good morning. let the games begin. london ready to put on the biggest show on earth. in just a few short hours, the opening ceremony of the 2012 olympics. this morning a firsthand look at what you can expect as the olympic flames makes a dramatic journey along the river thames. we have big names including obama, romney, beckham. the perfect vantage point to bring it all to you today the perfect vantage point to bring it all to you today friday, july 27, 2012. captions paid for by nbc-universal television >> announcer: from nbc news,

this is a special edition of "today" at the olympic games with matt lauer and savannah guthrie. live from olympic park in london, england. and good morning, everyone. and welcome to "today" on friday morning. yes, our home away from home here in london, the olympic park for the next two weeks, plus this is going to be where it's happening. i'm matt lauer alongside savannah guthrie and natalie morales. al is at the residence of the u.s. ambassador here in london. a little later this morning he's going to be talking to our first lady michelle obama. we're going to check in with him a little later on. meanwhile, what do you think of our digs. >> amazing. >> only more exciting. the park is actually closed right now to the public. we expect there will be crowds lining up behind us for the next couple of weeks.

you're starting to really feel the excitement in the air. >> a great location. you know what's behind us there. you get the lay of the land. that big white thing there, that is savannah's trailer, better known as the olympic stadium. the observation tower, the aquatic center. >> amazing chlgt you ask. >> you asked me to store your hair and makeup. >> we're going to spend a lot of time in these places. >> the pomp and pageantry under way. the famous big ben chimed nonstop for three minutes to celebrate the first official day of the olympics. right now a big crowd is at tower bridge awaiting the olympic torch to sail by on the queen's barge. whose hands will it be in? matt lauer, we're looking at you, because you know. >> you're looking in the wrong place. >> barry goldwater said a long time ago, i'm not a good leaker.

i'm not going to do it. >> we're going to pry it out of you or meredith. obviously a very big day for britain. one of the country's biggest stars is david beckham a lot of people are asking what will his role be tonight? we expect a lot from him. we're going to hear from him coming up. >> meanwhile presidential hopeful mitt romney will attend tonight. he stirred up a little controversy when he criticized london's readiness for these games. we'll talk about that when the governor and his wife ann join us in a couple minutes. first peter alexander has more on this. peter, good morning to you. >> reporter: matt, good morning to you. the torch is passing nearby on the river thames. for mitt romney this was supposed to be a risk averse trip overseas. a chance to listen and learn. but again this morning romney is getting a lesson loud and clear, getting the message from the british people that they were not impressed with the way he

described the preparedness of this country for the london games. here is a headline from one headline, mitt the twit. as romney wraps up the uk he's hoping tonight's activities wash away some of the hard feelings. as mitt romney looks forward to tonight's opening ceremony. >> governor, did you intend to criticize the way london prepares for these games? >> reporter: he's hoping to escape the unintentional firestorm he sparked with nbc's brian williams when romney questioned whether london is ready for these games? >> it's hard to know how well it will turn out. there's a few things that were disconcerting. the story about the private security firm not having enough people. the supposed strike of the immigration and customs officials. that obviously is not something which is encouraging. >> reporter: british reporters pounced. >> mitt romney has turned on the charm during his visit to britain by questioning the country's ability to host the olympic games. >> the message he wanted to get

out on this trip has been obscured. >> if he's here to make friends, he has a funny way of showing it. >> reporter: from editorial. mitt romney is perhaps the only po tiegs who -- the white house tried to capitalize on these remarks from romney. >> peter, thanks very much. let's get a check of the top stories of the moment from here in london and back in new york as well. we've got natalie morales on the set. natalie, take it away. >> good morning, matt. good morning, everyone. one of the alleged victims of the accused sex abuser jerry sandusky has filed suit. ron has the latest from state college, pennsylvania. good morning, ron. >> reporter: good morning,

natalie. we're outside the football stadium and the place where legendary coach paterno's statue was until it was removed last week. paterno was criticized for not doing more in the case of this young man, victim number two, who was attacked in the penn state shower. we still don't know who he is. he's keeping his identity secret but he's speaking out through his attorney about how he was abused by jerry sandusky. >> you know, there's nothing really to hide. if you want, give me a call. all right. take care. love you. hope you get this message. thanks. >> reporter: a voice mail that a young man's attorney say was left by jerry sandusky last september. less than two months before sandusky's arrest. two months before he left this message. >> just calling to see, you know, whether you had any interest in going to a penn state game. thanks. love you.

>> reporter: even though victim two hasn't come forward, he was convicted on crimes against him based on mcqueary's testimony who testified he saw sandusky in a sex act with an unidentified boy in penn state shower room in february 2001. he said he told coach paterno what he saw. a report by an independent investigator said paterno and top officials failed to notify police and worked together to keep the incident quiet. >> they showed no concern about the victim. >> reporter: paterno, before he died, and the other penn state officials have denied any wrongdoing. victim two's attorney say he suffered extensive sexual abuse over many years and say they will file a civil lawsuit against the university and others to hold them account able for the egregious and reckless conduct that facilitated the horrific abuse our client suffered. there's no comment from penn state. in the past officials say they

are trying to reach out to victims to address their concerns and try to work out settlements. no comment from sandusky's attorney either. his wife dottie has told a local newspaper that she still loves him and that he's, quote, not who say they say is. natalie. >> ron allen in state college, pennsylvania. thanks so much, ron. the gun debate that emerged since the shooting, congress voted to honor the first responders this as colorado rockies paid a visit to the shooting victims still hospitalized. an attorney for katherine jackson says he's met face-to-face with his client and she's doing well in spite of the family feud. earlier this week a judge suspended katherine's guardianship of jackson's three children. her lawyer plans to reinstate her as guardian and last reports that she suffered a stroke.

a storm slammed and the governor declared an emergency in the surrounding county. while the skyline was ominous, the twitters sphere full of pictures. that's amazing. >> al did not make it to our olympic park set. he's got a good excuse at the u.s. ambassador's set in london. known as the winfield house. he'll be talking to first lady michelle obama and david beckham. we'll check in with al. what's going on? >> this is gorgeous here. we've got friends here, part of the let's move movement, michelle obama has been propagating and talking about. this is the second largest private garden in london, second only to buckingham palace. it is gorgeous. heck of a backyard. let's take a look. opening ceremony forecast for tonight looking for a 20% chance

of showers, cloudy skies, temperatures will be in the upper 60s. it won't be bad, believe me. in it's going to hold up. closer to home we've got a risk of strong storms along the southeastern atlantic coast, also back through the upper midwest. risk damaging winds, heavy downpours, rainfall amounts two to three inches before it's all over. as you can see the systems pushing through the upper midwest, great lakes, on into the northeast. we've got wet weather, again, lots of wind and possibility of damaging hail as well. >> another hot and humid day.he expecting highs in the mid 90's today. it will feel like the low 100

