and we're back now with more of "today" on a thursday morning, the 2nd day of august 2012. we're here at our home in olympic park on what is right now a glorious morning, lots of sunshine, lots of screaming fans gathered around us. we always like that. i'm matt lauer along with savannah guthrie and al roker. team gold, they have to keep

their head in the game because they have another round. >> also ahead, some of the high tech gar some of the -- gear so the athletes are wearing here in london. >> and she retired to have a baby, got back into the game just in time and won another gold here in london. we're going to talk to her live. >> great accomplishment. let's go to natalie. she has the latest olympic news. >> with more hardware for team usa and a few surprises as phelps and lochte prepare to face off in the pool once again. a big surprise in the pool. u.s. swimmer nathan adrian taking gold in the men's 100 meter freestyle. the victory just 0.01 ahead of australia's missile james

magnussen. so close, adrian wasn't even sure he won. >> i thought i looked up and started celebrating. then i thought wait a minute, did i really win? then a flood of emotions. >> michael phelps is trying for more olympic medals. wednesday he went head to head with teammate ryan lochte in the semifinal of the individual medley. lochte finishing first, phelps second. the final duel in the pool is later today. more gold for missy franklin and the u.s. women. they won the 4x200 freestyle relay, thanks for allison schmidt who rallied from behind for victory. >> i can't stop smiling. i think it the biggest smile

i've had in my life and that says a lot because i love smiling. >> and danell leyva had some difficulty on the pommel horse but closed the day with his routine on the bars. bad news in badminton. eight players kicked out of the game for trying to lose. players were disqualified for trying to lose on purpose so they could get a better spot in the next competition. fans were outraged, some asking for their money back. and a show of olympic spirit didn't quite work out for the mayor of london. boris johnson tried to zipline through victoria park wednesday, but something went wrong and he got stuck. >> get me a ladder. >> the mayor hung out for several minutes until help arrived. he says it was no big deals and wants fans to give it a try.

>> it was wonderful. i'm going to do it later on. >> he started a viral trend as a result. the other events to watch today, the women's individual all-around in gymnastics. china remains in the medal lead with 30, the u.s. second, in third japan with 17. >> to the other top stories this morning, the faa is investigating a close call tuesday near washington, d.c. three use airways planes came within seconds of colliding with when a storm was approaching and instructions were changing coming into washington airport. an incoming plane flew head on towards two other planes and they came within just 12 seconds of colliding. the labor department says unemployment rates rose in almost 90% of u.s. cities in june. it blames the jump in part on young people who graduated from school when no firm job prospects. unemployment numbers for july

come out tomorrow. >> toyota is recalling almost 780,000 vehicles in the u.s. to fix a suspension problem that led to nine crashes and three minor injuries. it covers the rav 4 as well as the 2010 lexus sedan. >> the ban on abortions starting in the 20th week in pregnancy was to go into effect today but opponents say it was unconstitutional. the appeals court plans to hold a feeling in the fall. >> and lines were long at chik-fil-a chains yesterday to show support after its president took a stand against same-sex marriage. backers of gay marriage plan their own counterprotest at chik-fil-a restaurants tomorrow. >> the attorney for michael jackson's mother is expected to file papers proposing a chang in the guardianship arrangement for

jackson's three children. michael's will named his 82-year-old mother, katherine, as guardian. the new arrangement would add his cousin, t.j. jackson, as co-guardians to help raise them. >> the penthouse apartment in new york, new york once belonged to frank sinatra. a photo of sinatra near the entrance is said to be the same one he hung in the same spot. the piece of history can be your for just $7.7 million. >> and move over double rainbow guy because now there's excited train guy. yeah, he gets just a little bit carried away when he see as vintage train in northern new york. >> oh, my god! she's beautiful. she is beautiful, yeah! oh my, god! we're going to watch this. oh, this is special. this is special! oh! >> it is special. the man said he has waited for that moment for months.

the excited train guy is on track to become a big hit online. it is now five minutes past the hour. let's go back over to savannah and al. >> made a bit of a caboose out of himself actually. >> yow. >> natalie, thank you. >> anyway, we are taking a look at what we've got for you for today. we're talking about some strong storms but we also looking at tropical depression five. right now it's about 505 miles east of the winward islands, 35 mile-per-hour winds moving west at about 25 miles per hour. its track is going to keep it really to the south moving across jamaica sometimes within the next few days. and it should stay to the south but it could make its way into the gulf. gorgeous weather in the pacific northwest today, record heat in

