competition. gymnast aly raisman becomes the first american to win gold in the floor exercise and adds a bronze on the beam. at olympic stadium, four more track and field medals for team usa. it will be an all american final in women's beach volleyball. >> the americans have upset the brazilians. >> it's over!

>> it could be two-time olympic champions misty may-treanor and keri walsh-jennings last day today, wednesday, august 2012. >> 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. always a nice view with which to start the day. welcome to today on wednesday morning from olympic park in london. i'm matt lauer. >> good morning, everyone. i'm savannah guthrie. it was two medals in one day for gymnast aly raisman, a gold and

bronze in individual events. i think all america was doing cart wheels after that floor exercise. >> it was fun to watch. she nailed it on the floor to the delight of her teammates and parents. mvp while at the end of the beam, she was actually in fourth place. after some tense moments during a judge's inquiry, she ended up getting the bronze. she was thrilled. we're going to talk to aly live just ahead. >> all right. there was more excitement in the track last night. a tight race in the 100 meter hurdles with 0.00 of a second separating gold and silver. dawn harper and kelly wells, all three medal winners with us. a bit later on we'll talk to lolo jones who came in fourth. it was disappointment in beijing and now london, too. >> going to be interesting to hear what she has to say. when we're at the olympic games al and i like to find a sport we can try together. the luge, synchronized swimming,

even rhythmic gymnastics. we nearly got arrested for that one. this morning what could be our most daring and painful olympic endeavor yet. we'll fill you innoon that. first to the real athletes in london. natalie morales has olympic highlights. good morning to you. >> good morning matt and savannah. a big day for u.s. women with outstanding in gym narvegs, track and field, beach volleyball and water polo. gymnastics gold for aly raisman, the first u.s. woman to win gold on a floor exercise with a powerful routine that delighted her parents. >> it felt amazing and really exciting. it still hasn't hit me yet. it's amazing. it went exactly how i wanted it to go. raisman also won bronze on the balance beam. she initially finished fourth place but after they questioned

the score, the judge awarded her the bronze. raisman called it redemption in what happened in the all around when sheified for third but the olympic tiebreaker pushed her to fourth with no medal. all around gold medalist gabby douglas failed to medal in the individual. she took a fall on the people leaving her in 7th place. jordyn wieber also had a shaky performance and finished 7th in the floor exercise. in track and field australian sally pearson edged out harper for the gold medal in the hurdle. a race so close it took several moments for the judges to figure out who won. in the end, pearson celebrated gold by 0.002 of a second. >> i clipped a hurdle. i thought oh my god, i think you're losing. after bringing home the silver,

i'm pretty proud. >> american kelly wells took the bronze while lolo jones finished fourth. it will be team usa against team usa in women's beach volleyball finals. on tuesday misty may-treanor and kerri walsh-jennings beat china giving them a return ticket to the finals. americans jenn kessy and ross rallied to beat brazil for tonight's gold medal showdown. u.s. women's water polo plays for gold medal in the finals after beating australia in overtime. a frightening moment during the weightlifting competition. the german dropped the barbell on his neck. he managed to wave to the crowd leaving the platform. he had to withdraw from the super heavyweight competition. doctors say he's going to be okay, although he did have a bit

of back pain. ann romney's horse failed to make the cut in the dressage competition. medal count, china on top, 73, usa, 70 gold, 21 silver, 19 bronze and gbr in third place with 38. two-time olympic medalist aly raisman is with us this morning. aly, good morning. i bet that sounds amazing to you. >> yes, i'm really excited. >> last time we talked you just had the disappointment where you missed the bronze. now you're back with a gold medal and a bronze. this is a roller coaster ride. >> this whole experience that been amazing, a dream come true. the olympic experience was so much fun, the perfect way to end it yesterday. >> you're the most decorated member of the gymnastic team pt the the first american to win a floor exercise in the individual event. i know you loved winning gold with your team but is there something about winning as an

individual and standing up on the podium? >> definitely. there's nothing like winning with your teammates and being able to share that with my best friend. individually to be able to share that. my coach and i worked so hard together. to finally get that was so amazing. >> you handled everything that happened with a lot of grace and a lot of poise. did you have extra fire? were you coming in there looking for redemption? >> yeah, definitely. there was another tie again for bronze. this time it went in my favor. that was really exciting. i definitely feel bad for the romanian that got bumped down to fourth. i definitely went into the competition really confident and wanting to go in there and get some medals. >> when you saw it was a tie again and you're all consulting the gymnastics rule book, were you thinking oh my goodness, here we go again. >> it's tough to be in that position. it's nerve-racking. you don't know which way it will go. either way i did a good routine so i was happy with whatever it

would be. >> when you finished your floor routine, i think everyone thought if that's not a gold medal routine, i don't know what is. is that what you thought? did you know you nailed it? >> after i finished the first pass, that was the one i was nervous for. when i stuck that, i was calm and enjoyed it. i didn't hear my teammates yelling for me. i felt so calm. >> i was going to say watching it, i know there was so much pressure, it did seem almost fun for you. was it? >> it really was. i wanted to go out and enjoy it because it was my last olympic memory. i wanted to finish strong, the last competitor for us. it was really important i did my best. >> what are you going to do now? you're 18 years old. you've achieved your olympic dreams. how do you plan to celebrate? what are you going to do next? >> i'm going to stay in london for another week. i'm excited to go to closing ceremonies and spend time with family and friends. i can't wait to go back and see

everyone. >> aly raisman, we're so proud of you. i had to check to see if there's springs on your feet you hit such great heights yesterday. here is matt with more medal winners. >> it was a thrilling end to women's 100 meter runners, five separated by tenths of a second. australian took the gold, set an olympic record, harper, kelly wells grabbed silver and bronze. they are all here. ladies, congratulations. >> good morning. >> we should mention you don't have your meteorologist medals, gotten them yet. let's play the entire race, all of 12 seconds. here we government here we go.