and that's your latest weather. matt. >> thank you very much. governor romney and his wife ann will attend tonight's opening ceremony. they are with us at olympic park. great to see you both. >> thank you. >> pleasure to have you here. we hear from you a lot, so i'm going to start with the better half. >> i love that. >> what's going to be harder, watching your husband compete in a rough-and-tumble presidential race or watching your horse compete in the dressage at the olympics. >> when i'm watching my horse, it's like watching my children play sports, you're kind of like this a lot. i know every move she makes. i know where she makes mistakes. i know where her weakness are. i know where she may lose confidence of the rider. >> it's nerve-racking. >> it is nerve-racking. i will tell you watching debates are also nerve-racking. there is a point at the 20th debate where i finally said i've

had enough. you sit in the audience, i'll stand on the stage and you see what it feels like to watch that. >> you're not going to actually get to see this horse compete. this is a big deal having a horse in the olympics. no interest to be there. >> it's ann's horse. >> you don't want to be there and see it. it's your wife. she's going to be nervous. >> i'd love to be there, but this is kind of a busy time important me. >> i give him a pass when it comes to my horses. he's so supportive of me having to put up with my love of horses. when it comes to the show part of the horse stuff, i give him a total pass. >> i have to tell you, my sons gave me a box and said if you wear this, mom will pay more attention to you. it was a rubber horse mask. >> did you wear it? >> no. >> let's get to comments, mr. romney. you said you were a little concerned with security issues, called preparation disconcerting, questioned whether londoners would come out. drew aters response, we're

holding olympic games in the busiest, most active bustling city anywhere in the world. of course it's easier if you hold olympic games in the middle of nowhere. obviously a reference to you recognizing the games in 2002. what's your response? >> i don't see that. i read the same reports a lot of people did about all the challenges faced by the organizing committee. after being here a couple of days. it looks to me like london is ready. of course it is hard to put on games in a major metropolitan area. what they have done that i find so impressive is they took the venues and put them right in the city. you're going to be on the back side of 10 downing street for beach volleyball. >> are you being a good politician, backing off a little bit? if you look at the papers this morning, mr. romney, you're everywhere and they are saying things about this comment. >> i'm absolutely convinced the people here are ready for the games. in just a few moments all the things politicians say will get swept away because the athletes will take the stage.

the games are about the athletes. that's why the games virtually anywhere they have been have been success. >> let's talk about the presidential race. it seems very negative, on both sides, negative ads one after another. are you proud of the campaign you're running. >> i'm very proud my campaign is focused on the economy. it's focused on my vision for what i do to get jobs for america. >> and what president obama has done wrong with the economy. >> and the problems with his having managed the economy. that's what my campaign is focused on. the differences between us both on such an important issue. his campaign has taken a different tack. he's able to do what he'd like to do. i'm going to keep battling about the issue most people care about, getting america working again. >> do you think your campaign is more negative than the obama campaign. >> i don't know if i can measure item for item. water not focused on personal attacks but policy differences

and where we think the president may have gone wrong. where we think we can do better. >> you mentioned the economy. let's tuck about your own personal economy. i don't have to tell you how much air time and ink has been dedicated to your taxes, investments over the last couple of months. i'm not going to go through the mineutia minutiae. having known you were going to run for president for years, why not call the accountant, look, let's make it simple, take away the drama, not give my opponent any ammunition. why didn't you do that. >> we did what was required by law, all my financial statements and in addition two years of tax returns like john mccain did. we looked at what he did, did the same thing. it's hundreds of pages of documents. my guess if you decide to give more and more and more you give the opposition a chance to

distort and twist and be dishonest about more material. >> you don't think you've raised more questions than you've answered in releasing the amount of information to date. >> we've laid out all required by law and then some, the same as john mccain. we don't want to give dnc more things to pick out, distort in the way they have already. >> the next major event that the two of you are going to travel to after your travels through europe and abroad this week is going to be the republican convention in tampa, florida. i'm wondering, first of all, very begun your speech? >> i've not begun my speech yet. >> you know the themes? >> i know the themes. they are the themes i've been speaking out for several years. words to paper, that hasn't begun yet. >> mrs. romney, i'll ask you this, can you begin to calculate how hard your heart will be pounding as your husband mitt takes to the stage. this is a dream of his, has been for a long time as he accepts that nomination. what's it going to be like?

>> i will feel extremely proud, extremely grateful. i think it's an extraordinary responsibility that both of us have right now, that we could represent the world in such an important and significant way. i think it will be an opportunity for the first time for the american people to really take a look at us as people, as individuals and who we really are and what motivates us. i think that is going to be -- for me, it's going to be a moment of great pride. >> so governor, how hard will your heart be pounding? that will be a huge moment. >> it will be a great moment and an opportunity to talk about, as ann said, who we are, but also our vision for the country. i think this has to be an american century as we go forward. i'm concerned we're drifting in a direction right now that is not showing the best side of merck. we need strong values, strong military. i want to get that back on track. >> finally, if you're going to be president of the united states, you have to make tough calls. is it phelps or lockett.

do not straddle the fence here. >> i think it's more likely to be phelps but i don't know. >> so in the first head to head showdown you're calling phelps over lockett. thanks so much for joining me here today. mrs. romney, it's a pleasure. thank you. let's go over to savannah. >> matt, thanks. the olympic torch is completing its epic trip to the stadium. michelle is on the river thames. what can you tell us? >> reporter: it just arrived 20 minutes early along the thames or we should call it america east. how many of you are from the u.s. if you see the olympic ring, the torch is on the glo a gloriana, the queen's decorated row barge given to her as a gift for the jubilee this year. the torch is on the front of

that barge, carried here from hampden palace where it was today. what they are going to do is take the flame inside the building behind the rings. city hall, known as the fencing mask, pretty appropriate today. then it will travel by some secret means, they are not saying how, for the olympic ceremony tonight. you can see crowds over there on that side of the thames. this has been a point of excitement for people. they were expecting possibly a million or more people to line the tents. over the past 70 days we've watched this torch travel 8,000 miles through the uk. it has been on the divided streets of belfast, on the highest mountain in wales, up in a hot air balloon, on a steam train, on horseback, on bicycle, skating on ice. you name it, we have seen this torch travel by means of community heroes, people of all

ages, up to the age, by the way, of 100 we saw just a couple days ago. people who have done much to help communities. as soccer star david beckham said, when he carried the flames from athens at the start of this, this part of the games is really for the people. this the people's games. this is what's here to get people excited and to feel the olympic spirit themselves. the spirit through their own community heroes. savannah. >> all right. michelle kosinski, thank you. more than a billion people are expected to watch tonight's opening ceremony. matt is hosting nbc's coverage along with meredith vieira and bob costas. guys, we've learned one thing about you two this week, can you keep a secret. >> maybe and maybe not. >> you guys have seen it. just tell me this, what was your reaction to the opening ceremony. meredith. >> to me it's quintessential of the oscar winning director from

