, everyone. i'm savannah guthrie. we're walking, we're walking, we're walking. >> this is like the mod squad meets -- >> where the reservoir goes. >> we're on the tower bridge, we have matt lauer and meredith. coming up, meredith will spill the beans on the opening

ceremony. >> i'm not! >> i know you're not. wouldn't you rather be surprised? >> you know the creative director is danny boyle. we talked to him a while back. he shared his concern. beijing was such a big deal. does he feel pressure or maybe not. he's going to pull back the curtain a little bit on what we'll see tomorrow night. >> and coming up the fan favorite of beach volleyball held not far from here actually. it's one of the cool venues. that's why i want to go. >> oh, yeah. yes, the venue. >> not the bikinis. >> we're going to preview the men's and women's competition. >> i have a little tent pitched out. >> also coming up, we'll preview the rivalry that is brewing at the pool between ryan lochte and michael phelps. okay, guys.

>> she did it! guess what, it was her, mom. i'm going to get to push the button and raise the tower bridge. >> will you be on it as you press the button? >> do they know you're doing it? >> no. >> do you have a permit? >> no. i'm just going in. >> we want to go back to new york. >> hello, everybody. investigators examining a suspicious package apparently mailed by james holmes just before friday's tragedy. a source said it contained notes on killing people. 12 people died in the shooting and 58 were wounded. meantime three hospitals treating survivors say they will reduce or waive medical bills. >> republican mitt romney is in london today meeting with former and current british officials. it is the first stop on a week-long overseas trip that includes stops in israel and in poland.

meantime in new orleans president obama spoke to the national urban league wednesday night. he called for stepped up background checks on potential gun buyers in the wake of the colorado movie massacre. >> the mother of baseball hall of famer cal ripken, jr. is now safe after a bizarre kidnapping. a gunman forced her into her own car tuesday morning. she was tied up, blindfolded and drifr around. she was found nearly 24 hours later inside the car abandoned near her car. she said the kidnapper did not seem to know she was part of a famous family. >> a chicago official has joined the mayor of boston in vowing to block chick-fil-a from coming to their city. this month the company's president said they support the biblical definition of the family unit.

activists plan demonstrations next week nationwide. >> and a quick roundup of what has you talking nationwide. kristen stewart has admitted cheating on boyfriend robert pattinson. the news has at least one british super fan super sad. >> that she would do this, i feel so sorry for rob. >> okay. stewart has come in for some name calling on twitter but the scandal is not expected to hurt ticket sales in the final "twilight." >> a female triple jumper was thrown off the the greek team for tweets mocking african-american athletes. >> and jennifer lopez's new video, it is burning up on

youtube. ♪ >> the song is a collaboration of rapper flo ryda. earlier ryan seacrest said he's looking forward to working with new judge mariah carey. >> and ryan broke the news that when he called mariah last night, she was cooking turkey meatballs. >> when we come back, we're going to get you ready -- >> you should do weather first. >> normally we do weather here in london. mr. roker, i apologize sincerely. >> we would never make you feel bad about that. >> no, maybe in a few minutes. >> let's see what we've got as far as the london weather is concerned as we look ahead.

it's beautiful today. i'm already done. as we head towards friday, not so nice. heavy showers and then things clear up for sunday, saturday and sunday. opening ceremony the rain will end, i believe, in time for the ceremony, and we're going to be looking at temperatures in the 60s. >> good morning. bad one the heat is back this afternoon. high temperatures will climb into the upper 90's. back to your latest weather. bob costas right now at the

olympic stadium spreading a tarp. >> let's hope not. by the way, did you see this? how beautiful the rings are out here on the river. these were not here yesterday. they were down further. >> yes. >> and now they've moved up. they may play some role, i don't know, in the opening ceremonies. >> stop with the hints! >> when we come back, we'll help get you ready for this first weekend of the game. we'll preview swimming, gymnastics, beach volleyball. but first these messages. think sears. with more selection. more innovation. more capacity. and more speed. think the only store that gives you the top 10 advantage. with all ten of the top ten brands, including america's number one brand, kenmore. plus, right now at the red tag event, get up to 30% off appliances with your sears card. but these big offers won't last long. this is one incredible chance to save. this is sears.