look how close that was at the end. that was the race in slow motion. when we see the race, it's a blur. when you see it, do you go through every foot and every hurdle. >> it takes a long time. on there it's fast. when you're doing it, you can rather everything about it. hurry up, get to the finish line. >> so close between first and second you had to wait to get the official results. >> i didn't see dawn at all through the whole race. she could have been on the other side of the stadium. oh yeah, i think i'm far ahead. i stepped over the finish line and looked to the left and thought oh no, that's closer than i thought it was. >> dawn, how did the race unfold for you. >> i remember when the gun went off and i saw kelly. i thought oh shoot, she did what the coach said. when i got in front of her.

don't get coffee and tea, forever before it got on the board. >> kelly, you've had some injuries of late this had to be -- >> i missed all of indoor, a lot of training, just came back full force and came out with the bronze. couldn't ask for better. >> when you see the race, do you look for things you might have done differently, all of you. sall sally, the gold medal. >> there's a few things i'm kicking myself. i know i left it all out there and what i went through to get here, i have no regrets. >> kelly. >> we're all critics, especially hurdlers, there's so many technical things. i came out to pr, a medal, i'm

on cloud nine. >> there seemed a look of elation and then relief on your face. is that fair? >> it's fair. the whole country is behind me, to have the weight of the medal, it's huge. you have to do it the best way possible, for me that's putting yourself in a bubble and shutting yourself away from the world. you need to focus on what you have to do to be the best athlete. a show of hands, who might be with us in rio. >> come on, ladies. >> who is going to win that race? sally, congratulations. ladies, so nice to have you here. dawn and kelly as well. the rest of the news from natalie at the news desk. >> good morning, everyone. a life in prison awaits jarred lee loughner after the

23-year-old pled guilty to the 2011 massacre in tucson. miguel almaguer was in the courtroom when it all happened. miguel, good morning. >> natalie, good morning. for the first time jarred lee loughner was in court and engaged with the judge. he took responsibility for the massacre and pled guilty. nineteen months after the attempted assassination of congresswoman gabrielle giffords that left six dead and many more wounded, the judge asked jared lee loughner if he understood, taking responsibility for the deadly attack. >> yes, i understand, avoiding the death penalty entering a guilty plea. the judge asked, do you have a clear mind, a clear head. yes, loughner answered, i do. >> jared loughner will spend the remainder of his life in prison. he will never be able to harm the tucson community or any other community again.

>> reporter: before he was questioned by the judge, the doctor treating the 23-year-old said while he suffers from schizophrenia, he is mentally competent. she testified loughner told her he was remorseful for what he did. loughner saying i wish i never had those thoughts and he especially cried about the child, a reference to the youngest victim nine-year-old green. in court, survivors wiped back tears. >> we need to move forward and make sure good comes out of this. >> it's not a perfect solution. the perfect solution is one that we can't have. >> reporter: gabby gifford who wasn't in court said she was satisfied with a plea. in a statement her husband wrote, she hopes the community can move forward and heal. natalie. >> miguel almaguer in tucson. thank you, miguel. police havers arrested the former gunman of michael page,

the gunman who killed at sikh. she's not believed to have any connection to the shooting. meantime hundreds gattered to remember the six sikh worshippers killed in sunday's shooting. medical emergency at the bottom of the world. an australian rescue team is hoping the weather will allow them to fly to the research station in antartica to evacuate an american with undisclosed medical problems. it's winter in antartica and getting in and out is difficult. mary is at the new york stock exchange. good morning. >> good morning. the rally on wall street continues with the markets closing higher for the third straight day, finishing at their best levels since may. the reporting agency transunion said the homeowners late on payments dropped 3.5%, housing continued to rise, biggest

percentage gain in the last quarter in seven years. back to you. >> all right. thanks mary thompson. girls just want to have fun, even when they grow up to be secretary of state hillary clinton. she got her groove on in south africa in a dinner hosted by the foreign minister. she's g some moves. 7:15 right now. there you go. back to matt, savannah and al. >> all right. best not to say anything right now. >> i never knew the secretary of state knew how to do the dougie. >> one of us did say. >> we continue to have historic drought throughout the country, half the counties suffering from drought. in july, see it growing especially in the midsection of the u.s. as we get toward the end of july and into early august. we are starting to see some more rain, though, develop into the areas that are suffering from extreme drought. also heavy rain along the

southeastern atlantic where there's drought as well. good news there. but as we look at the rest of the country, we expect plenty of sunshine in the pacific northwest. heat will continue, look for showers and thunderstorms in the southeast and atlantic coast. and showers and thunderstorms in thnd >> good morning. there is a 20% chance for a thunderstorm. best chance for rain will be south of town. >> and that's your latest weather. savannah. >> al, thanks. have you ever wondered what the olympic athletes do after the competition and medals. ryan seacrest found out.

good morning to you. >> good morning. you can call it the after life, life after the competition. these goal oriented people have certainly found a way to unwind. work hard and play hard, that's the spirit of the games. >> we've been celebrating for the louisiana couple of days and it's been fun. >> if celebrating were a sport here in london, there are plenty of medal worthy contenders. >> out with friends to celebrate. >> after years of training day in, day out, and once the intense competition is in the rearview mirror, for some that means it's time to kick it up. >> going out and checking out the town. >> for others it's a chance to finally kick back. >> and just relax. >> ryan lochte has got six reasons to celebrate in london, five of them are his new medals. the other, turning 28. we caught up with lochte at his

birthday bash. >> i haven't had time to sit down and take a load off. >> across town at an omega party, it was a who's who of swimmers. between 12-time medalist natalie coughlin to the world's most decorated olympian and toast of the town michael phelps. for other winners, different way to celebrate. after winning gold swimmer ricky barons couldn't wait to break training, tweeting this message of his meal, a fast-food feast. britain's tennis star andy murray is sharing his medals with maggie may and rusty, his border terriers. 17-year-old missy franklin plans to commemorate her gold with a tattoo of the olympic rings on her hip. and if you're the youngest u.s. olympian to win gold? what do you do?

