good morning. heading for gold. a thrilling last-second goal against canada lifts the u.s. women's soccer team into the finals and ready for a championship match. >> it's in!. >> poll vaults her way to the olympic stadium. so far gold has been elusive in the individual event finals but they get one more chance today tuesday august 7th, 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 with matt lauer and savannah guthrie live from olympic park in london, england. captions paid for by nbc-universal television good morning and welcome to "today" from london a tuesday morning. i'm savannah guthrie. >> and i'm matt lauer. unfortunately savannah was getting a man iri and pedi whene u.s. soccer team advanced to the final. it was unbelievable. double overtime. winning with just about a minute to go, maybe a little bit less. it was awesome. >> the truth is i was driving but constantly pressing the website on my iphone so i have to say i was there. thursday they will face off in the finals, the gold medal match

against the world championships japan. lots to look forward to. >> also look forward to the most decorated olympian ever, michael phelps. he is going to be here in just a little while. he's going to talk about whether these will actually be his last olympic games. talk about the medal games six in london, four gold, two silver. his total is 22 olympic medals, 18 of those are gold. we'll talk to michael live in the next hour. >> we'll talk to new medalists, jen suhr won gold with her teammate michael tinsley got silver in the 400 meter hurdles and serena williams will stop by fresh off her double gold wins. >> we've got a lot to get to, let's start with all the olympic news. natalie is here with that. >> track and field dominating the headlines this morning with one country celebrating its very first olympic medal as the u.s.

women advance to the finals in soccer, thanks to that dramatic finish. >> here comes the drop. it's in! >> a thrilling victory for usa over canada. alex morgan headed in the winning gold in the 123rd minute of the game, giving the u.s. a 4-3 win over canada. >> i'm saying the whole time i don't care who scores. as long as we win, that's all that matters. i just got me head on it at the end. i didn't even see it go in. >> u.s. women face japan on thursday a rematch of the world cup game. >> sneaks over the bar. >> in track and field jenn suhr

took a medal. sanchez from the dominican republic won gold in the 400 meter hurdles. american michael tinsley came off the last hurdle to win silver. in the men's 400 meter finals, james wins the first ever olympic medal for grenada, a gold. as the sprinting champion celebrated the historic moment, fans of grenada went wild. jamaica's usain bolt got his gold medal for this spectacular win in the 100 meter dash. after the race sunday night he tweeted this photo, celebrating with the swedish women's handball team. bolt competes in the 200 meter heat later today. gymnastics all around gold medalist gabby douglas had a tough time on the uneven bars monday finishing last in the

event finals. russia took gold. douglas gets another shot at the medal in the individual balance beam today. a change of pace for the dream team with tough competition from argentina. tied at the half the u.s. men came back to win 126-97. the hero's home coming for the youngest member of the u.s. olympic team, 15-year-old katie ledecky arrived at dulles airport monday night to a cheering crowd of high school classmates from bethesda merrill maryland. the winner in the 800 meter freestyle, ledecky is now getting ready for her sophomore year of high school. just adorable. also what to watch for today, more gymnastics and beach volleyball sme finals. a chick check of the medal count, china 64, u.s. .

u.s. track and field medalist. jenn suhr won gold, michael tinsley won silver in the 400 meter hurdles. congratulations. >> jenn we mentioned this was a long road. you went through injury and illness. when you won you were so emotional. were you thinking about the long road? >> yes, i was thinking about the long road. i knew the result was going to be emotional good or mad. so much goes into it, your heart and soul. to have it come out that way is a flood of emotions. it still is. i still have to hold back tears when i talk about it and think about it. when i watch other athletes receiving their medals, i think that's going to be me. hard to believe that's where i am now. >> exciting. hard enough to do what you do at the olympics, after a little rain and wind, how difficult was that? >> it was difficult.