she gives me snickers peanut butter squared and i eat it. it's snickers with creamy peanut butter, would you like one? let's just keep an open mind. [ groans ] [ male announcer ] if you like peanut butter and chocolate, you'll love peanut butter and snickers. try snickers peanut butter squared.

they claim to be complete. only centrum goes beyond. providing more than just the essential nutrients, so i'm at my best. centrum. always your most complete.

this morning on today's olympic whip, your guide to your weekend. there are three events, gymnastic, beach volleyball and swimming. >> let's stop right there and start with swimming. let's talk about the duel.

everybody is talking about phelps versus lochte. is it going to live up to the advanced hype? >> absolutely. >> you really think so? >> no doubt in my mind. i know for a fact -- this is just mi opinion, no doubt they're going to be one-two. everybody sells going to be five meters behind. they're not going to let us down. >> it seems lochte has had the upper hand in the last year or two. can phelps close that gap in the games? >> i think he can. we spent the last couple weeks with him in camp and he looks very, very good. he wants to go out. he wants to go out with a bang or two. >> i think he and his coach have been lowering expectations on purpose. let's talk about the other victim of the media hype, 17-year-old missie franklin. have we been unfair to her, put too much pressure on her? >> i think a little bit. we have to remember she's 17.

you've talked to her before. you've seen how genuine she is. she's really like that is correct matt. but seven events is a lot. i wouldn't be surprised if she won seven medals. seven golds will be a stretch. >> rebecca sony did well in beijing. what do you expect from her in london? >> she won a couple silvers and a gold in beijing. i think she's going to be the true leader. >> back in high school i went to school with a guy named john ledecki, his niece is the youngest member of the olympic team. talk to me about her prospects. >> the real deal. have i seen a lot of youngsters come along but i have never seen one like katie. what she did in that camp, she's going to surprise a lot of people in that 800 meter freestyle. >> thank you.

>> savannah? >> the gymnastic team is practicing on their equipment. you've been watching our fab five. how are they looking? >> the american team is actually looking very good. yesterday at their training, savannah, they were probably the strongest looking team. they've been a powerhouse. as you said, it's podium training today. totally different story when they walk out on this olympic venue floor. it should be a real telltale for them today, how they can handle their routine. >> i know you guys have been watching all the practices. i hear the russians are coming on strong. >> actually, the russians in london have looked fantastic. they have such a sense of a

artistry that you rarely see now in gymgymnastics. if there's a team that has latched on to the artistic component and never let it go, it's the russians. but certainly the usa are the favorites. they destroyed the competition at the nationals by 3 points and they look good, too. >> do you think jordan and abby can go one and two in the individual? >> we've talked so much about jordan and gabby being a one-two punch for the u.s. team. but can you not forget victoria of russia. she's improved immensely. she's going to give the two american girls a real run for their money. she's legit. it's going to be very interesting. on paper, believe it or not, victoria is just a little bit stronger. but yordan weaver is coming in

as the reigning world champion. she's the one that has performed the routine she's going to be doing. victoria is adding and she wants to improve. >> and she's one of the toughest competitors i've ever seen in the sport of gymnastics. that's going to make a big difference here in london. >> thank you. matt, over to you. >> beach volleyball, how will they do here in london? chris, good morning to you. >> good to see you, matt. >> let's talk about the venue first, it's amazing. >> it's incredible. it's a stadium built just for beach volleyball, 15,000 people, the most historic site in london. it's like taking beach

volleyball for the americans and putting it in washington, d.c., right next to the white house. >> let's talk about the women's side. can these guys go with the three-peat? >> i think they can. they're not the favorites this time around. brazil is the number one team in the world. the chinese the number one team in 2012. but misty and kerrey are looking great. they're both very fit and have a strong chance. >> let's go over to the men's side. the defending gold medallist, what are you thinking for them? >> they've been a little nicked up coming into the london tournament. but i actually had a chance to watch them on the practice court. they're fit now. todd rogers had a knee issue. he said if all the teams play their best, we win the gold because we can get to the highest level. >> there's confidence perhaps they don't have time to be on the top their game.