15-year-old katie ledecky is celebrating back home with family and friends. at the airport she was greeted with a hero's welcome from her maryland classmates. a teenager celebration for the ages. and with athletes finishing up competition each and every day, there are no signs of the thriving night life here in london will be slowing down. savannah. >> just getting started. ryan, thank you. there is much more to come from london including a defining moment of these games. which olympic sport will matt and al try this time and will spandex be involved? all will be revealed. but first, this is "today" on nbc.

just ahead, it was a tough night for lolo jones. she came up short in her bid for an olympic medal in london but she'll join us live. >> we'll hear from her. meredith going on a hunt for

eccentric people in england and she found them, but first your local news and weather. hey parents, it's a big year. i'm not just teaching music. ♪ i'm teaching performance. here's what they'll need. ♪ get your backpack, your hoodies, harajuku, ♪ ♪ turquoise kinda purple orangish sorta blue. ♪ ♪ backpacks, yeow, ♪ to put their stuff in. ♪ graphic tees and denim, denim, denim, denim. ♪ ♪ backpacks. school takes a lot, target has is all. what are you lookin' at? i wasn't... not looking at anything... we're not good enough for you. must be supermodels? what do you model gloves? brad, eat a snickers. why? 'cause you get a little angry when you're hungry. better? [ male announcer ] you're not you when you're hungry™. better. [ male announcer ] snickers satisfies. captions paid for by

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with its comfortable interior and refined styling, it's our most luxurious camry ever. ♪ but the great deals won't last long. hurry in today. [ male announcer ] get started now at toyota.com. >> this is wbal-tv 11 news today in baltimore. >> good morning. i am stan stovall. a former university of maryland student must complete 200 hours of community service and continued mental health treatment. i.t. as part of the deal that alexander song struck on tuesday after pleading guilty to threatening the school and is using a telephone utility.

he posted an on-line posts stating he planned to "kill enough people to make national news." sarah caldwell standing by. >> we are recovering from an earlier accident. delays on the outer loop prior to i-70. all but confined to the right shoulder now. southbound 95 at the white marsh area. patapsco ave and annapolis road. here is the live view of traffic. accident off to the side. everything getting by is fine. west of the beltway, not tracking any delays. that is the latest on traffic pulse 11. >> good morning, everyone.

so far, so good. high, thin cloud cover the present time 75 at the airport. 72 right now. at the present time, nothing showing up on the radar. later on this afternoon, a couple of thunderstorms may pop- up around town. take an umbrella just in case. 20% or 30% chance of a thunderstorm. as a matter of fact, at some st

>> pretty cool. >> 7:30 on wednesday morning, august 8th, 2012. not a bad way to make an entrance. i didn't know you could drive a stick shift. >> left side to left hand. that is new. >> this is the official team gb car, the mini cooper. this is the car used in the queen's jubilee. >> i like this thing, i really do. you see these all over great britain. it is the official sponsor of the olympics and paralympics.

>> i feel like we're missing somebody. >> i'm sorry. >> hi, guys. >> it's got amazing trunk space as well. >> okay. >> fantastic. >> that's fun. >> more fun, why don't you get in the back. we'll show you how much fun it is. >> that is the olympic sport we tried in london. >> it's not. every time we go to the olympic games we try something. we did the luge, swimming, rhythmic gymnastics. >> that was fantastic. >> we tried another sport. by the way, it's dangerous, dramatic and we'll reveal which sport it is in this half hour. >> speaking of sports, we'll talk about the real athletes. lolo jones, just narrowly missed the bronze in the 100 meter.

i know she's really disappointed about what happened last night. she's here to talk to us and we'll catch up with her in a few moments. >> first, how about al's english lesson. >> seeing how we came in in automobile today, we decided today's english class would be something automotive. starting easy and working our way up. okay. first of all, petrol. what is petrol. >> gas. >> gas. that's right. speaking of which, speaking of which, don't be in the back with natalie. okay. what is the boot. >> you just came out of it. >> that's right. the trunk. what is the bonnet. >> the hood. >> the hood. >> that's exactly right. >> car talk with natalie. >> i cheated. i saw his cheat sheet. >> you have to do something to pass the time back there. >> some more knowledge.

is this a lorey. >> a taxi. >> a truck. >> there you have al's english class. by the way, in the back there, those aren't pillows. >> poor natalie. >> i will never forget unfortunately. >> see what we've got for you. >> on the other line. >> thank you very much. as we check the weather, hot air, boise 100. 100 in salt lake, 114 in phoenix. we're looking at 102 degrees in wichita today. 101 down in waco and memphis, going to be flirting with the 100 degrees. rest of the country we expect to see temperatures a lot nicer in the northeast. in the mid-80s a risk of strong storms southeast, mid-atlantic. pg may have a problem getting games off.

sunshine in the northwest, >> good morning.res dropping it will be a baltimore humid then it was yesterday. some storms possible in southern maryland. >> and that's your latest weather. savannah. >> all right, al. thank you. well, it was a disappointing finish for lolo jones in the women's 100 meter hurdle. she finished in fourth place four years after she clipped the hurdle in beijing. lolo, good morning to you. good to see you. >> thank you. >> i know you are disappointed. you came so close, i think it was 0.001 of a second.

>> that's a big difference in track. seems like a small difference you can't really clock it but in track it's a big difference. >> how are you feeling this morning? >> i'm okay. it's disappointing in one extreme, i didn't get the medal. another extreme, a year ago, exactly a year ago i was having spinal cord surgery. if i look at that, all the things you've been through, spinal cord injury, two hamstring injuries and fought through that. i keep trying to focus on that and not the negativity i receive from the other one. >> you made it here. i know last night you tweeted about dealing with a broken heart. is that how it feels? >> definitely. i was crushed afterwards. i know i had the best race of my season. not the best race of my life. i had the best race of my year. so i mean, i just try to look at that. you know, it doesn't take away from the pain that i was so close once again to having a medal and not getting it. >> this was the fastest women's

hurdles race in olympic women's history. does that make you feel better at all? >> no. >> you were facing the toughest competition there was. >> i think it's awesome. all the girls are running amazing this year. we could feel there was going to be something happen, like something special was going to happen. we knew it. it doesn't make you feel better. oh, my time would have gotten me a medal in another olympics. >> "the new york times" a tough piece criticizing you for being more image than accomplishment. how hard was that to deal with? >> i think it's crazy. it was two days before i competed. the fact it was from a u.s. media. they should be supporting our u.s. athletes, instead they ripped me to shreds. i thought that was crazy. i work six days a week every day for four years for a 12-second race. the fact they tore me apart, it was heartbreaking. i'm not -- they need to do the

research. i'm the american record holder. i'm the american record holder, two titles. just because i don't boast about these things, i don't think i should be ripped apart by media. i laid it out there for my country. it's just a shame that i have to deal with so much backlash when i'm already so brokenhearted as it is. >> you have been such a public person. you have bared your soul. i wonder how you look at it now. you can't help but put your heart out there. that's who you are. are you sorry that you did? >> i mean, putting your heart out there, obviously it opens you up to a lot of negativity. at the same time if i can just reach somebody out there, maybe a little girl out there who doesn't think she can be an olympic athlete. she sees all the things i struggled through to get here. i wasn't onsupposed to make the olympic team. u.s. olympic team they counted me out. i made the team.