not only is the event difficult but the rain and wind and competition, it added to it. it was more drama than you wanted. but it really was the mental toughness that got through. >> was it all more sweet because the beat the streak of the russian paul vaulter who is dominant in your sport? >> it is. the way i put it, it's an honor. to have her in the field and beat her, it's an honor. >> michael, 400 meter hurdles which a lot of people consider to be the toughest out there. i'll be blunt about it, a lot of analysts counted you out. does that make the silver medal even better? >> makes it that much more important to me. all the hard work i put in paid off. i got to show the world why i'm the usa olympic champion. i got a chance to come out and show the world. >> you beat your teammate at the trials. did that give you that extra surge of confidence. >> it definitely did. she's a great competitor,

two-time gold medalist. once i beat him, it gave me a lot of confidence. if i keep training hard, i would have a chance here in london. >> you're a first time olympian, we have to ask you, will we see you in rio in 2016. >> god willing. i've been training extra hard. i want to finish the season strong. that's something i'm pushing towards. guys like angelo and sanchez give me reason to believe i can go longer. >> they are in good company with you. jenn and michael, congratulations to you. >> thank you. >> back to natalie for the other top stories. >> good morning, everyone. new details this morning about wade michael page, the man accused of opening fire at the wisconsin sikh temple. john yang with more. >> reporter: good morning, natalie. despite how much more we do know about the alleged gunman this

morning, investigators say the reason why he attacked this temple remains a mystery. another sikh temple in brookfield, wisconsin, a prayer service to remember the five men and one woman killed in the shooting rampage. investigators continue to search for wade michael page's motive, a group that tracks hate groups said he had been around the white supremacist scene for at least 12 years, playing in two bands associated with racist skinheads. >> if this man lived in a world in which there are a great many violent people, in which vile ennis fairly routine. >> reporter: one of his bands is called end apathy. he once told a website he wanted to figure out how to end people's apathetic ways. he was kicked out of the army for a drinking party. drunk driving, criminal

mischief, kicking holes in the wall of a texas bar. in colorado page's stepmother spoke out for the first time. >> he was a happy person and a happy child. and what happened, god only knows, because i don't. >> reporter: after monday night's sikh prayer service, a candlelight vigil as people struggle with their loss. >> from anybody, respect everybody and care for everybody. >> reporter: investigators say they don't know when they will be able to return the temple to its congregation as they continue to gather evidence. natalie. >> john yang in oak creek. a possible plea deal for loughner as the 23-year-old appears in an arizona courtroom this morning. loughner will have to convince a judge he's mentally fit to enter a change of plea. he's expected to admit guilt in

the 2011 shooting spree in exchange for life in prison instead of a possible death sentence. an overnight fire at a chevron oil refinery in san francisco could move gas prices higher as the blaze halted operations at one of the nation's largest refineries. thick smoke sent hundreds of bay area residents to the hospital there with breathing problems. let's head to wall street. cnbc's mary thompson at the new york stock exchange. good morning, mary. >> good morning to you. the market finished at a three-month high on europe's economic woes. dream works studio opening a movie studio and theme park in shanghai with chinese partner in order to get a strong foothold in the world's fastest movie market. >> mary thompson from the new york stock exchange, thanks so much. some new video showing rover curiosity landing on mars. this is the first glimpse of a

spacecraft landing on another world. in an unlikely twist, the web gone wild for the flight director, mohawk guy. adoring fans in his honor. he responded to the newfound fame on twitter. not ready for the attention but happy to show it takes all types to make mars curiosity. now if only my co-workers would stop making fun of me. we like the look. it's 7:12. back to matt, savannah and al. >> i pity the fool -- >> we like it. >> bringing back the mohawk. roker is here, we have a little cloudy weather here. >> it will stay that way, really, until we leave. >> good to know. >> but nin southeast, we're talking about a lot of cloudy weather and wet weather, as well. stationary front will allow moisture to stream on up and bring showers and thunderstorms and some heavy at timents. we're talking anywhere from one to three inches of rain stretching from tallahassee all the way to the mid-atlantic