you have a great sport. >> rock 'n' roll, i hope to see you out there. >> you will. >> when we come back, we'll catch up with the guy who is creating the opening ceremonies. of summer fun, a and we have ours. now during the summer event get an exceptionally engineered mercedes-benz for an exceptional price. but hurry, this offer ends july 31st.

it's not for colds, it's not for pain, it's just for sleep. because sleep is a beautiful thing. ♪ zzzquil, the non-habit forming sleep-aid from the makers of nyquil. she would help her child. no. no no no no no. mommy's here [ male announcer ] with everything. but instead she gives him capri sun super-v. with one combined serving of fruits and vegetables. new capri sun super-v. 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. the moisturizer in other body washes sits on top of skin. only dove has nutriummoisture, which can nourish deep down. dove body wash with nutriummoisture. superior natural nourishment for your skin. dove body wash with nutriummoisture.

you can't argue with nutrition you can see. great grains. great grains cereal starts whole and stays whole. see the seam? more processed flakes look nothing like natural grains. i'm eating what i know is better nutrition. mmmm. great grains. search great grains and see for yourself. because four out of five dogs over the age of three develop gum disease, and tartar buildup is a contributing factor. [ dog ] or new dentastix fresh. clinically proven to fight tartar and now with added ingredients to fight dog breath, too. ♪ i just can't get enough ♪ and i just can't seem to get enough ♪ [ male announcer ] this back to school, you'll be coming back. when you buy the staples savings pass, you're guaranteed to save 15% each time. [ bell rings ] ♪ welcome back to london, everyone. as we've been mentioning all morning long, we're just a little more than a day away from what should be a stunning opening ceremony.

recently meredith got a chance to catch up with the man who has created it all. >> it's danny boyle. we all know him as the director of the oscar winning film "slum dog millionaire." now he's taken on the opening ceremonies of the olympics and the eyes of the world are watching. has this been easier than you expected, harder? >> nothing can prepare up for the scale. >> tomorrow night all eyes will be on london's olympic stadium. with an estimated audience more than 1 billion, preparing for a show that has been two years in the making. to say the opening ceremony bar has been set high is an understatement. at the previous summer olympics the world watch had had in yo. a

enter danny boyle. >> it's sad. beijing, it was unimaginable almost anywhere else in the world. so you go, fine, all hail beijing. we're very grateful to beijing that it brought to an absolute climax the scale of these opening ceremonies. >> but that's not to say danny boyle doesn't have a few tricks up his sleeve. after all, he knows a thing or two about directing. "slum dog millionaire" won eight academy awards in 2009, including one for danny boyle's direct oog. and in 2011, his film "127 hours" was nominated for best picture. >> i've heard somewhere that this is basically a danny boyle

film that's being created here live. >> we're trying to do a film, yes. >> how do you that? >> the way you view it on television we hope will be more immediate, advice rahal. the title of our show is "isles of wonder" and there is a belief in that wonder throughout. >> recently danny boyle pulled the opening ceremony curtain back ever so slightly reerks vealing the model of a meadow that will play a key kras. the very key character from our history, speaking word from the tempest, do not fear. >> the show will also feature 10,000 volunteers, who danny

boyle calls the real stars of the show. still many of the evening's details remain closely guarded. >> what will we look at? give me something. >> give you something. something that's very important in our cult is music and our history of music for such a small place of popular music is extraordinary. the most obvious answer is to the beatles. >> one of the beatles, paul mccartney, has confirmed his participation. if all goes as planned, he won't be the only great one making a connection. >> they originate in british literature and the most famous of that is peter pan. >> am i going to see peter pan? am i going o sto see --