"slumdog millionaire." he's quirky. it's a british show, a lot of humor and heart. i liked it a lot. >> it also highlights the different national identities of england, scotland, wales and northern ireland, which is important. one thing i will say, it's a different experience for the people in the stadium as opposed to the people at home. >> we're showing the 30 seconds of video they allowed. >> this is beautiful. i love this. >> we've heard quirky, we've heard very british. there are comedy bits. the screen writer thinks that's the best part of it. are we going to get it or is it british humor? >> you'll get it. maybe not you, but most americans will get it. >> actually the costume designer is the only american part of it. she was used and asked, is this too british. >> cinematic, like a movie? >> supposed to be live. >> i ask questions, you stare at

me blankly. >> what do you want to know? >> i want to know about the torch, who is going to light it? >> i see your mouth and it's blah blah blah. >> the calderon, a huge surprise. >> good surprise, bad surprise. >> good surprise. right after the calderon gets lit, meredith gets lit. >> i have to keep up with you. >> we'll be watching tonight. it starts at 7:30, 6:30 central on nbc. we've got much more from london straight ahead. i'll try to get the scoop during the commercial. this is "today" on nbc.

still ahead a live interview with first lady michelle obama. >> al talks to david beckham about what we can expect from him later tonight. we're expecting him to be part of the ceremonies but we know matt won't tell but first a

check of your local news and weather. how can you say you're in love with her? 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. >> this is wbal-tv 11 news today in baltimore. >> good morning. i am stan stovall. here's a look at one of our top stories. gov. martin o'malley is expected to issue his final decision on a session to expand gambling in this state. at the center of controversy, construction of a new casino in prince george's county that would allow table games in all maryland casinos.

there was an august 20 deadline for getting the issue on the ballot. >> good morning, stan. kind of busy as you head out this morning. eastbound 32 just past clarksville, we have accident. if you are going to travel along a liberty road, we want to remind you that there are downed wires. partial building collapse along 33rd street. if you want to travel along monument street, you are going to find delays between wolfe and patterson park. take orleans as your alternate. here is the live view of 795 and franklin boulevard. let's switch over to a live view of 95 and o'donnell. pretty nice start there. >> another muggy start to the

day. 75 in salisbury, 75 in ocean city. heat andnation anof the humidity could make it feel like the low 100. chance for thunderstorms today, especially south of the d.c. and baltimore areas. with all this heat, the atmosphere is unstable. as we head into

7:30 on friday morning, july 27th, 2012. you are looking live at the olympic torch on the river thames as it completes the last leg of its epic 70-day, 8,000 mile journey to britain. it's at city hall where the flame will remain out of sight until the big moment, the opening ceremony. if the music doesn't get you excited, the torch will. >> you know, i have to be honest, i'm getting pumped. it's going to be an incredible show tonight between the creative part of it, the parade

of athletes and the lighting of the calderon, the raising of the olympic flag. so i'm getting excited about it now. just ahead two big interviews from london. international icon david beckham will tell us how he's feeling with the opening ceremony and hours away first lady michelle obama will join us live. but we begin this half hour with one of the most anticipated m p matchup, the swimming showdown from michael phelps and brian lochte, two remarkable men who drive each other to succeed. >> eight for eight. olympic gold. >> they are two of swimming's greatest stars ever. >> it is lochte! >> together they make one of its greatest rivalries to date. >> they race each other, man against man. >> i don't think michael would be the swimmer he is today unless he had a ryan lochte.

>> .29 separate lochte and phelps. >> the same for ryan and what he's been able to do for the last few years. it's solely because of michael. he got tired of being second. >> out of the pool, the two are reportedly friendly but couldn't be more different. michael is seen as a machine, intense, focused, unstoppable. >> when he gets really serious about it, no one is more competitive than he is. >> ryan, while fiercely competitive in the pool, is more of a free spirit, more laid back. >> he does a pretty good job of enjoying life. when he's happy, he swims well. >> lochte held off phelps. >> while lochte has dominated the swimming world in recent years, phelps still owns the olympics. >> phelps knows how to get up for the olympic games. until lochte takes phelps down there, phelps is always going to

be the guy on top. >> both have taken extreme measures to find an edge, ryan taking on strong man training techniques. michael sleeps in a hyperbaric chamber to increase his lung capacity. >> i think they are just trying to one up each other, especially michael. he loves to plant those little seeds. >> both believe the advantage belongs to them. >> to me michael is just another swimmer. it's just another person i've got to go up against and race. when i go on the blocks, i always feel like i can win. >> when i jump in the pool, you see what happens. that's all i need to say. >> if you can write the headlines, ryan, for what's about to happen in london, what's your headline going to be? >> ryan lochte takes over. >> how do you feel about that headline? >> i don't say anything to that. i don't need to say anything to it. my talking is done in the pool.

>> friends, yes. but you know, that little exchange there when i said to michael phelps, ryan says lochte takes over, i think his face pretty much said it all. >> he said it all, like, it's on. >> by the way, their rivalry begins right away, the individual medley begins tonight. you heard hit here, mitt romney picks michael phelps. >> i guess i shouldn't ask you who you pick. >> no. >> got to stay objective. to the weather. al. >> "today's" weather brought to you by coffee mate's natural bliss. your flavor naturally. >> we're here live at the u.s. ambassador's residence, winfield house. the heat is on but not as bad as it's been back in the states. show you where we have heat advisories, hurricane watches, in central oklahoma, eastern oklahoma, into st. louis. we have along the eastern

seaboard to philadelphia, new brunswick. temperatures for the most part slipping below 100 degrees finally. tulsa at 102, st. louis 99, 97 raleigh, d.c. 96. charleston a temperature of 95. rest of the country cool conditions in the northwest looking good, 70s and 80s in new england. 100s right on top of oklahoma, 90s down into texas. >> we are starting off today with muggy conditions and some sprinkles. we'll have partly cloudy skies.

>> that's your latest weather. joining me now is david beckham, needs no introduction. thanks for being here. pretty exciting. less than 12 hours the eyes of the world will be here in london. the games literally in your backyard. that's going through your mind right now. >> i think the excitement around the country has been incredible. i arrived here three or four days ago. you can feel the expectation now, the excitement. it's going to be a great day. >> what do you hope london shows the world? >> i think we'll show the world exactly what we're about. we're a traditional country, very traditional people. danny, the director, people involved are top class people. it's going to be exciting. like i say, it's very patriotic, which is what we're about and what the u.s. is about as well. you're going to appreciate that. >> i know reports say, we've read these reports, you've got a

role in the opening ceremony tonight. you've got the grin on your face. any hints? >> i can't give any hints, but it's going to be exciting. obviously i was part of this process seven years ago when we first got the olympics. the east end of london is where i'm from, where i grew up. to be part of the opening ceremony tonight is a very proud moment for me. >> the soccer team, great britain started yesterday. what advice do you have for the team? >> no advice for the team. it's just about enjoying it. all the athletes we've got, we've got amazing athletes, whether soccer, track and field, gbc, so talented. exciting for them and exciting for us to see them perform. >> when you're watching them perform, any part of you wishing you were out there? >> always. always. doesn't matter what game is going on, i always want to be playing the game. i want to be out there. i'm a fan. at the end of the day i want us to go well, win as many medals as possible. >> we hope team great britain

does well, not too well. >> my eyes on the gbc but living in the u.s. for the last six years, i have a lot of love for the u.s. team as well. >> david beckham, we'll be watching tonight to see your role in the opening ceremonies here in london. thanks for being with us. now, savannah, back to you guys. >> all right. pretty cool. i have to say i was personally hoping david beckham will be here but i'm glad al got to meet him. that's great. ahead i'll spend time with the fab five. >> a sneak peek at venues at olympic park and beyond right after this. ] [ female announcer ] the coffee house.