coastal region and we have heat to talk about. out west, temperatures well over 100 all the way into denver 94 degrees and as we make our way to the east, those hot temperatures continue to sizzle from alexandria all the way to st. louis and that certainly isn't helping the drought which we'll take a look at in the next half hour. that's what's going on around the country, here's what's going on in your neck of the woods. >> tom kierein storm center 4. storm 4 radar those specks of color showing a couple isolated showers charles and st. mary's counties this morning and drifting towards the northeast. through the day today, little sunshine breaking out from time to time upper 80s near 90 and maybe a few scattered showers to our south. greater chance of areawide showers and thursday and friday and getting less humid and cooler for the weekend. >> and that's your latest weather. matt. >> all right, al, thank you so much. we've seen a lot of magical moments during the first ten

days of these games. what can we expect in the days to come. al michaels one of the hosts of the nbc coverage and play by play announcer for nbc sunday night football. al, good to see you. >> good to be here. i can't believe we're winding down. >> i know. seems like it's going quickly. you've seen your share of iconic moments, you believe in miracles. when you look, what moments will stand out and live. >> usain bolt, when you spend four years getting ready for 10 seconds. you show up and maybe don't feel 100% or you argue with your girlfriend, dog goes to the vet. you get in the blocks, somebody throws a plastic bottle at these guys, away they go. the crowd is so silent. ten seconds. you get one shot. >> two bad seconds out of tenure not going to win. >> one bad second. in a super bowl, world series you have days or hours to make up for a mistake. here, that's it. end of story.

>> another real huge moment here, of course this was incredibly big for great britain, andy murray getting the medal over federer. >> who would have thought, in this country with wimbledon going back 18 years, henry the viii beheading his wives, no englishman had won it. he goes to england, has a chance to win, doesn't. then all of a sudden, what happens. they are back. i don't want to say it's bigger than wimbledon but probably as big. for him to do what he did, he dominated, was tremendous. >> you thought farrell winning was fantastic. >> he grew up in somalia, came here, became a british citizen at the age of eight, lives in oregon. it goes like this, bang bang. that's a half hour race. that crowd was into it for half an hour. staying in contention all the way.

you look at that reaction at the end, his training partner for the united states winds up in second place. that would be a seminal moment here. >> i think we'll see more of the header from alex morgan to win the game for the united states over canada. >> women's soccer has become so big and provided so many fantastic moments through the years. all of a sudden now you've got that thursday night game against japan, a big moment for the united states obviously. >> a lot of people think oscar pistorius making the track was something we'll never forget but let's move onto michael phelps. he leaves these games the most decorated olympian ever, not even close actually. what do you take away from your performance here? >> it's cumulative. that's why i say there's no one moment we can put our finger on, what he's done in three olympics, the centerpiece beijing. you look over the course of time. there's an argument he's the greatest olympian ever. he'll never be able to answer that. >> it makes a great cocktail

party argument. >> of course it does. in that sport you can win multiple medals. it's hard to win multiple medals in basketball, you can win one, marathon, track and field, maybe a couple, but he's certainly in the ring of honor. >> u.s. dream team in basketball. carmelo anthony was here. i said to him, if this team doesn't win gold, will it be a colossal failure, i thought he was going to beat me up. but basically that's the truth. >> no question about it. when you have kobe bryant and lebron james. you know they are going to step it up. kobe hasn't played that much. kobe to me is amazing. he plays. every season he's been playing for the national team or doing something around the clock, lakers go deep into the playoffs every year. he's been pacing himself a little bit. now that we get to the end. >> the other teams aren't pushovers. they had a couple tough battles. al michaels, a few days of work left in you. >> a couple more than you do. >> enjoy it.