texas and into nebraska. calmer weather in the northeast and new england, temperatures >> good morning. there is some patchy fog in some areas. we should be into the low 90's. >> and that's your latest weather. natalie? >> all right, thank you, al. after their gold medal performances for team usa tuesday night, aly raisman and gabby douglas hope to capture gold again in tonight's

individual all around. elsie and tim, good morning to you guys. >> good morning. >> let's start it out with the practice earlier today. how are they looking? have you been able to see them out there yet? >> we haven't actually seen them in training today. they are pretty much locked down at this point. but i have no doubt how they're going to be feeling. as a team, each one of these five athletes on the women's side, they are so well conditioned and so prepared physically that they could keep going for weeks and weeks, whereas other teams are already looking to fade a little bit. aly raisman and gabby douglas, they will be strong and ready for this without a doubt. >> elsie, clearly there's a huge confidence boost that comes with winning a team gold. but now they're competing against each other. are nerves really the concern with gabby and with aly? >> well, i don't really see that as being a problem anymore.

we were concerned about gabby coming into the competition. she's had some issues on certain elements in her routines buttion what more she can do to prove to all of us that she's absolutely ready to go. she's already proven it in qualification. i think gabby is really in the zone. if she goes out there, she has an absolutely shot of winning the medal. >> what about aly? >> she needs to do exactly what she's always done. aly is about lways very sturdy. she does have a few places in the all-around where she doesn't have the level of difficulty and execution of a gabby or komova from russia, that's on the uneven bars.

if she can one, two, three, four sets in a row, she'll absolutely be competitive. on paper, victoria komova has the highest overall scores going into the finals. >> do you think they're going to show up with a greater attack here, elsie? >> well, they need to because we haven't seen it yet. those two diva you know, it in their eyes and their body language. it's hair tear call. in the competition, i don't think they've shown us her best. elena is coming in and if her teammate comes in doing her best, she could be on top. those two are going to make this competition really close and really, sighting. >> i'm going to put you on the

spot. are you thinking it's a one-two finish? who will be in one and who will be in two? >> that's so hard to say. i believe in gabby douglas can go out and do what she's been doing at these olympic games, i think she's your all-around champion. all that being said, victoria komova has not been able to do what she's capable of. if she does and gabby does, it's going to be really tight. i think the edge goes to komova. aly will be rock solid, consistent. she's going to be there if anybody makes a mistake. a bronze is very likely. if there are errors from those top two, she could jump all the way to goal. >> just with the stage of international judges. typically they love that line. remember when nastia loiukin wo.

it's going to be great. >> let's hope your predictions hold true. >> coming up next, olympic gear that can give you an edge during your next workout. and another day, another medal for the u.s. diving team. but first these messages. kos gr. it's creamy, nonfat, and it turns the next person you see into john stamos for five seconds. honey! i think i'm getting burned! heh! eat. ♪ tastes pretty good, huh? ♪ best yogurt ever. yeah! [ men grunting ] open! [ male announcer ] dannon oikos berry flavors beat chobani 2 to 1 in a national taste test. oikos greek yogurt. possibly the best yogurt in the world. oikos greek yogurt. hey, becky. hey....uncle steve.

for life's bleachable moments. [ female announcer ] weak, damaged hair needs new aveeno nourish+ strengthen. active naturals wheat formulas restore strength

for up to 90% less breakage in three washes. for strong, healthy hair with life, new aveeno nourish+ strengthen. box tops for education is on every bag of chex mix. ♪ so your school can earn cash to buy great stuff. chex mix. choose the snack that gives back. ♪guitar [phone ringing] hi. oh there you are. hey babe.how are ya?

daddy,look! you lost another tooth. [man thinking] don't grow up without me. oh,uh riley wants to say hi. riley... hey buddy...keep 'em safe. [announcer] we know how important your dog is. so help keep him strong and healthy with the total care nutrition... in purina dog chow. because you're not just a family. you're a dog family. we miss you. olympic athletes are always looking for that extra edge, and what they can wear can make all the difference. dave is the editor and chief of men's health and women's health magazine. he's here with more. >> good to see you, al. >> what they wear, can that be the difference between medaling and not medaling? >> olympic athletes are like

astronauts. they try all this gear and bring it back to us. it's much better than tang. >> starting with these shoes. >> $175, you can get them at nicky.com. they're 20% lighter than the three people who got first, second and third in the 2011 world championships. >> that's light. >> if only nike would sell them by the pound, then we'd be totally set. >> what's this? >> this is compression gear for underarmor. michael phelps actually wears this to bed. >> really? >> he does. >> like a hyperbaric chamber? >> right. >> this is an extra large? >> he's being dead serious. your damaged muscles don't get -- >> it keeps it in.