>> yes. it's a live show. there's always a problem you have to cut things because it's a live show. >> course the question in my mind is what would queen elizabeth play in the opening ceremonies. she was involved with jacketor boond? >> yes weeks did. in our case, which is the queen. yes, we had a meeting with her. >> how is she going to handled it. >> does she have to rehearse? >> not really. i can't really tell you about either. it's weather dependent is the truth of that. >> whether she's there or not? >> no, no, no, no, no. >> in the nad of author's isn't about the let the weather define the night. how will you know if this has

been a success? >> i believe it's a success already because i believe that the way it's mobilized people together in a tough time in britain and, you know, europe and the world. >> and if it's a bomb? >> well, it's dk that's okay. that's part of the process. so that's yours, security. at least be down the middle. >> tomorrow is the birthday of danny boyle's family, frank, who passed away last year. danny told us he and his dad used to love to watch the olympics. the athletes won't be the only one emotional tomorrow in those stadiums. >> let's hear a boast.

just over the thames here to our side. he's getting ready to push the button >> this is wbal-tv 11 news in baltimore. >> good morning. i am sarah caldwell. let's take a look at your morning commute. still experiencing delays on the inner loop as you make your way towards the j.f.x. a lot of that is left over from an earlier accident. liberty road and brunn brook drive, accident clearing. eastbound i-70, we had a crash on southbound 29 at baltimore national bank. 22 miles per hour on the outer loop. continued closures in the city

due to a sinkhole on monument street. let's take a live view of traffic. here is what it looks like on the harrisburg expressway. delays from timonium to the beltway. j.f.x., pretty good shape into account. john has a check and a forecast. >> we are beginning to pick up a few clouds around big area. storms approaching frederick and into the east. rain is moving in in the next hour or so, and during the rest of the day, a chance for rain as well. is up.nt forecast for today, scattered showers and thunderstorms. we look at the seven-day forecast.

strums on friday, temperatures back off a little bit. by and large, the weekend looks great. by the time we hit wednesday, chance of summertime thunderstorms.

back now in london on a thursday morning, it's the 26th day of july, 2012. there is the famed tower bridge and something about al. he had a thing for the george washington bridge back in new york and now he has decided he wants to open the tower bridge. al, without first adieu, i know there are boats waiting. >> that's right, matt, here we go. it's starting now. can you see it through the window. it's going to go about 40 degrees open to let two sailing barges through. >> now, al, what would happen if just as those barges went

underneath you jammed that stick forward? >> i don't think anything would happen. i think it's on automatic now. >> okay. well, congratulations. another thing you can cross off your bucket list. >> this is really exciting. the tower bridge. peter brown, who has been doing this for 18 years, it was a little different back when you started, right, peter >> it was. >> al, how often do they do that during the day? >> this is like three tames a day this happens, right? >> sometimes twice, sometimes up to 12 times a day. >> up to 12 times during the summer. do the barges or the boats -- do they pay a fee, peter >> no, it's all free. it's all free. can you imagine in new york city we wouldn't need easy pass. >> al, do you feel powerful opening the bridge? >> peter's telling me let it go slowly to the center.

>> so how did i do m. >> magic. wow! >> because i sure don't on this show. nicely done. >> coming up, we're going to do a little hometown cooking. >> yes, and we know the athletes shine at their particular sporting events but they have sudden talent that we'll tell you about here coming up. >> and we'll get a little school about what goes on in these walls. >> you're looking at a sailing barge will and behind it we have the general g coming down. look at that. that is just gorgeous. they're actually moving from

east to west. so this is pretty cool. and i just -- it takes about 1:27 for all of this to happen. it's really magic. it really is. the bridge has been going since 1994. it has been doing this. a little differently, no >> good morning. temperatures will make it into the upper 90's. there is a slight chance for some scattered showers. >> i got to tell you, i'm done. i don't care if i see another thing.