she's not going to make the final. i made the final. i went from eighth place to fourth place. i really hope my story will give somebody hope. i didn't run away with a medal but i think there's lessons to be learned when you win and there's lessons to be learned when you lose. >> your pleasurements speak for themselves. lolo jones, really appreciate you being here and talking to us. thank you. >> thank you for having me. >> we'll be back right after this. twinkle twinkle little pie you squashed my willpower like a fly. you looked so innocent and so sweet. convinced my lips that we should meet. you were a relentless flirt. oh no we had indecent dessert. twinkle twinkle hope appears. a stevia leaf erased my fears. it made my willpower a super hero. as for calories, it has zero. twinkle twinkle truvia® star natural sweetness, i love just what you are.

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what will you gain when you lose? just tuning in, that was a dramatic moment you missed a couple minutes ago as al and natalie and savannah and i rode in a mini cooper through the crowd and nobody got hurt. >> i don't know about that. >> your neck. >> anyway, welcome back, everyone. al and i have put our bodies on the line once again and spandex to the test to try a new olympic sport. are you ready to reveal what we teamed up for this time? >> i know i'm not. >> let's say it together on the count of three, one, two, three. >> grego roman wrestling. >> in a world where choking not

only is allowed but encouraged, with terms like the gut wrench, only one thing is more dangerous, mortarifying than the actual greco-roman wrestling itself. all right. let's not get too excited. one thing tat a time. >> morning the luge, this is the one thing that will put us in the hospital more than anything we've done. >> to learn, we needed a coach. he seemed like an affable enough guy. >> you take your opponent right here and control him there. >> show me that again. >> right here. >> you know what, instead of me showing you guys, maybe i should bring out my guys to come. >> if they are like you, how bad can that be. >> they are not bad. let's meet them.

>> matt and al, jamil and ellis. >> hi, how are you? >> u.s. wrestlers jamil and ellis are feared on the mat. surely these gentlemen will be gentle with us. >> what do you wear? i understand there's a certain kind of outfit. >> this is good. stay in that dress. that's fine. >> we've got an outfit. >> ellis, i'll put you with matt. al.

>> you got this nickname, the flying squirrel. how did you get this? >> put me down, ellis, put me down. >> is that even legal? >> yes, it is. >> don't ever do that again. when i say why do they call you the flying squirrel, just tell me. >> my job is to stop you and throw you on your back. >> that sounds like a hard job. >> called a reverse lift. >> i call that pain. >> you've got to get up. >> called an arm spin. >> hey, i'm seeing a lot of this ceiling.

>> are you all right? >> mommy. >> ellis, i think you just ruptured my spleen. the the funny part about it, i landed on my hotel room key, and it felt good. >> half roll over. is that your back popping? >> i think so. >> how are you doing, al? >> i'm doing good. >> matt, nice job. you guys are going to wrestle coming up.

>> we're ready. >> my coach says i'm ready. >> welcome back to london, bob costas with mary carillo. we're getting set for one of the most anticipated showdowns of these games, greco roman wrestling, matt the tower lauer and al the sternum choker roker. mary, this should be a doozy. >> it's not just a question of will, also a question of breath. if one of these two mooks has onions or garlic, that could decide the whole thing. >> it could. when you think of all the years these two have known each other, now half naked on the mat or over the mat or on top of matt, there really will be no secrets. >> none. none. >> let's send it to the excel center where lauer and roker are

ready to go. i've spoken to greeks and romans and they disavow any connection to this. here we go. >> what are we doing here? >> what do you mean? >> we could go get a beer. >> a beer. [ laughter ] >> you know, it took until yesterday for me to be able to turn my head completely to one

side. >> you think you may actually have a bruised rib. >> no, a bruised ego. >> let's introduce our friends. >> we want you to meet the men responsible for neck and back braces. guys, good to see you. >> it's not that good to see you. >> how do you think we did? >> i think you guys did awesome. >> you don't think they wimped out at the end there. >> it's not easy to synchronize that tug. >> i was with ellis. you weigh what? >> 160 right now. >> he lifts me over his head. this guy is as strong as anybody i've seen. jermil is no slouch either. how much do you weigh? >> i weigh different than when i wrestle. i paid 132, i probably pay 160

now. >> how long does it take you to gain your weight back? >> a couple of minutes. >> what did you way. >> the day before 264 pounds. right now i could be 286. >> i'm so proud of you. >> coach, i know the competition didn't end the way you thought it was going to end. you're proud of these two guys. >> absolutely. ellis is only 20 years old. he a tough draw. has he a great future in front of him. we're very proud of him. our champion three-time world medalist, champion first round. we had high expectations. didn't do it, but that doesn't mean we're going to stop in the future. >> you guys were so noise to us. we really appreciate it. >> how do you think they looked? >> we've got to go. >> good. >> does that count as spandex. >> ahead we'll play table tennis, much safer against the 16-year-old sensation who had a

thrilling run in london. but first these messages. i've worked hard to build my family.