we'll enjoy watching you also. and you can check out more of nbc's olympic coverage later today. now, here is savannah. >> all right, matt, thanks. being second in the world in something, anything, is quite an achievement. here at the olympic games silver comes with mixed reaction. stephanie gosk is here with that story. good morning. >> for most olympic athletes winning a medal, any color medal is a dream that comes true. why the angst over silver, the one medal's worth depends on the eye of the beholder. some say olympic athletes win silver medals, some say they settle for silver. some say a silver medal makes you the second best in the world. others say it means you're the first loser. athletes themselves go through a whole range of emotions. australian swimmer missed a gold medal by hundredths of a second. these are not tears of joy. >> i feel like i disappointed my

parents. >> mikayla maroney wound up with a silver and her face says it all. >> she is not a happy girl. >> when dora won silver in the equestrian event -- the australian team has been runner up 12 times in these games with little gold. people back home have started to complain. even if famous australian news anchor made a point of it in an interview with ryan seacrest. >> a lot of silver, more silver than anyone else. that's what we came here to do is win silver. >> that's your goal now. >> that's our goal. >> aussie long jumper and silver medal winner has a message for them. >> extremely hard to win a gold medal. 212 countries represented here. it's mind blowing, you wake up and people think you failed when you win a silver medal.

>> fans, like athletes have expectations, depending on the sport and their country's past performance. >> an athlete from ireland wins a silver medal what's your reaction. >> unbelievable. >> this family on the way to see the american basketball team play. what would they think about a silver medal. >> i would be happy for the win but i would really, really want a gold. yes. >> a little disappointed. >> want a gold, kobe, want a gold, lebron. >> expectations are tough unless exceeded ask brennan hansen, the medal pure bronze. >> i'm proud of myself. >> a discovery, athletes that win bronze are typically happier than silver medals. that's because they are imagining not winning any medal at all. >> your perspective matters.

he calls it the shinies medal he ever saw. >> you can't blame him. >> we'll talk to a man who knows what it's like to win bronze, >> we'll talk to a man who knows what it'i got the chanceonze, to start my own business.

i know what it's like to hire people and to make ends meet. from those experiences, i had the chance of running the olympics. the games were in real trouble. there'd been way too much spending. and in massachusetts i found a budget that was badly out of balance. our legislature was 85% democrat.

and every one of the four years i was governor, we balanced the budget. i want to use those experiences to help americans have a better future. we believe in our future. we believe in ourselves. we believe the greatest days of america are ahead. i'm mitt romney and i approve this message. they compete for gold for the last time. >> a preview after your local news. melons!!! oh yeah!! well that was uncalled for. uhh... mr. gallagher. incoming!!! hahaha! it's wasteful. you know jimmy. folks who save hundreds of dollars switching to geico sure are happy. how happy, ronny? happier than gallagher at a farmers' market. get happy. get geico. fifteen minutes could save you fifteen percent or more. your mouth has giggled, snuggled, bubbled

...and yellowed. because if you're not whitening, you're yellowing. crest whitestrips remove over ten years of stains and whiten 25 times better than a leading whitening toothpaste. crest 3d white whitestrips. [ sneezes ] [ male announcer ] you may be an allergy muddler. try zyrtec® for powerful allergy relief. and zyrtec® is different than claritin® because it starts working faster on the first day you take it. zyrtec®. love the air. [ sneezes ] you kids almost ready? i've got breakfast waiting for you. wooo! uh oh. what? mom's doing her exercise video again. when mom's on a health kick, all of us are. and now she's made us breakfast. uh oh. [ male announcer ] eggo nutri-grain waffles. you know it's made with 8 grams of whole grain and is a good source of fiber. all they know is it tastes great. eggo nutri-grain waffles. the lines, the cost, the hassle.

♪ express yourself [ female announcer ] why not try coffee-mate? with over 25 delicious flavors for a fraction of the cost of the coffee house. add your flavor, with coffee-mate, from nestle. they're whole grain good... and yummy good. real fruit pieces. 12 grams of whole grains and a creamy yogurt flavored coating. quaker yogurt granola bars. treat yourself good. here's what the kids will n-e-e-d. ♪ pens and markers, paper wide ruled. ♪ ♪ hoodies, sneakers, tape, sticks of glue.♪ ♪ large boxes pencils, highlighters. ♪ ♪ sneakers and t-shirts.