savannah, natalie, back to you. >> good rex, he's making my job very difficult. >> among other things, you've been starring in neil simon's "the sunshine boy." >> that's right. >> now you hadn't been oj staged since the 70s, right? >> since 1972ish, certainly like that. >> is it like riding a bike? all the taxi stuff really kind prepares you. "taxi" we did in front of an audience. "sonny, we can't -- there's a whole thing about comedy. with a play wick i'm season

crazy -- >> it's sort of a broken up bromance. they were vaudeville stars that and the other has been dormant for many years, hasn't worked, my character, willy clark. they're put together for one show. it's an oil-and-water kind of thing. there's a lot of really touching things in the play and it's hysterically play. i'm really lucky to be here doing it. >> speaking of touching, why were you tauching your feet? >> oh, come on, everybody touches their feet. i tweet control foot. that's the right foot you see? i take the easy access of the crock off and i do -- >> and i thought you do this? everywhere you go you do this? >> pretty much. >> sort of like the traveling

nome? >> it's not a gnome. it's a foot! geez, you guys -- >> there are a lot of troll foot -- >> can my so now we don't know what we're doing. something has gone really wrong. >> stay there, okay? >> okay. >> i'm in the looking up your dress. i just want to get a -- >> this shot better be worth it. >> where's your foot? >> right here! >> take a picture of the moment my career died. [ laughter ] >> wait, one more. i have to take another one. >> what size foot are you, danny? >> wait, wait, wait, are you in there? >> yes, i'm in there.

>> pick your foot up higher. >> this could go on all day. just tell us real quick are you going to do a new "twins" cap triplets" with arnold schwarzenegger? >> yes. >> when? tell about it. >> you got two guy, arnold and i. we have the desire to do it. when what we need is the screen play. we want to do something really good. so we're going to find a gre great -- >> it can't be all bare feet. >> no, no. >> bare feet and sunglasses. >> if you missed it, you missed it, maybe we'll see you in new york. >> more to

back now in our "olympic kitchen." in a moment we'll do some cooking with jamie oliver. first a story about how he's doing more than just serving food in his great london restaurant. take a look. 40 years ago kevin was playing with fire. >> i was involved with gangs, fights. >> his life was heading from bad to worse. >> at the age of 18, i went into prison four times. i was just heading down the wrong path completely. >> but he was handed a life line and cooking has changed his life. for ten years, jamie oliver has offered second chances to undervalued youth. because of its success, there are now locations in cornwall,

england and amsterdam. >> it's that who wiholistic app to give a young person a chance who needs an opportunity, take them in and get them employment. >> along with kevin is charlie. >> i was in a bit of trouble. i left school when i was about 15. >> but charlie has now made a turn. >> i didn't really think i'd get this far because it's so intense. it has made me grow up a lot because i see. >> and now he cooks in a japanese restaurant. >> i'm thinking maybe five years go to japan, stay there for a year and really get a good

understanding of japanese food, come back and try to open a restaurant after ten years of being a chef. >> proof that jamie oliver and the 15 family are changing lives 15 at a time. and jamie oliver is here along with two of his apprentices. good morning to all of you. >> lovely to be here. >> let me ask our apprentices, did you ever dream you'd get into cooking? what do you like about it, kevin? >> i love everything about it. i love the sweating away in a hot kitchen, sweating away out here in the sun. i love it all and i can't wait to get further on in my career. >> charlie, is this something you think you'd like to make a career out of. >> definitely. i hold them to it now. they've already done 10, 11 months of the hard stuff. >> and you're getting training from the best. >> put those tortellinis on to

cook. this is so easy. it's one egg, 100 grams of flour. this is 200 grams for three people. in a bowl or food processor, no salt, no oil and good eggs, good flour and it will come together like bread crumbs and it will be more like a dough and then you knead it up and you'll see it come together -- see how i just squeeze it like that dill we got kind of play-do. he likes this. we're going to fill these raviolis. show them how to fill the raviolis. i'm going to talk you through. do you that and i'll talk you through the mix. can you go italian but we're in england, in britain. we've got some of the best grass, lots of rain. so we've got good cows, good milk and of course amazing

cheese. can you just do little blends of lovely cheddar. i've got some rocket here but can you use some any delicate herbs. i'm going to finely chop that. and a little bit of lemon. a lot of people just throw away the outside of the lemon. if you get one of these little graters and the lemon zest is absolutely gorgeous and will give it such lightness and you just season it with a little salt and pepper. if you can throw that into there, my darling, and give at that a good mix. now our raviolis are cooking in there. they only take a couple minutes to cook. let me show you how to do the ravioli. let's get one square, chef. one square. let's show the whole of america what's going on here. actually, i want to get you in here. nice and fast. we have a square coming up here.