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welcome back to olympic park where you can say bye-bye to the birdcage and catch you later to the cube. those venues are so 2008. this year it's all about london, the stingray, the pringle and the copper box. these are the london olympic venues where records will be broken and legends will be made. nearly 9 million spectators will pass through this 600 acre park in london's east end hoping to catch a glimpse of olympic gold. the centerpiece of the park and home to opening ceremony, the olympic stadium, holding up to 80,000. the stadium, also the track and field venue, is essentially an island surrounded by water on three sides. the big question, with no roof and inclement british weather, will runners be able to achieve their peak performance. you may never have swam with one but now you can walk along the

stingray, a nickname for london's aquatic center. two-thirds of the visitors will cross under this wave inspired roof. while spectators are walking on the outside, a big record could be broken on the inside if american michael phelps wins another three medals of any color, this is where he will become the most decorated olympian of all time. it isn't just a cute name for the handball venue, the copper box is constructed of 32,000 square feet of copper-clad steel, giving the venue one of the most distinctive appearances in the park and a new meaning to the word heavy metal. one of the largest temporary olympic structures ever built, the basketball arena will be one of the most heavily used venues in the park, covered completely with the vinyl cloth, the arena's exterior the serve as a backdrop to lighting displays on the outside while team usa is

sure to dazzle on the inside. it's not hard to imagine where londoned velodrome got its nickname, the pringle. >> when the british give nicknames to buildings, it's a sign of great affection. >> already a london favorite the award winning design not only mimics the potato chip but the bike within. it's ventilated to enhance performances and so look for records here, too. heading off campus is the beach valley ball venue at the who horse guards parade, the historic location for british ceremonial events. for the next two weeks the site where henry viii roamed with royal robes, this venue will be famous for disrobing. many venues are outside of the park utilizing iconic institutions. tennis will be played at wimbledon and soccer at wimbley

stadium. and in between competitions, this is where the 16,000 athletes will eat, sleep, meet and greet. if you're a u.s. men's gymnast, maybe find time for nerf basketball. of course the olympic park is not without controversy. many londoners are wondering what this structure is located next to the stadium. it's called the orbit and it's a viewing platform and the tallest art institution in britain. a behemoth, a roller coaster ride. the artist said it will grow on people already. >> grow, is grown already. it's there so we may as well enjoy it. >> so there's a lot to see just beyond the competition, where the competitions are held are really exciting. we're excited because our "today" show set has quite a history. >> it's centrally located. this set, we've used the same

outdoor set since athens, in torino and other places. this is old home for us, in a great location in the park. >> you may find a comb or hairbrush since 2004. >> no, before that actually. >> we also want to show everybody the athletes village. i love it. houses tens of thousands of athletes and officials. there's everything they will need. they have wonderful interaction where they run into each other. >> 50 yards from us. >> you can see it not far from the athletes village. the wonderful dream team, the dreamies dream team ever, events there every day. the velodrome is pretty cool to look at. it's home to cycling. >> walk this way. the dark, low box you see there is called the copper box. you'll see team handball and fencing at that venue. of course the olympic stadium down here, that is where the opening ceremony will be held tonight. 80,000 people can fit in that

stadium. tonight about 60, 62,000. there's that observation tower. just below it, that is the water polo venue with slightly sloped roof. just to the left of that is the aquatic center where the duel in the pool gets under way tomorrow night. >> one of the fun things about being here, athletes breeze by. we may have a group over there. they are dressed like athletes. >> they walk over a bridge and into the olympic park. it's pretty cool. >> lots to see. we have a lot of ahead on the show. al will catch up with first lady michelle obama. he's over at the winfield house. we'll check in with him in a few moments. first these messages. after college, i moved back in with my parents. i was worried about 'em, you know? i mean for instance my mom went to bed tonight before making my dinner. which is fine, i mean i, i know how to make dinner. it just starts to make you wonder.

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key until now. >> until now. we're not wearing gloves for a fashion statement. it's in order to handle. >> these are nice. >> these are the largest and heaviest in olympic history. each medal, every olympics has the same theme on one of the sides. >> that is her leaving, the greek goddess of victory leaving t the parthenon. >> these are designed by the artist david watkins. >> this set here, this is the first set of medals, minted for the olympic games. this is set 001. the queen, by the way, received a full set of medals this week. >> that's true. there's all kind of medal etiquette. one is never. >> ever. >> do not put the medal on unless you're an olympic athlete who earned it. >> you didn't? >> no. >> always we should mention, we have the medals here.

we are hoping the u.s. women's field hockey team might take home one of these medals during these games. they are standing right here at our set this morning just chatting up the crowd. ladies, good luck. great to have you here. >> thank you. >> we're hoping for one of these for you. the u.s. won the most gold medals in beijing. may we be so lucky here. >> coming up, a live interview with the first lady michelle obama. >> i'll catch up with the gymnastics team, the fab five, after your local news. parents this year i'm going to teach your kids that magic does exist. it's called science! here's what they'll need. ♪ pencils, folders, notebooks. ♪ ♪ backpacks, denims, graphic tees. ♪ ♪ markers, calculators. whoa! ♪

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>> this is wbal-tv 11 news today in baltimore. >> good morning. i am mindy basara. here is sarah caldwell and traffic pulse 11. >> in not going on out there. dealing with accidents in howard county. another one wraping up on the eastbound side of 32 just past clarksville. hopefully that will be out of there shortly. liberty road, watch for downed wires. traffic lights on flash at green mill road. police activity related to that. 33rd street is closed between calvert and guilford. that is due to the partial building collapse in that area.

monument street between wilkes street and patterson park, that is due to the sinkhole that we've been reporting for the last few days. 152 and i-95, looking good at the moment. delays at 95 around white marsh area. as research over to 83 and timonium road, south of traffic on the harrisburg expressway this building to the belt line -- is building to the beltway. >> looking at the radar quick, there is a few dark spots out there and. maybe parts of the metro area. that is all we are expecting, until we get later into the debt. -- day. 77 in pasadena, 74 in randallstown. combined with the monarchy, it will feel hotter. -- with humidity, it will feel hotter. heat index could be below 100

later this afternoon. actual air temperature expected to be in the mid-90's. chance of showers and storms later in the day. any storm that develops could be on the dusty side. --

the 27th day of july, 2012. this makes this friday the day the 2012 summer olympic games in london get under way with a fabulous opening ceremony a little later on. we have come to our home in olympic park for the next couple of weeks this morning. a second ago, savannah, we're saying we're so close to the village, sometimes athletes step over and join us. >> that happened to us. we've got the u.s. women's field hockey team here. morning. >> morning. >> you're the captain. why don't we start with you? >> lauren.