♪ notebooks and jeans, ♪ notebooks and jeans, ♪ notebooks and jeeeeans, yeah! ♪ ♪ notebooks and jeans! announcer: school takes a lot, target has it all. 7:26 on this tuesday, august 7th. i'm aaron gilchrist. breaking news on interstate 6 6. danella sealock is here with details. >> a live look from chopper 4. multi-vehicle crash. all your eastbound lanes are blocked, this is right near fairfax county parkway. again, multiple vehicles are involved in this accident and it's going to be shut down just so they can get the victim out of this accident. so, i'm going to keep watching this for you, but, for now, eastbound is blocked and you're looking at a three-mile backup on 66 and it's growing. aaron a, over to you. ayou keep hearing amazing things about verizon fios.

blazing fast internet. the best tv picture quality. but you're still sitting on the fence. so they're making it as easy as possible. now, you can switch to fios without an annual contract. they'll even set up your whole home and give you upgraded equipment, free for six months so call or go online today. this is way better than sitting on a fence. [ male announcer ] get the fios triple play now with no annual contract and get everything you need to set up your whole home free for 6 months. now's the best time to switch to life on fios.

call the verizon center for customers with disabilities at 800-974-6006 tty/v. good morning. a lot of cloudiness around and storm 4 showing some showers in

st. mary's county and st. charles county and otherwise partly sunny near 90. greater chance of storms tomorrow thursday and friday, aaron. >> a

an enormous amount of grace, strength and determination. it seems every four years that sport fascinates people when the olympic games roll around. coming up we're going to show you just how far the sport has come since it was introduced. >> synchronized swimming brings a certain image to mind, you and al in athens in 2004 doing that incredible routine. i just wonder, what are you going to do to top it this time and will there be spandex involved.

>> there will be and much less man things showing. >> it's not funny, we nearly drowned during that segment. tomorrow our olympic sport of this year will be revealed. >> we are not going to give anything away. however, i will tell you my chafing has just subsided. >> he may have broken a rib. >> we can't wait to share it tomorrow. >> the unitard -- >> don't go there. >> what a week for gymnasts, u.s. women had a great week, team gold and individual gold for gabby douglas. in the individual events they struggled a little bit. we're going to look ahead and find out why, but they have a few more chances to shine here in london. >> what do you do for the second act when you're the most decorated olympian of all time? it's a question michael phelps may be asking himself these days. he will be joining us live in the next half hour. we'll talk about whether this is really going to be his last olympic appearance. >> first we want to say hello to

miss serena williams who won this weekend, individual medal and doubles with her sister venus. congratulations. >> thank you. really exciting. >> you've had two huge moments over at wimbledon in the last few months. you won wimbledon and now the gold medal. compare the two moments for me? >> this is hard to compare. winning wimbledon is something tennis players dream about. coming to the olympics is really special because you get to be around amazing athletes. look at this crazy venue. it's an opportunity of a lifetime. it's really hard to compare them both. >> you had a wonderful match. total intensity, the tightest match of your life. instead you really -- you kind of left nothing of maria sharapova by the time it was over. >> i was doing it for usa. i really, really was so excited

to be in the final, the gold medal match. i love gold. it really is my favorite color. i wanted to get that first place when was when you do something like this, it's one thing to play wimbledon, you're playing for yourself. is there an extra boost when you're playing for your country. >> there's definitely a boost. the moral is different. you go for your team. you cheer for your team. you have a team coach at every practice. i'm not used to that. it's different do have that team camaraderie. you're looking who else on the usa team did well, who can you comfort. completely different. i ended up loving it so much. i keep thinking we should do this for every grand slam, every country. exactly. >> the good news for serena, she gets a day off and then goes into the u.s. open back in new york. congratulations. >> thank you. >> thanks, serena. >> all right. it's time once again for

everybody to take part in al's english class. that's right. even though we share the same language, it means different things. serena, you can take part, too. wisely she left. here is the english sentence. you see if you can tell me what it means in american. the fly vendor offered to bung an extra shirt in for free. the fly vendor offered to bung an extra shirt in for free. >> okay. >> we're totally giving up. >> dry cleaners? no. >> that is a kiosk on the street and you get two for the price of one. >> you're close. the clever vendor offered to throw an extra shirt in for free. full of beans during his chin wag with the fit bird. >> not telling the truth. >> john was full of beans during his chin wag with the big bird.