you want the pasta to be humid. we've got a square. i have a fiteaspoon of the filling. you're going to fold it in half, then he's going to pinch across. now roll it, nice and slow. you bring that side around like that. if you just show that to mr. cameraman there. it's beautiful! >> now you're not only a chef, you're a tv chef! >> let's cook i thought you like to shape but if you use lovely olive oil, i'm going to serve it to you, my domestic violence darling, and you're going to get

sweeter. with the oil, there's a little moment you can take some -- see that starchy water there? >> yes. >> that actually is gold dust. can you see it boiling together in the pan? it might be hard to see in this beautiful sun. grate some parmesan very quickly, chef. the oil and the water is making a beautiful emulsion and i'm literally going to toss that up and put that on a lovely plate there like that. i'm going to finish that with beautiful bizzel for you. there you go. home made tortellini. chef and carly, great work. we're going to cook a little bit more with jamie. but thirst festt#f#f#f#f#f#f#f#f

in a quest for athletes to gain a competitive advantage, british engineers may have come up with a secret weapon for swimmers. today's special correspondent ben fogal joins us more on this. what is this? >> reporter: good morning. engineers who know how to reduce the drag of ships are helping swimmers do the same. it may look like swimming to us but what happens underwater is where races are won or lost. after the full body swim suits were banned, british olympic swimmers searching for a way to shave seconds went to the stripping industry to help. they came one a toe, a hook and a lynn to examine ek nique and pressure brag. >> it looked very strange with these drags on the bish.

>> this is where we're going to see the results of this? >> yes. >> what is your swimming background? >> none. >> now it's my turn. >> let's go! >> you're using not just the video. even i can see the legs are too far down so i got the drag there. it's at times like this that i wish that i had done this deciding i was going to swim across the atlantic ocean. that's 3,000 pile, which the way. so taking a swimmer like myself and an olympic swimmer, what can

you vacate? what the system allows today, the coach and the athlete to try out different changes in their technique and know whether it's made an improvement. >> john t. skinner is the british's secret weapon. >> we can tell the settle difference in that the technique changes in terms of their vol osity or whether they change the line as well. >> that wiif they can streamlin such a short time, it might make a difference in the olympic pool. >> another advantage of the system is that it's completely mobile. can you go to wherever the swamers are.

>> are you really going to show place the plan? >>. >> i don't even like shp approximately wow, we'll hopefully be following you long as you attempt that. >> well, now we know your hidden talents. coming up, we're going to

we all know the deal. olympic athletes are very skilled at their particular event. we also found out a few of them have some hidden tall ejts, too. >> i'm a black belt. >> i'm a great belcher and i'm also an amazing cuddler but there's only one way to find out. >> i'm sure from in my shower i have a couple grammys. >>. ♪ i can show you the world ♪ so our -- you're mine baby ♪

♪ killing my life with your baby ♪ >> i'm a cpa tax accountant. >> she can mack a lot of jim carey faces. >> i love to dance. do i it in my room, by myself all the time. >> she likes to do it at every party. she does the worm, every party. >> whoo-hoo! >> shake that. ♪ >> that was really good! >> the sprinkler. we're working on our own, the sprinkler. >> it's really embarrassing, isn't it? >> i think we've got our next

installment of "america's got talent." >> yes, we do! >> can you just do the sprinkler one more time? >> because i just learned this. >> wow! >> gee. >> can do you the running man? >> not me. >> al can break dance like no one else. >> i know this will be on tape and will live forever. >> coming up next, we'll meet >> this is wbal-tv 11 news today in baltimore. >> good morning. i am sarah caldwell. gov. martin o'malley hands down an executive order demanding for renovation of the utility infrastructure system. experts from across the state will come together with key

government agencies to look for ways to improve and strengthen the system. the group will report findings

to pickreare beginning up some clouds and rain to our west. 90s today. state dry.