>> so you recover faster. >> how much is something look this? >> $130. this is $120, it's the what usa basketball team is using. it's 96% recycled material. it's going to keep you cool by whisking the moisture away but be cool because you're wearing something recycled. >> the men had to change what they were wearing for swim wear. >> right. this is a speedo, michael phelps and ryan lochte. what's great about it is it increases your speed. it reduces drag by 16.6%. >> is that with or without the potato? anyway -- >> you got the goggles, which also are totally performance enhanced and you got the -- and then you go over to cycling. >> what's this? >> that's just for you.

you put that on. see? >> ow! >> now go jump in the water. >> i maybe should have taken my ears out first. >> you can tuck those in, too. >> thank you. cycling. >> we have the giro helmet. it reduces drag. you get basically more energy for performance. >> and the shoes? >> same thing here. these are giro. the empire. go ahead. 275. ♪ if i were a rich man i can't quite get it on. >> i'm on my way to a -- i'm not going to say it. >> jason, thank you so much. when we come back, our latest gold medal winner cyclist, she won the gold. >> she wins gold again!

the capital one cash rewards card gives you a 50% annual bonus. and everyone likes 50% more [ russian accent ] rubles. eh, eheh, 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? [ italian accent ] 50% more dough! the unlimited soup, salad, and breadsticks lunching. at olive garden. just $6.95. fresh, crisp salad made when you order it, four soups made fresh daily, baked breadsticks right out of the oven! just $6.95. look who we got here. put a little pepper on that. i'm a typical mom.

i go to amusement parks. and my kid's games. and just like any typical mom i'm thrilled when my champion loves to eat something nutritious, like chobani champions yogurt. it's a good source of protein, and most important, he loves it. so even though i'm an olympian, around here, i'm just another mom trying to help her champion win the day. chobani champions. win the day. kristin armstrong retired after winning individual gold in the timed trials four years ago but she came out of retirement to compete here in london and defended her title. kristin joins us this morning. congratulations with that gold medal around your neck. i guess retirement didn't agree with you. >> i know. i just keep getting sucked into the sport. >> you decided to come back after having your son lucas. what compelled to you come back? >> when i retired from the sport

the first time, i wasn't tired of cycling. but the thought of having a 2-year-old on the podium with me in london took my breath away. that was the goal. >> you have to have a pretty good sense of confidence when you're out there. when did you know you were on course to do that? >> we have a coach behind us on the radio talking to us the entire time. but the crowds were so massive out there and so loud, i couldn't hear my coach in my mic. every time i heard rumbling, i thought he's telling me behind. i have to work harder. >> how far ahead were you in the end? >> 13 seconds. >> and your son lucas is here with you? >> yeah. trying to get him on the podium yesterday was try lilike tryingt him through security. >> how tough was it 22 months?

>> being a mom was my number one priority and being a cyclingist after that. >> stephanie, thank you very much. >> we're going to cheer whenever you get my name right. >> we're going to go with this, aren't we? >> why don't up just do it this way. >> trying to get to the wall first. too close to call. adrian with a gold for the u.s.! by 0.01! >> your majesty, from what we understand, we're not exactly sure whether it's legal for us to be taking this on tower bridge but if we get pulled over, can we count on you? >> by this time now you're out of the pool and you're watching with dana and missy.

and what were your emotions when you saw her take that home? >> as soon as she took over the lead, i knew she wasn't going to lose it. this is going to be an olympic medal. as she got closer to the finish and is seemed that she could break records, it was like this is outstanding. oh oh oh oh ooh♪ and then there's the pillow. ♪ i dare you to dare me so they dared me to try this pantene. [ female announcer ] pantene anti-breakage the keratin protection system makes hair stronger reducing breakage up to 97%. ♪ think only salon brands can do that? i dare to compare... will you? [ female announcer ] anti-breakage from pantene. hair so healthy it shines. and set themale announcer ] stage for aakage from pantene. great day.

these are sandra's "homemade" yummy, scrumptious bars. hmm? i just wanted you to eat more fiber. chewy, oatie, gooeyness... and fraudulence. i'm in deep, babe. you certainly are. [ male announcer ] fiber one.