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>> this is wbal-tv 11 news in baltimore. >> good morning. i am mindy basara. here is sarah caldwell. >> a new accident is creating delays. backing up traffic on 29, south and east on i-70. your accident is taking up the two left lanes. this is creating a back up. 28 miles per hour approaching 795 towards edmondson. 25 on the northeast outer loop

and or ford. padonia road in the area of beaver dam road, delays there. here is a live view of traffic. we will update you on 29 through ellicott city. this past the accident scene. we will show you the back up related to it. this is focused on 29 south. a backup is developing on east the high--- eastbound i-70. >> police the weather is nice and quiet now -- at least the weather is nice and quiet now. slight chance for thunderstorms to develop this afternoon. nothing around baltimore right now. take an umbrella in case you run into one of these little hit and miss thunderstorms. slight chance for a

thunderstorm. high temperatures between 86 and 91 degrees. showers and thunderstorms on thursday and friday. high near 88. it will turn a little cooler and it will turn a little cooler and less humid over the i hear you're having a tough day, so i brought you a freshly made sandwich. you made me a sandwich? no, dunkin' did. but i wrote the note. dunkin' bakery sandwiches are freshly made just for you. grab a turkey cheddar bacon sandwich today. america runs on dunkin'.

morning, the 8th day of august, 2012. you are looking at 16-year-old table tennis sensation. ariel hsing. she's trying her skills again. and 37-year-old champion of the pub crawl, jimmy fallon, taking out some of his pentup frustrations on mrs. hsing. on the table.

>> gets a point. yeah. how about that. congratulations. >> go get her. >> we're going to catch up with jimmy in just a couple of minutes. meanwhile see the union jack everywhere in london but tonight you'll see a lot of american flags at the parade. >> an all american final in beach volleyball. misty may-treanor, kerri walsh-jennings going against april ross and jenn kessy. we'll preview their gold medal match. all four of them, gold medal winners to silver medal winners will be here live today. >> pretty cool. the brits can be known to be a little on the quirky side. think monty python. in other words, the perfect person for them is meredith vieira. >> exactly. >> she's come across some real characters here. she's going to introduce them to us in just a little bit. >> a lot of fun coming up.

first the olympic news. for that we go to michelle kosinski. michelle, good morning. >> reporter: morning. more of usain bolt, more women's boxing. as we needed further proof that american women dominate beach volleyball, tonight we'll watch the u.s. take on the u.s. for the final. a tough day for america yesterday. we still managed to walk away with more medals. >> what an olympic game for aly raisman. >> a glorious night for gymnast aly raisman winning two medals, a bronze for her balance beam routine and gold for her virtually flawless floor exercise. >> amazing. it feels really great. i've been dreaming of this for a really long time. i do a lot of floor routines, so i'm happy it finally paid off. >> her teammate suffered a series of stunning falls and blunders, jordyn wieber, gabby douglas losing her ballot beam.

despite it all heartwarming solidarity about the worm. after comments about the hair style, they have all been wearing their hair slipped back with hair and pins just like gabby. >> dawn harper comes within two hundredths of a second. >> track and field, a photo finish, the 12.35 second race. wh so close, no one knew who won. anxious moments later australian sally pearson celebrated gold. lolo jones came in fourth. >> once again the americans will play for a gold medal. >> reporter: beach volleyball, the dynamic duo has done it again. misty may-treanor and kerri walsh-jennings faced china and now they face an all american

battle for gold. >> we fought hard and we fought together. >> prepare to be wowed by the russians. >> putting their michael jackson swim suits aside the russian synchronized swimmers dressed up like dolls for the finals wowing the crowd and the judges for gold. a consolation for one athlete who did not win a medal, pole vaulter was upset and in tears after her final. she soon followed with an elated tweet. epic day. her boyfriend proposed and she said yes. a special day after all. as in the medal count, china open up the gap a little bit with 73 medals to the u.s.'s 70. back to you guys. >> michelle, thanks very much. >> let's head to natalie with a check of the rest of today's stories. morning again. >> morning, everyone. the man who shot arizona

congresswoman gabrielle giffords and 18 other people, six of them fatally will spend the rest of his life in prison. jared lee loughner avoided the death penalty pleading guilty to the massacre. gabrielle giffords was not in court but said the community can move forward. a spike in gasoline prices on the west coast. the inferno filled the sky with smoke sending hundreds to the hospital with eye irritation and breathing problems. one of the nation's most influential film critics died at her home in manhattan. in 196 3 she became the "today" show's first movie critic, a run that lasted 10 years. police in louisiana believe they may have found the body of missing college student. the remains buried in the woods near a cemetery, could take three days to confirm the body's

identity. shunick disappeared riding home. a sex offender arrested and charged with her murder last month. a look at what's trending today. a roundup of what has you talking online. a publicity stunt got joan rivers booted from a costco. she handcuffed to a cart because they refused to carry her best seller, "i hate everyone, including me." the police had to escort her from the store. take a look, plastic pipe, lumber and concrete to build a backyard roller coaster for her daughter complete with a 12-foot drop. might want a helmet on his daughter. human race evolving animated graphic from the "new york times" is going viral. it puts all 100 meter medalist in olympic history on this same track to show how sprinters have steadily improved their time and how this year's winner usain

bolt would beat earlier champions by more than 60 feet. that is an incredible graphic. very cool. 8:06. let's get a check of the weather from mr. roker. >> thanks so much, natalie. we have a house divided. what do you men? >> that's us. >> you're from britain. >> yes. >> i'm from michigan. >> you must be pleased with the results. >> yeah. we're in a win-win situation. second and third. >> there you go. let's see what we've got for you as far as today is concerned, the next three days, a few peeks of sun coming out, 73 tomorrow, gorgeous, sunshine, 88 on friday for our final broadcast here. you can see satellite radar combo, a lot of wet weather along the southeastern atlantic states. we're also looking at strong storms making their way through the upper mississippi river valley. plenty of sunshine through the southwest. the rain continues in the upper mississippi river valley, maybe problems with pga along the gulf coast, southeastern atlantic

coast gorgeous midwest withid >> good morning. there is a 20% chance for a thunderstorm. best chance for rain will be south of town. >> and that's your latest weather. >> al, thanks. coming up, team usa versus team usa. we're going to preview the all american gold medal match in beach volleyball coming up next. ♪ look out baby 'cause here i come ♪ ♪ and i'm bringing you a love that's true ♪ ♪ so get ready ♪ so get ready