>> were you in beijing? >> i was in beijing, yes. >> what are the prospects for this team? >> we're planning on standing on the podium in two weeks time. we're just going to take it one game at a time. >> i'm going to scoot over here and get these guys. the question everyone wants to know, what's it like to live in the athletes village. >> it's an amazing experience to be surrounded by so many world-class athletes and people who love playing the sports, the culture as well. you're immersed in an environment. sometimes is chaotic. >> have you seen athletes you're dying to meet? >> pal gasol last night, that was pretty cool. the gymnast. >> lolo jones. >> i know you guys have been practicing. you showed me right over there. how is the field? does it feel good? >> yeah. >> you know what's funny, we were talking a second ago, we asked, how were your accommodations, food. you said, great, you get it 234 hours a day.

somebody said that's a problem sometimes. you have to be careful. good luck, ladies. it's a pleasure to meet you. we wish you the best. happy to have you there. we also told you call your families back at home. hopefully wave to them. they are watching now. >> a fun day. over to the u.s. ambassadors residence, al is going to check in with the first lady of the united states, michelle obama. >> yeah. we've got more athletes coming on, u.s. gymnastics team, fab five as they are called. i got to meet and chat with them. we'll see that in a few minutes. >> natalie is standing by at the news desk with a check of the headlines. natalie. >> good morning, everyone. mitt romney got a sharp rebuke from british officials and media when he questioned whether london was fully prepared to full off the olympics during an exchange in that city with brian william. today romney said autos convinced the games will be a suck. he's traveling to jerusalem tomorrow. president obama is signing legislation that expands u.s.

military and civilian cooperation with israel. the sex scandal at lackland air force base in texas is growing. three more instructors are under investigation for possible sexual misconduct involving female trainees. that brings the total to 15. on saturday one former instructor was sentenced to 20 years in prison for rape and sexual assault. federal officials say more than 700 engineers, contractors, lawyers, and others have been killed while working to rebuild iraq after the 2003 u.s. invasion there. nearly half of them were americans of it's the first time federal officials tried to estimate those casualties. let's head to wall street. courtney reagan at the new york stock exchange. good morning, courtney. >> good morning, natalie. a day after the dow gained on positive comments, investors are going to have to divide their attention between europe, economy and earnings. speaking of earnings, facebook reported a net loss of its first quarter as a public company,

also in line with what analysts had expected. but the revenue growth was the lowest in more than a year. that's troubling. natalie, back to you. >> all right. courtney reagan at the new york stock exchange, thanks. now for a look at what's trending. a roundup of what has you talking only. green day front man ready for the time of his life. he's joined nbc "the voice," with aguilera's team. "twilight" heartthrob robert pattinson has moved out of the los angeles home he shared with co-star and girlfriend kristen stewart. pattinson is said to be heart broken and angry over stewart's admission this week she had a fling with film director rupert sanders. one more time for a song that has been a team sport, olympic singers are making a splash with their own numbers. well, you heard it here. ♪ ♪ i missed you so bad

i missed you so so bad ♪ ♪ before you came into my life i missed you so bad ♪ >> the video is racking up thousands of hits by the hour. we're going to talk more about that coming up. having a little fun there in the pool. it's 8:05. let's turn it back over to matt and savannah. >> the under water shots were pretty cool. all right, natalie, thanks. we want to check in with al now who is over at the u.s. ambassador's house in london with a very special guest. al, good morning. >> that's right, savannah and matt. we're thrilled to have the first lady, michelle obama. thrilled to have you here. >> thrilled to be here. >> this is a gorgeous setting. >> it's fun. >> got to do let's move with kids out here. >> part of let's move, one of the things we wanted to do. we invited u.s. military families here, as well as kids from the uk who normally wouldn't have access to the olympic games.

the u.s. ambassador opened up his yard. we've had games. we've had david beckham out here, a number of the u.s. athletes, current and former olympians here and we've just been playing on the lawn. >> tonight you're going to clean up and get ready. >> that's right. >> you are leading our u.s. delegation. what's that going to be like? >> it will be awe inspiring for me, humbling. i've never been to an olympics before. to go from never attending an olympics to heading the u.s. delegation, it will be a proud moment for me personally. i know it's going to be exciting for everyone. >> this is something very special to you. growing up, you watched the olympics with your dad. >> i don't think i'm different from any other kid in the country growing up, but the olympics was it. we all gathered around the tv. i told the story earlier with the olympic athletes. but because my dad had ms, and he was an athlete. sports and the ability to watch sports was really all he had.

so it meant a lot to my family. now being able to meet some of these paraolympians, pushing through and being inspiring to other kids of all abilities, it's truly an amazing thing to see. >> what events are you looking forward to seeing? >> well, i'm going to get to see a little tennis. i hope to see some of the swimming and maybe a little basketball here and there. >> any possibility the president is going to come over to -- >> no. >> not even the basketball? >> he is so jealous of me right now. he is so jealous. but no, he won't be able to make it. >> i know there's a big contest coming up. i wanted to get your thoughts on ryan versus lochte. >> my goodness, no way. i'm not going for that. go team usa. >> i had to ask. >> thanks. nice try. >> thank you so much. >> thank you so much, al. >> another hot and humid day.

expecting highs in the mid 90's today. it will feel like the low 100 and that's your latest weather. savannah. >> al, thanks. much more from here in london, including our visit with the fab five, u.s. women's gymnastics team right after this. [ male announcer ] summer is here.