>> this is wbal-tv 11 news in baltimore. >> the temperature will climb a bit of the next few days. we have been stuck in the mid- to-upper-80's to it low 90s this afternoon. mixture of sunshine and clouds. 20% chance for a thunderstorm. same forecast for friday and saturday. best chance for thu

they are already gold medalists but tonight gabby douglas and aly raisman help to join the only american women to win the gymnastic all-around title. >> who is going to take the top prize? also tomorrow you're going to be excited to hear about this, ryan lochte is going to be joining us here live in olympic park.

so you have to come back and come see him. hopefully he'll be wearing a medal on his neck. he's going to be going head to help with michael phelps for what could be the final time, the final duel in the pool. >> and just ahead, it is 5 or 5:30 somewhere. jamie oliver has cleaned up after making a mess, and he's going to make the most classic of all british cocktail, a pims. >> love me some pims. >> and we'll meet a 90-year-old that has attended more summer games than anyone in history. we'll go down memory lane with him. we want to say hello to troy dumais and kristian ipsen who won in the spring board diving.

in your first limb piolympics y an alternate in csydney? >> in atlanta. >> in atlanta. how does it feel? >> it's amazing. it's a dream come true. >> you were 7 years old when you watched troy compete. this must be a dream come true. >> it's crazy. i watched him 2 thousand, four, 2008. in 2004 i was the alternate. i was in his position in 1996. i always tried to emulate his actions and it so amazing. then we paired up and now we got third. >> the dive that advanced you both was a tricky one. tell me about that. >> especially our last one.

every spring board is made a little bit differently. you do a two and a half flips and add to two twists in the middle of it and go into the water without splash. >> you make it sound so easy. >> you always have an expression on your face after you're done. do you know? >> no. it's horrible. i'm always on some sort of web site or something. it's embarrassing. >> it's a lot of effort on your face, right? that says we're going for a medal and we got it. >> congratulations. >> great to have you guys here. well done. see you later. >> thank you. thank you. >> excellent job. all right. and you have a check of the weather for us. >> absolutely. first of all for tomorrow in london, scattered showers, windy today. tomorrow partly sunny skies and even windier. then looking at rain moving in

for the weekend. here today a risk of strong storms in the plains. mild conditions in the pacific northwest. record breaking heat again in the midwest. hot in the mid atlantic states. sunday we expect to see more sunshine, beautiful weather in the pacific northwest. >> good morning. it will be a little bit warmer today and tomorrow. a mixture of sun and clouds. only a 20% chance for a

>> that's your latest weather. >> thank you, al. still ahead, much more from london and olympic park, including a visit with lala anthony, not only an athlete but here to support her husband carmelo anthony.

ho w do es it feel to try smooth, wdelicious hershey's chocolate with 30% less fat? a smooth delicious cause for celebration. new hershey's simple pleasures chocolate. 30% less fat, 100% delicious.

[ music plays ] it's creamy, nonfat, and it turns the next person you see into john stamos for five seconds. honey! i think i'm getting burned! heh! eat.

♪ tastes pretty good, huh? ♪ best yogurt ever. yeah! [ men grunting ] open! [ male announcer ] dannon oikos berry flavors beat chobani 2 to 1 in a national taste test. oikos greek yogurt. possibly the best yogurt in the world. the basketball arena, our

next door neighbor here in olympic park, will be packed tonight when the u.s. men take on nigeria. lala anthony will be there, wife of carmelo anthony. check out these nails. beautifully done. you came to play wearing those nails, right? >> yes, i'm so happy to be here in london. as soon as you get off the plane, you instantly feel the excitement of the olympics. >> you're here to support your husband, carmelo anthony, who was nice enough to come by here yesterday. >> he told me. >> i almost took him out with basketball i think. i almost reinjured his ankle, which was not good. >> all of new york would hate you. >> i know. god forbid that happened. before he left, did you give him any good advice in he's on the dream team, this is his third time being on the dream team.

>> more importantly it's soak it all in. these moments don't come along often. you want to win of course, the goal is to come home with the gold medal. i keep telling him have a good time and soak it all up. >> there is a lot of pressure to upholding the dream team and the name and coming back with the gold because that's the expectation, right? >> absolutely, and it is a lot of pressure. but pressure can be good. it makes you play your hardest and your best. you have kobe, lebron, all these amazing people on one team. >> do they all get along well or does ego in in the way? >> no, they get along. yesterday it was mello, le bronx and myself, we were just hanging around. >> it's like a party. >> exactly. >> i think you probably saw the

hug from michelle obama after the dream team played france, she went around and hugged all the guys. >> an amazing picture, an amazing moment. i'm looking forward to hopefully seeing her here while i'm out and about. >> do you get to hug the president now, is that the deal? >> i would love that opportunity, he's an amazing president, an amazing guy. >> and you're here with your family. your son, he's 5 years old, he's adjusting. >> he's adjusting with his usa shirt and glasses. >> mom's here hanging out? >> yes. >> people who follow your show -- >> i broughtshot here as well. when do you get to capture london and all the excitement. the show will be here filming and we'll capture action that sometimes you don't get to see on tv. >> hopefully there's a good win