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history. a dynamic duo. tonight they play what could very well be their last match together. >> and it's over! >> reporter: gold medals in 2004 and 2008 and a break from the court after beijing, kerri walsh-jennings and misty may-treanor are back for their ninth gold medal match. >> words? i don't have words. so overwhelming. we were down in game one and we fought with everything we have. >> when you guys reunited, did you think you would make it to this point? did you know you'd make it to this point? >> kerri and i bloebl in each other and our ability. >> we never took it for granted. >> the only thing standing in the way of the third consecutive gold medal, the other american team. >> the americans have upset the brazilians.

they are headed to the gold meteorologist match. >> either way people at home are going to be proud. i'm happy either way. >> your husband is playing baseball and can't be here. do you have a message at home? >> i love you very much. i wish you were here. we want to bring that medal home. go dodgers. >> tell mommy you love her. >> celebrating after the win. >> one more! >> what's it like to watch your wife out on the court with a partner that really fits her so perfectly. >> like a dance. i always tell them it's like a dance an nobody knows. it's the last match together. >> that makes it emotional. >> it's heavy. it's sad but that time, a special time. >> you've never seen anything like that in olympic competition. >> or anywhere else. >> what does it feel like very possibly could be your last match together. >> feels like we need to go out

on top and get crazy emotional. >> it may be our last match together but we'll be friends for life. >> the fun is just beginning. >> reporter: this will likely be misty's final match in international competition. she says she plans to retire after these games. >> can we talk about the atmosphere. >> it's so fun. >> unreal. after their match, misty and kerri went around, high fives volunteers. she did a weird little thing. >> not the announcer but the referee. it's so much fun, the best venue i've ever seen. >> incredible tonight. >> can't wait. >> thank you very much. we appreciate it. let's go over to savannah. >> matt, thanks. chris marlow nbc beach olympic volleyball analyst. good to see you. >> glad to be here. >> for diehard fans, this is wonderful, all american final. how extraordinary is it. this isn't exactly the expected result. >> i don't think so. i think most people think misty

or kerri to get in the final together. but the way it worked out usa had to play china, a very good team, beetd that them somehow. then they came out and won against a team they lost against nine times in a row. >> have they faced before? >> yes, misty and kerri won nine out of 11. they have the upper hand. i think misty and kerri, as good as they are will get challenged. >> they have chemistry, history, experience. they are going for the three-peat but not as unstoppable as before. >> in beijing they came in with 101 match winning streak, here they came in on a seven-match winning streak. they are a little older, both in their mid-30s. they are still darn good and can crank it up when they need to. >> april and jen able to

dispatch the brazilians, which is not easy to do. what do we know about them. >> a very good serving team, defensive team. they had a two-year journey to get to actually beijing, didn't qualify. third american team. rededicated after four years, come back, been playing beautiful volleyball. they are undefeated and peaking at just the right time. >> real quick, put you on the spot. >> if i'm in las vegas, misty and kerri. if they are not ready, hoping to play brazil, jen and april will walk away with the gold. >> i told you would say the americans will win. >> that's a given. >> we want to remind everyone watch gold medal match in prime time here on nbc. both teams will be here tomorrow on "today." coming up next, meredith finds all about grit britain's eccentric and wonderful side coming up. you think that jason bourne was the whole story? there's a lot more going on here. [ glass shatters ]

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coca-cola. open happiness. >> in london in search of british eccentrics, we found the ideal, the perfect person to send on that journey, meredith vieira. >> you know what, you'll realize that is a compliment. >> being eccentric. >> people say this is a country full of eccentrics, what does it really mean? i got a chance to spend time with folks that look and behave a little bit differently than him. it was the note heard around the world. the performance of the 2012 opening ceremony by britain's beloved character mr. bean, made famous by the actor was not only a theme steeler but a nod to

british humor, the country's long-standing observation of the unusual, off beat, eccentric. american audiences are familiar with quirky antics of the comedy troop monty python's circus, boy george, russell brand often make the list. eccentrics come in all shapes, sizes, occupations. as i learned recently when i met with some members of the eccentric club in london, a club dating back to 1721, which currently boasts prince phillips as a patron and prince william and harry as honorary lifelong members. >> over 100 years ago a member said to be truly worthy of membership of this group one could not know they are eccentric. >> the less assuming rob lowe, not the rob lowe but author and

technology expert and minerva miller, a librarian. >> we don't care what people do, as long as it doesn't scare the horses. >> i wasn't initially scared of the man awarded the eccentric award for 2012 for his work as professor elemental, a victorian inspired hip-hop artist. now the chap was challenging me to a tea duel. >> the person who can hold it the longest and yet still when the time comes get it all in their chops in one fluid motion without spilling it down their front is the winner. >> ready? go! >> you lose.

>> these eccentrics were quirky but nothing quite prepared me for a tour of the home 20 miles outside of london. do you want these cobwebs here. his nine piece mechanical orchestra included copper tubing, old windshield motors. >> a bit of a drinker. >> party. >> she should have a drink. >> he's a great british eccentric, an in venter. so many eccentrics we know and love are inventors just like him. they make unusual connections and he makes the most unusual connections. >> eccentric people like to do different things with unusual items. so i decided to have a sheep climbing up my tree. >> have you been married before? >> i was married for a few weeks. >> an aviation specialist by

trade, linden's true love is taking old world mechanisms and adapting them to amuse and use. like this rebuilt 1922 car, the first wicker work car that actually worked. but what really floats his boat is his collection of river machines. the titania, electric powered chair, fashioned with bells and whistles. >> do people come out with you in this? >> yes. >> who? >> anyone. >> hello. >> hi. >> cheers. >> i could live an eccentric

life and be happy. >> what character is the most eccentric, see if you fit the profile. raise your hand if you have any of the following traits. be honest. you have to be seriously honest. nonconforming. >> not really. >> creative. >> no. >> strongly motivated by curiosity. >> here is one none of you will raise your hand, idealistic, wants to make the world a better place, people in it happier. >> okay. happy people. >> happily obsessed with one or more hobby. >> not that hobby. >> what hobby is that? >> his. i think it's wrestling. none of you actually are very eccentric. >> how about you? how would you have answered. >> creative yes, strongly motivated, idealistically.