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competition really begins. a group of teenager girls from the usa may really feel the show. jordyn, aly, gabby, mckayla, kyl kyla, names to remember. the u.s. gymnastics team, also known as the fab five. they may be new faces now but pretty soon they will be recognized everywhere they go. >> gabby, nice to meet you. >> i have here the cover of "sports illustrated." are you guys ready to be household names? has it sunk in? here you are. it's real. >> no, it hasn't for me. >> it's still like crazy. >> there are thousands of girls who wish they were in your position right now. here i'm looking at the five who did it. that has got to feel great. >> it feels amazing. it's still so surreal to be here. we've been working so hard.

i'm just so proud. all these girls of my best friends and we have so much fun together. >> they are a young team. the oldest is 18. the youngest just 15 years old. >> the last time the u.s. women's team won team gold, it was 1996, and then a little bit later kyla was born. what does it mean to you to think about grasping that very hard to reach goal as a team? >> you know, just living up to expectations of winning the goal. it's going to be hard work. i think the main thing we have to remember is just to go out there and hit our team the way we've been practicing. we've been training really hard. >> is it true you and kyla made a pact when you were little girls to make it to the olympics together? >> we definitely dreamed about going to the olympics. we never thought it would like come true. >> i did. >> it's crazy we made it. >> you guys have sacrificed a

lot. what's it like to be a normal teenager but working for a goal. >> being a normal teenager. we're not normal. we do crazy skills and tumble. being normal is understated. >> it's overrated. >> on thursday the girls had what's called podium training. it was the first and only time they are able to practice in the stadium where they will make their olympic debut. how did it feel? how do you guys feel right now about your competition? >> coming out and training today, it was exciting to see the arena for the first time. it boosts the confidence to see how well we did there. hopefully we can come in on sunday and rock the house. >> well said. mckayla, i know you've got an old injury on your foot that's been cropping up again. how are you feeling? how did you feel today? >> i felt good today. i was excited to come out and hit the vault i needed to. it was amazing being out there.

>> jordyn and kyla, a lot has been said about that competition and rivalry. you're best of friends. >> we're teammates. we want each other to do well. it pushes out to do better and better things. that's good for the whole team. >> you're avid tweeters. you've seen celebrity sightings, who have you seen? >> michael phelps and brian lochte. >> and volleyball. we're the shortest ones, they are the tallest. >> you can see them across the room. who is somebody you're dying to meet at the olympics. >> usain. we all want to meet him. he's next on our list. >> you're warned. the olympic gymnasts are after you. i have someone to meet you. he's not exactly usain but for now ryan seacrest and his moves will have to do.

are you guys practicing your british accent? >> a lot. >> may i hear it, mckayla. >> we're all the gymnasts and very excited to compete here at the 2012 london olympics. >> have you tried in british stew? >> no. >> but they are not just here for a jolly good time. they have come to london to get a job done. to be at this level, what does it take? >> years and years of hard work and passion for the sport. it's about pushing yourself when you feel like you're exhausted and you can't do it anymore. >> you have to love what you do. >> it's just amazing to know if you have a dream and love something so much, you can get there if you put your mind to it. >> they are just adorable. you love every single one of them. >> i got chills. when you see how hard they worked, thinking about them as little girls dreaming about this moment. i asked them, have you visualized yourself on the podium winning gold. a lot said yes. >> you can imagine the pressure they are under. what a lot of people don't

realize about these olympic athletes, when they are here they are in serious competition mode. they are away from maybe their families here. many of them don't get a chance to see their families until their competition is over. coming up later on we're going to be talking with both gabby and jordyn's moms. they are going to join us and talk about what's that like for them. >> we'll all be watching the fab five. memorize those names. giada de laurentiis gives us a taste of the olympics. don't go over 2000... 1200 calories a day. carbs are bad. carbs are good. the story keeps changing. so i'm not listening... to anyone but myself. i know better nutrition when i see it: great grains. great grains cereal starts whole and stays whole. see the seam? more processed flakes look nothing like natural grains. you can't argue with nutrition you can see. great grains. search great grains and see for yourself. for multi grain flakes that are an excellent source of fiber try great grains banana nut crunch and cranberry almond crunch.

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laurentiis got to sample great foods with a foodie. >> one of the most famous we should try. wow, thank you very much. >> the colors. >> it's going to be a little hot with the chilies on top. with the kick. >> these are very tasty. i want to come back here, it's so good. >> next stop is my favorite thai restaurant. >> yellow curry with lamb. >> it is. most end up getting green or red curry. this is different. give it a go. is that good? i'm going to try one. >> now, this one is super refreshing. >> it is. >> where are we off to now. >> around the corner from brick lane. >> i'm ready.

this is how you attack it. want me to show you how to eat it, too. this is my favorite. >> why don't we take you to the kitchen and show you how to cook it. >> two teaspoons, starting with red chili, turmeric, tomato paste, garlic. put that together in the cooker. coriander and out it goes. there we go. >> i think we need british fare here. >> okay. i think i can help. >> oh, boy." . >> the inside are -- >> yeah. >> there we go. now you can see it's a pig. >> a garnish of pig ears because there's not enough pig thain. >> never enough pig. >> who knew blood cakes could look so great. one, two, three, going down.

it's good. >> giada likes it and she's here with us now along with the field hockey team who are all very hungry. another person who has an olympic diet is ryan seacrest. come on in, ryan. ryan is starving after that splits routine earlier. >> americans are going to see that split soon. >> what she brought, first bangladesh curry, this platter here. >> yes. basically brick lane has lots of different types of food, lots of epic food. most is curry. so bangladesh curry, the mango curry is my favorite. >> slightly sweet. >> go with the non. >> the spinach. >> spicy? >> no, sweet. >> want to try some, ryan? >> i've got to watch out for

bloating and halitose. >> you sound like my roommate. how do you know? >> you told me. >> this islam. >> this, ryan darling, this is for you. this is the indian food. no dairy there. you should be fine. your breath, i don't know. >> then we've got some blood cakes. who wants to try blood cakes. >> anything with blood in the title, i definitely want to eat. >> this is all basically pork products. >> british. >> this is all british. you've got a duck egg on top. you've got basically all pork inside here. >> pig. >> pig blood. fried ears. >> come on, guys. >> let's do it. >> come on, savannah. >> it's like chocolate pudding. >> like cake. >> you can finish it off with a swedish drink. >> that's motivation. this is not easy to do.

>> is there alcohol in that? >> alcohol, lots of it and vodka. >> great, see you guys later. >> the ladies will eat it if you guys won't. >> be careful with that. >> you can all wash it down. >> a little kick here. >> i'll try. >> a little vodka. >> these berries, lingen berries. they put a lot of fruit in their drink. we've got a variety of different flavors. all in one place you can have all of these different things. >> i don't think ryan and natalie fully tasted the blood sausage. >> behind you. >> i've got to tell you, i see tears on the field hockey team? >> that's good. >> i think you're a little star struck, ryan. the pig ears are better. >> you've got to break the yoke and get into this. >> much more from olympic park including a visit with michael

phelps mom and sister after your local news. >> this is wbal-tv 11 news today in baltimore. >> good morning. i am mindy basara. let's get off on a check of the morning commute with sarah caldwell. aslet's get you up-to-date you head out the door liberty road and route 32, watch for. downed. turn lanes are blocked at the moment. police activity, and essex road and marston road, an accident. accident being cleared at kane street and lombard street. watch for closures and monument between wolfe street and

patterson park. orleans is your alternate, because of that sinkhole. 83 and ruxton road, southbound traffic looking pretty good at the moment. building on the north side of york road. delays in place. heavier on the west side. ava, over to you. >> traffic cameras starting to brighten up out there. this is going to heat up temperatures quickly. 78 at the airport, 79 in catonsville. it gets even hotter in the afternoon. it could feel like the low 100. the actual air temperature expected to be in the mid-to-of- 90's. downtown may get to the triple digit mark. chance for storms today, especially in the afternoon. we have a heat adviser from baltimore county to cecil county. temperatures in the 90s today.

a little bit better on sunday. >> thank you for joining us. another update at 8:56.