and a gold medal in all of that as well. >> absolutely. thank you so much. >> thank you for coming by. up next, we're going to be having some drinks with british chef jamie oliver. is gone. but what about your wrinkles. neutrogena® rapid wrinkle repair. it has the fastest retinol formula available. it's clinically proven to visibly reduce wrinkles in just one week. "why wait if you don't have to." rapid wrinkle repair. neutrogena®. recommended most by dermatologists. [ humming ] [ babbling ] the cheerios bandit got you again? [ both laugh ] ♪ the one and only, cheerios

with the azerbaijani wrestling team. ♪ can febreze air effects defeat the smelly air in their gym for good? [ man ] what can you smell? [ inhales deeply ] a lot of flowers. it's on the zingy side of floral. potpourri factory, maybe. you can take off your blindfolds now. oh my gosh. [ laughter ] [ male announcer ] success. victory over odors, for good, both here and in your home. febreze. breathe happy. there's a place where ther good, bsky is always blueur home.

and the kids always eat their vegetables. because the salad there is always served with the original hidden valley ranch. lt's the way ranch is supposed to taste. and try new italians and vinaigrette's from hidden valley. there's no such whthing as too soft.let paper, i know what i like. i like feeling both clean and pampered. why should i compromise? quilted northern ultra plush®, with the innerlux layer. for a comfortable, confident clean, or your money back.

welcome back to london and "today"'s olympic kitchen. earlier today jamie oliver literally made an eton mess all over himself. he cleaned up and he's back for more. >> lovely. no cream. i got my two boys next to you. >> your two boys next to you,

troy and kristian, the synchronized diving medallists. >> i'm making a pims. basically around europe, what did you say sangria, they would do a thing called a digestive. this happens to be begin based. so you've got another thing tomorrow, right? >> on the 5th and the 7th. >> so you're not drinking. >> welcome to england. >> you're 18, can you drink.

none of that american stuff. >> you're lemonade. one part, about two inches of pims goes in. just pour it in. >> you tell me when. >> two inches is more than enough for me. we're going to go for him for three times lemonade. >> this is like a carbonated lemonade. we're going to go with fresh, summery flavors. think summertime in england. it's sunny for the moment! don't get weeded out with cucumber. we've got some orange in there kpup add clementines. you can put some mandarins in there. >> the more the merrier. >> and we have some mint here,

very fresh. basically it's like a punch. >> i thought it was apple. >> let me just pour a little bit of that away. don't worry about the mess. don't worry about the mess. >> not at all, not at all. >> we like mess! >> so the colder the better approximately a little for you, my bro. a little for you. >> this is synchronized. >> go ahead and try it. >> al's making messes here, too. >> an elegant glass for you. >> and, my friend that, is a pims. and you can use it in sponges, you can flavor ice creams, you can even glaze a ham with that stuff. >> to team usa! >> team usa!

>> and england! >> and our host england. >> and it being 5:00 somewhere! >> you can buy this in the u.s., right? >> it's healthy, it has cucumbers. >> you're getting your vegetables that day. >> jamie oliver, thank you so much. coming up, the california man who is attending his 18th summer olympics, going all the way back to 194

most people consider themselves lucky to attend just one olympic games but harry nelson is in london for his 18th.

he's with us along with his wife, dee. good to you have here! >> thank you. >> how did this whole thing start? i understand it goes back to 1932. >> that's right. when i was a young kid at age 10, something called olympics came to los angeles where we lived. as time went by, i understood. it was next to our house. my brother and cousin, we'd do track. we a bam boo pole for high jump. we used a wheel for our discus. >> speaking of wheels, 1948 i understand you sold your car so

could you come here to london. >> as a matter of fact, i did. i had just been in the service during the war and i'd taken advantage of the gi bill to go to school and i just finished my second year. and my good friend that i knew in high school, who was an enthusiast of track -- i was on the track team in high school so track was our idea. i mean, that was fun. and he was in the orchestra for the jack bennie program. >> oh, yeah. dee, you've been following harry along here ever since for the most part. what's your favorite part of the olympics? and do you have a favorite, if you can even say? >> i don't have a favorite but i do like track and field and that's what attracted us together because we started going it the relays in l.a. and then to the olympics. >> it was a love match then.

>> well, guys, we have a gold medal for each of you, made out of chocolate actually. >> for the most olympics ever attended. there you go. you can enjoy it as dessert later on. >> harry and dee nelson, thank you very much. >> coming up, your olympic coverage of women's gymnastics and beach volleyball. >> and later in the pool. have a great day, everyone. see you back here tomorrow. >> red, green, orange, black -- >> there's only five. >> ow! >> oh!