>> running right into a commercial break. back after your local news. >> this is wbal-tv 11 in baltimore. >> good morning. i am mindy basara. traffic pulse 11 and sarah caldwell. >> busy for motorists on i-70. left lane is closed. it is still really backed up to i-70. you can see what 70 looks like in both directions. completely jammed.

delay passed that on the bundy on the outer loop towards edmondson. padonia road and beaver dam road, watch for an accident. in abington, watch for crash and a response to that. here is what 29 looks like. it is barely moving heading southbound towards the accident scene prior to 40. tony has a check on your forecast. >> weather is nice and quiet. 78 at the airport. a little more humid than yesterday. thundershower in montgomery county. elsewhere it is dry and will stay dry for the rest of the commune. 20% or 30% chance. chance for rain will go up at the end of the week. some of the storms on friday it

could be strong were severe. things will settle down over the weekend. >> thank you for joining us. another oupdate at 8:56.

8:30 now on this wednesday morning. it's august 8th, 2012. we've got a beautiful view of the place to be during these games courtesy of our friends at goodyear. the horse drawn parade, beach volleyball venue. down here in the park we have a lot of people excited to see the action, actually on our plaza.

>> going on right now. 16-year-old table tennis sensation ariel hsing. she's taking on jenna bush-hager. >> don't take out the viewers, jenny. >> also talk to jimmy fallon who made the trip to london. but first. >> also showing us how to tailgate at the olympics. >> we want to remind you, once we're done, the fun and excitement isn't done yet. an amazing group of concerts, big acts, talking about the fray, nicki minaj, country star carrie underwood, the smooth sounds of lionel richie. even a rare reunion of 98 degrees. five big concerts live on the plaza next week on "today." >> right now we want to welcome a couple of usa medal winnards.

eric competing in olympics took silver, leo, the silver in the 1500 meters. he's the first american to medal in that event in 44 years. just to make the finals, how does it feel to win the silver medal. >> i feel like i should have won gold. >> enjoy it. >> i try. i put my best effort. i'm going home with a little jewelry. i wish it was gold. >> we were watching. you have kind of a ritual. what are you doing? can you explain it to us? >> i'm in my element. i'm in the zone. they kind of ask about the stage being too big. i told them i was ready. i feel like i deserve to be here. i don't get nervous or tentative at meets to compete.

i feel like i'm competing among the best because i am one of the best. >> the confidence plays off. >> leo, you were held back, behind for a long way throughout your race and snuck up on everyone coming into fourth place to end up with a silver medal. what was that like for you? were you planning your strategy the whole time? >> yes and no. of course that's my signature kick. i've had that for a long time. i was never able to let it go to my full potential until yesterday. >> you came to this country from mexico, four years old. your parents weren't crazy about you getting into sports. are they feeling different? >> of course. they are big time supporters, all about it now. >> take a good shot of that face. how do you think he's been confused for here in london more than once? kobe bryant. you met lebron at the opening ceremony and he tweeted that picture. >> it's been causing me a lot of

grief. >> on twitter maybe my follower count would go up. >> now with a silver medal. >> thank you very much. >> good morning. it will be a baltimore humid then it was yesterday. some storms possible in southern maryland. >> today's olympic moment brought to you by walmart. we've been training your whole lives to save you money. walmart, save money. live better.

>> and in today's olympic moment, an inspiring finish after a comeback dream was smashed. he had truly known the thrill of victory and the agony of defeet. he won gold in athens and was china's biggest star in the games only to see injury knock him out of the competition in front of his hometown fans. >> he pulls up before he even gets to the first hurdle. >> but he didn't give up, training for four years to get a shot at redemption here in london. a slight smile on his face as he lined up in his comeback race. then disaster. he has fallen over the first hurdle, out of the competition. >> but he wouldn't let that be the end. hopping back on the track to finish what he started. >> look at him trying to finish.

symbolically running for the finish line. >> this feels to me like this may be his swan's song. >> his fellow competitors helping him off the track as the crowd cheered a true champion for what could be the last time. he gives the final hurdle a kiss good-bye. >> pretty amazing. coming up next, jimmy fallon live here in olympic park. but first this is "today" on nbc.

olympic park. look who we found enjoying a few events. jimmy fallon, host of nbc's emmy nominated late night with jimmy fallon. he's such a huge fan of the british show, he's made his own

version. >> let me introduce my mother, the dowager countess. my wife norah, with an american accent. >> howdy, indeed. >> my three daughters beginning with my beautiful eldest daughter lady katherine. my smoking hot youngest daughter lady amber, and the middle daughter edith. >> jimmy fallon, welcome to london. great to see you. >> good to see you, man. >> when last we visited, i was on your show and asked you what you were going to do here and you said drink. i thought you were kidding. that's basically all you've done here. >> actually no. i was in the opening ceremony. the olympic ceremony, one of the sick kids getting kicked in the opening ceremony. they were playing prodigy. it was a beautiful moment, thrilling for me, and i just

never, ever, ever will forget it. >> it has been somewhat of a glorified pub crawl for you, isn't it? >> i love london, doing the olympics, great. i see it from my hotel tv. give it up for london. you guys are killing it out here. it's so fun. i went to an event, went to track and field. >> how was that. >> i'm trying not to cry. >> you're one of the emotional. >> they are running, pole vaulting for their country. they get up in the medal ceremony. if you have add, there's ten events going onon at once, a woman shot putting over here. like watching aspca commercials, just crying my eyes out. i can't stop crying. i can't look. i'm just going to leave. >> let me put your olympic knowledge to the test. i know you've been boning up on this. i'm going to give you the athlete's name. you tell me the sport in which that athlete participate.

trotter. >> punting. >> olympic punting. no. she would be in track. try and think of the names here. there's a clue. michael arms. >> weightlifting. >> no. he's a rower. >> they use arms in weightlifting, too. >> dong dong. this is a live show. >> i would say trampolinist. >> they good. >> how do you not know dong dong. >> destiny hooker. >> the hugh grant event. no. not an event. >> that's a different one. you said give it up for london. what do you like about this place? >> i just love it. i love the people. everyone is going all out for the olympics. they are so nice. they are doing a great job. they are so welcoming. just, i don't know, like the people, the colors, the old buildings.