8:30 on this friday morning, july 27th, 2012. that is a date we've had marked on our calendars for a long, long, long time. the opening ceremony of the 2012 olympics. you can really feel the excitement starting to build in the air here at olympic park. good morning, everyone. i'm savannah guthrie alongside

natalie morales. >> all on special assignment, matt preparing for opening ceremonies. al, as you saw, at the winfield house, busy. >> hanging with the first lady. we'll catch up with him in a little bit. >> ryan seacrest, our special correspondent. he'll join us back. his first olympics. he's been snapping a lot of photo, athletes and other thins around town. we'll catch up with him in a minute as well. >> we all know when mike phelps gets in the pool he has a wonderful, emotional cheering section of his moms and sisters. they will stop by in a little bit. we'll talk to them about how they feel about the competition under way. >> they look confident, they look cool and collected. so excellent. speaking of team usa swimming. if they are feeling any pressure, i don't think anybody is showing any right here today. coming up we're going to have more of that hit we showed you in our news "call me maybe" song. their version going viral already as we speak. >> pretty cool.

they have under water shots. >> it's pretty cool. >> having fun. >> first we want to check in with a couple of special guests. we have wenlock. one of the olympic athletes. he doesn't talk. >> hunter kemper. >> how are you? >> good morning to you. what an honor, you're going to be captain of the team. that's got to add an extra special something. >> feels great. it's my fourth olympic games. i won't say it's old hat, it never gets old. just 100% usa. so proud. >> when i look at the training schedule you're under. so people know what you do, you swim 18 to 20 miles all in a week, run 60 miles, bike about 250 miles. that's 325 miles a week. no wonder you look. look how thin you are. you have to keep eating. >> a lot of hoarding calories. this is what i do fulltime. this is my dream, to win the

olympic games. it's so exciting. >> are you feeling good in are you excited about the competition? you've been in four games and your place has gotten better every time. >> hopefully i can win that childhood dream. i placed seventh in beijing. winning would be icing on my career. >> when you were 20. >> i'm the old guy, 36 years old. my very first, 100 yard swim, 1k bike ride, run, i bet two other ten years old. >> best in your age group. there you go. >> yeah. >> i think for a lot of spectators, they may not know this is such a great sport to watch. even if you don't have a ticket, the swim starts in hyde park in the pond. >> it does. august 7th is the men's race. we start at 11:30 a.m. exciting. one mile swim, 40 kilometers of

cycling, right by bucking him palace. can say hello to the queen. maybe not me particularly but the british athletes. ten we run 10-k in hyde park. it's an open venue. anyone can come out and support us. hopefully we'll get a lot of usa cheers. >> speaking of cheers, you did the favor of trying to teach me how to cheer. teach me again. >> my initial cheer, i didn't want you to come to the first olympic games and not know what to do, be passive, very much watch them go by. that's not cool. or the golf clap. shhh. no good. you have to be very aggressive. >> okay. here we go. come on, hunter, doing good. whoa! coming your way. >> get em. >> gold medal. yea! there you go.

that's it. >> gold medal. >> we underplayed it. >> here is the deal. we come around like seven times. seven laps on the bike, four laps on the run. >> the whole way. >> the whole two hours. >> hunter, we are ready to cheer for you. >> so excited. >> over to al. check the weather. hope he's in a cheering mood. come on, al. can you do it. >> you left wenlock hanging. >> he doesn't talk. >> he doesn't see that well either. >> now getting a little freaky. hi, guys. we're here with shawn johnson who recently announced her retirement, just june of this year. you tried to make the olympic team, didn't quite, but now a correspondent for today.com, special correspondent. what are you looking forward to now? >> getting to see from this side of it. it's a little bittersweet.

i would give anything to be on the team. coming up short and happy to retire was the bess decision for me. now getting to interview athletes and have fun with it. it's going to be interesting. >> we were talking a little bit. this is going to be really the first fully social media game. can that be a distraction for the athletes? >> they can, if they allow it. they have to censor themselves. there's going to be a lot of critics, opinions, competitors on social media who will say and do what they want. if they read it, it can get to them. >> what's it going to be like watching the opening ceremony as a spectator. >> it's going to be weird. i would love to be walking through it. i'll probably get a little emotional through it. it's going to be cool seeing my teammates walk through. >> we're thrilled to have you as a special correspondent for

>> we are starting off today with muggy conditions and some sprinkles. we'll have partly cloudy skies. >> and that's your latest weather. savannah. >> all right, al. thanks. coming up next, ryan seacrest's very first olympic photo album. he's going to share it with us. first, this is "today" on nbc. [ male announcer ] now at your neighborhood subway: the new santa fe steak melts. get extra grande flavor with the santa fe steak & bacon melt or add egg for a santa fe steak, bacon & egg melt, perfect for breakfast or any time of day. subway. eat fresh.

the stage is almost set for tonight's opening xxx olympiad.

ryan seacrest covering live. good morning. >> good to see you guys. >> ryan, you've been here a week. have you figured out the lay of the land? if you figured out where everything is. >> allow time. allow time. i was told by nbc staff, don't be late. you can feel the enthusiasm, pace building, the people, spectators as well as the athletes ready to kick it off. >> you feel tightness in your legs after being with the gymnasts. rather than tell you, we'll show you. >> one, two, three. >> i'm out. >> i can't even touch my toes. >> this is as far as i can go. back to you, savannah. >> the russian judge wasn't as nice. >> there was a moment of

uncertainty there. i wasn't sure i was going to get up and have a seam. i was worried. >> in your pants, your jeans purchase i was inspired by the athletes. >> when you said do the splits, i backed up. >> you went for it. >> see you later, seacrest. s.g. out. >> what are your impressions with the athletes, what they are eating. >> i spent time with jordyn wieber and gabby douglas. the whole team had just come back from the arena. i asked what was their impression, how did they feel standing there. they said, we're focused, ready to go. i think the whole team feels that way. >> you're an afterward tweeter. >> don't call me a twit. >> the other word we're not going to say. >> not yet. we're on our best behavior. you have a photo album. can you show what you've done. >> i've been taking pictures and sending them out. this is my first shot with you

guys, fencing for the nbc promo. wasn't quite sure how that one will turn out. obviously, look uncomfortable. next a photo of me with michael phelps. i went to where he trains outside of baltimore. had a chance to spend time with his family and speak with him. a lot of michael phelps -- i spent a good deal of time with michael phelps. here is daniel, competing for his first goal as gymnast. it's a cool story. his stepfather is also his coach of his stepfather is one that daniel rolls his eyes to sometimes. he loves to spotlight. >> a shot on the plane. >> preparing. >> doing a little background. >> '84 olympics. >> you have to start from scratch. so i do the radio every day from the moose lodge, our dorm. the radio setup where we've got people who come by. next here is the u.s. swim team.

phelps, natalie coughlin. also e! news work. >> how many jobs do you have? >> i should be at leigh now. >> tonight, too, part of the opening ceremonies. >> tonight i'll be part of that, down on the field covering all of that action. >> also you were going to deliver pizza to the athletes. >> what would you like? >> no anchovies, hold the anchovies. you actually tweeted during the rehearsal last night. we know there's a whole save the surprise. you're not going to give away a lot here. >> i'm feeling my way out here. they said cover the social media aspect. i'm doing it. i forget there's a process here at nbc. i did find some video. we shot this out. this is something we captured just behind the scenes. >> take a look. >> they won't let you shoot that. sorry. actually rehearsals are going on for the opening ceremony. the rules say we're not allowed to show you anything.

so i'm back here behind the stands. i can tell you this, it will be something you've got to see. it's going to be a show you'll want to catch of don't miss it. come back here. check in here for all things olympic, right in we good? we good? >> there's an in-depth -- here is what i can tell you. we did see most of the actual ceremony. i think two elements were left out. they are big surprises. we didn't see those things. you've got danny boyle, an oscar winner in charge of this. he's going to put on an legendary show with music, hints of broadway, hollywood, pageantry. there were a couple of moments in which i was sitting there next to bob and matt and we were watching something happen about here, eye line here, and we looked at each other and went, wow, wow. there are some wow moments. >> did you cry? >> i cry, natalie, a lot.

commercials inspire me sometimes. >> security guys will take you away for that tweet. >> nothing new. >> unauthorized tweet. ryan, thank you. >> thanks. >> have a great time tonight. look forward to watching i. can you catch the opening ceremony here on nbc starting at 6:30, 7:30 central time. up next, team phelps. we'll chat with michael's mom and sisters. but first this is "today" on nbc.

welcome back to london's olympic park. michael phelps begins his quest to become the most decorated olympian of all time on saturday. can you expect to see his biggest fans cheering him on at the aquatic center. his mom debbie and sisters hillary and whitney. ladies, good morning to you. >> good morning. >> are we nervous? >> a little bit. >> how are you feeling about it? >> wonderful. we got in last night.

the good thing about it, michael called us in the airport in washington. michael called. we were all passing the phone around before we boarded the plane. we were excited to talk to him. >> was he missing you guys? >> i think he was. he was like, when are you getting here? he's on twitter. >> will you get to see him before or game phase lockdown. >> game phase lockdown. >> see him between swims. >> we see him when everybody else sees him. when he comes up and gives us a hug and the flowers. that's when we see him. we talk to him on text message. other than that, he's doing his job. >> i knorr you guys are used to him making history at this point. if he gets three medals of any color, he'll be the most decorated olympian ever. has that sunk in, debbie? >> that's wild. it really is. i saw a picture of michael and it was so memorable to see the two of them. it hasn't sunk in, savannah.

it has not. >> especially for the mom who drove him to swim practice, the sisters who inspired him. what do you think about that possibility? are you pretty sure it's going to happen? >> i think for us, we're such a supportive family that everybody does. to us, personally, i don't think beijing has really set in yet. we're just there supporting my brother, her son, on his quest to accomplish his goals and be the greatest that he can be. so it's a little hard to believe. pretty historic. >> he's really marked his place in history. >> hard to grasp it. wasn't entire an easy road. he's been really canned it about some of the struggles, getting that passion again for swimming. was it hard to watch him go through that? >> it was hard. he had to work sometimes in isolation to be able to say i'm going to dedicate four more years. i'm going to come on the world

stage and perform at my highest level. but i was so happy when i got the phone call and he was like, okay, mom. i'm in. great. he's excited. i'm excited as a mom here as well as as a grand mom. we have my granddaughter with us this olympics. not only does he have three women in the stands, he now has four women in the stands. that's really exciting for us. >> he may have the world's best cheering section. if there were gold medals for that, i think you guys would definitely win. >> thank you. >> i know you're hoping mom, this won't be the end. are you thinking he'll retire? >> he's been swimming for so long. he's worked so hard for so many years. he's accomplished so much. more than almost any olympian has almost ever accomplished. i think it's coming to that time to hang up the suit and cap and goggles and go onto the next adventure. >> thank you so much for being with us. we're all so proud of him. >> thank you for having us and

thank you london. >> we'll have more in a few moments including michael phelps and his u.s. teammates taking on -- have you seen this -- "call me maybe." first this is "tod"

welcome back to london where the u.s. swimming team is making

a splash out of the pool as w l well. take a look at their version of call me maybe. ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ >> you see every swimmer involved, michael phelps,

apparently ladies on the u.s. swim team were the brains behind this. >> yes. >> and decided to get everyone in the action. >> i see a lot of star quality. >> missy franklin. >> rowdy gains, our commentator. >> dan hicks, andrea cramer, commentators for us. >> we think dancing is even harder under water. >> i can only imagine going down water slides. >> doing well. >> a lot more from london. we want to show you we've already had a good time here, one week. we'll show you highlights from behind the scenes at the "today" show. >> it rained here for 734 consecutive days until i arrived a couple of days ago. since that time, voila, knoll but sunshine. what are you doing here? they said, we're the diving team. you're the diving team? don't tell me you weren't wearing. >> a lot to do with security.

after push publicized gaffes and big concerns -- >> are you putting a lot of sunscreen on the top of the dome. >> queue the theme music. who better to tell us about the queen of the women, meredith vieira. >> good morning. >> none shall pass. >> ryan seacrest will not be -- in addition to being sponsor for flag ceremonies at soccer venues. >> for the record, that was not my mistake. >> en garde. >> just like that, he's out. >> we're walking, we're walking, we're walking. >> this is like the mod squad meets the great wall of china. >> without further ado, i know there are boats waiting. >> this is really exciting. tower bridge.

>> danny devito here. >> the moment my career died. >> i feel a lot closer to you now. >> didn't work out so well, did it? >> there we go. >> if you're going to be president of the united states, you have to make some tough calls. so is it phelps or lochte? >> we also told you to call your families back home. hopefully wave to them. they are watching now. w >> this is wbal-tv 11 news today in baltimore. >> good morning. i am mindy basara. police now know what the suspect looks like in the vi ripken abduction investigation. it shows a man about 5'10", 180

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>> another hot and sticky day. temperatures in the mid-to-upper 90s in the afternoon. chance for storms at any point today. any storm could be on the gusty sign. we dry out on sunday with a high of 88.