beautiful. >> as you say give it up for london, can we give it up for jimmy fallon nominated for not one but two emmy awards in the last couple of weeks. not only for your show but guest host on "saturday night live." >> just the icing on the cake. we had a great year. i can't complain. it's like too much stuff. again, i'm going to try not to get emotional. >> i got a note. is it true you're being considered to host the oscars? >> no. i'm not going to do the oscars. it's not -- i was honored to be asked by the academy, but it's not my year. yeah. >> okay. we'll end on that note. wasn't exactly where i was hoping to end. you've been boning up -- don't get upset. jimmy fallon, good to have you here. >> good man. >> stick around. up next we're going to learn moves from a 16-year-old table tennisis

>> today's athlete to watch is brought to you by p&g, proud sponsor of moms. >> good morning on today's athlete to watch olympic table tennis ariel hsing. the 16-year-old made her olympic debut in london. by all k it was a smashing success. "today's" contributing correspondent jenna bush-hager. >> she's so cute. unlike some people who play for fun, table tennis has taken ariel on quite an adventure. at only 16 years old, american ariel hsing is bringing a fresh face and a little star power to the table. like many of us, she first played in her garage as a young

girl. >> i thought table tennis was so cool. immediately when i started playing it, i just fell in love with it. >> she dead indicates countless hours of practice to this sport. education is so important. your parents made a deal with you. isn't that right? they said as long as you make straight as, you can play table tennis. if you make a b, no table tennis. so you've never made a b. >> never. >> united states has never won in table tennis but ariel came close. after winning her first two matches, she gave china a run for her money, nearly upsetting the world's best in an incredible match. >> you played well. you didn't medal. how has that changed your focus for the future. >> before i did not realize i could compete with the world's best. now i've gained a little more confidence. my sights are set ongoing 2016. >> though she seems like a

typical teenager, some of her closest friends are far from ordinary. >> you you've made headlines because you have famous friends. how did that come back. >> uncle warren. >> how much people do you think call him uncle warren. >> she was invited to give him a table tennis lesson for his birthday. since then he and bill gates have been her biggest supporters, even showing up in the stands calling her performance phenomenal. >> do you play? >> i played at the berkshire hathaway meeting. we played a few points and they whipped out their huge paddle. >> did you bring me the big paddle? if i play you, i'm going to need it. well, i didn't have a big paddle in hand but i still decided to give it a shot. >> let's go. >> don't be too hard on me.

oh no. are you laughing at me? >> no, i'm not. >> yes, you are. >> i may not have what it takes but ariel has brought hope to a somewhat unknown sport. she plans to come back with a vengeance in 2016. well, based on the way all of you are playing today, i thought why not bring you a paddle you can actually use. savannah. >> have some faith, jenna. >> i've seen you. >> thank you. >> exactly. >> table tennis. ariel is here. matt has already been a little competitive here. that can be yours. >> you, too, matt. >> sorry. >> that was a good one. >> oh shoot. >> wait. why don't you play with the paddle. >> don't hit the people, savannah. >> i'm sorry. i didn't know my own power. >> back in there. >> all right.

>> shoot, i'm terrible. >> get in here. >> yeah. >> go, al. >> i'm your backstop. thank you. >> matt middle of the table, al. >> sorry. >> natalie. >> now you go. >> you take this. i need the little paddle. >> here is the little paddle. ready, ariel? >> yes. >> it snuck over. >> oh no. >> trying to put the spin on it. >> put a little spin.

>> see. >> one last point. >> for the world championship. >> ariel, thank you so much. >> thank you. >> thank you so much. [ applause ] >> this is "today" on nbc.

>> this morning on today's olympic kitchen, british favorites with an american tailgating twist. the chef and owner of a restaurant here in london. >> how are you? >> we don't think of french cooking and tailgating together but you managed to pull it off. >> this is american tailgating in london. we brought down mini there. >> we're ready to go her. >> what are we going to make? >> a very british sort of classical dishes. i'm also making a bangor with somerset cheddar inside. >> potatoes are bubble and squeak. >> basically made of leftover cabbage, potatoes, root vegetable. when you make a meat or roast. the next day you take it cold and put it in the pan. this is the chef in london.

>> looks like a high degree of difficulty on that maneuver. why do you call it the bubble and squeak? >> because it's going to bubble and squeak in your stomach. when you will be eating this or maybe sometime the next day. we do that bubble. you see the cheddar out of the sausages. it's delicious and beautiful. >> how do you serve it? do you have a sauce to go over it? >> yes, a sauce right there. the sauce is basically red currant dressing with some peppers. it's hot, it's sweet, it's spicy. >> kind of like a gravy. >> voila. kind of like a gravy. when you're french you don't do

gravey. >> we're american. we do gravey in american. >> what are you making here. >> new england lobster rolls. >> it's right by the park where the action is. lobster rolls, local. we like to represent the locals. old bay. very new england. chopped chervil, fresh lemon. >> look at those little sliders. we always like to have a little touch of new york, a little touch -- a touch of america, a touch of british, and a touch of french. barbecue pulled pork sliders. fantastic. >> how do you serve this, like a pizza? >> serve yourself. this is family style. basically you just cut the

potato, cabbage and carrots with the sausage. voila. >> i think we've got some takers here. >> how are you, matt. >> chef, thank you so much. you have to come back and show us more treats later. >> yes. we have a couple more treats for you coming up. >> thank you so much. we'll see you in a few minutes. our coverage continues. >> i would love to make you taste it. >> you don't have to make us. >> last event of women's gymnastics. >> it's been so amazing. definitely a dream come true. >> i like this thing. i really do. you see these all over great britain. >> oh, hi, guys. >> with jimmy in just a couple of minutes. jenna bush-hager. >> ariel making mince meat.

>> put me down. >> we could go get a beer. >> this is wbal-tv 11 news in baltimore. >> good morning. i am mindy basara. baltimore mayor stephanie rawlings-blake is urging regulators to provide which she says

>> weather should stay fairly quiet today. 20% or 30% chance of a thunderstorm in your neighborhood. scattered showers and storms on tuesday and friday. some of those to be strong or severe.