>> pretty lady. >> sort of. >> full of gas? beans? i don't know. >> john was full of beans during the chin wag with the fit bird. it means john was excited during his chat with the fit woman. >> what? >> don't that is "today's" english class. that's what's going on around this country, here's what's happening in your neck of the woods. >> good morning, tom kierein in storm center 4 this tuesday. a lot of cloudiness and showing some showers now in st. mary's county, as well as into charles county and those are really not moving much. so, could be brief downpours there. showers south of the metro area and otherwise sunny and near 90. a greater chance of scattered showers and thundershowers each of those days and after that, weekend looks dr and that's your latest weather. >> all right, mr. roker.

thank you very much. when we come back, this young lady here will take us inside the athletes village, which is located just across the street. then the highs and lows for the fab five here in london. what they need to do to bounce back in today's individual events finals. right after this. [ male announcer ] the people who brought you the groundbreaking film "coraline"... i love your garden! [ male announcer ] ...invite you to meet their newest hero. paranorman. yo, norman. [ male announcer ] he's a boy who sees ghosts. that's not his chin. [ dog barks ] [ male announcer ] and he's the only one who can save his town from a witch's curse. yeah! the zombie slayer. ow! [ male announcer ] on august 17th... come on! [ male announcer ] ...comes a 3-d adventure like you've never seen. what? [ male announcer ] "paranorman." rated pg. oh, it's so good! if this image robbed you of the great taste of untopped triscuit, claim your free box online. goat cheese? come on! this is america! [ male announcer ] 100% whole grain,

woven for an untoppable taste. [ telephone rings ] how's the camping trip? well, the kids had fun, but i think i slept on a rock. ♪ the best part of wakin' up what are you doing? having coffee. ohh. ♪ is folgers in your cup having coffee. ohh. smoky eyes look amazing. but creating them? that's a whole different story. almay intense i-color smoky-i kit. first, sweep the smoky eye color across your lid. then add the crease accentuating shade and a highlight under your brow.

only from almay. only for me. you...you think these disguises will... no. [ male announcer ] salty. sweet. and impossible to resist. ♪ grab a kleenex® tissue to help keep your hands clean ♪ ♪ shield sneeze swish ♪ check out my swish [ female announcer ] only kleenex® brand has sneeze shield in all their tissues to help keep stuff off kids' hands. ♪ this is the sound... you feel that? no. the eassist is working. right now. that's spandau ballet, man. you did this all the way to the restaurant. yeah. we were going up a hill. getting extra horsepower. from a battery-powered generator. ♪ ah, ah ah, ah, ah ♪ it's helping us conserve fuel. this is important. [ male announcer ] the all-new, 37 mpg chevy malibu eco. from new technology to old friends.

chevy runs deep. the u.s. women's gymnastics team captured gold in america's hearts last week. in the individual event finals, so far the magic displayed by the fab five has not been there. for the women's gymnastics team, these games have been about both triumph and disappointment. less than a week ago, they soared to new heights winning team gold for the first time since 1996, a win for the ages. but on sunday, the unthinkable, reigning world champion favorite mckayla maroney took to the vault. this was supposed to be her event to lose, coronation as queen of the vault. instead she faltered. falling to the ground on her

second vault and settling for silver. she was clearly disappointed. >> it was a big shock, and it's really sad. teammate gabby douglas became america's golden girl last week with her win in the women's all around. she made history in the process, the first african-american to win the most coveted title in gymnastics. her near flawless performance and trademark giggle captured hearts worldwide. on monday the magic was not there. went the wrong way competing against the world's best on uneven bars, douglas didn't have it, finishing last in the field of eight. the 16-year-old confessed she was drained by physically and mentally from the rigors of her first olympics. >> you know, your body and your mind gets so tired. you compete every day, train every day. you have to learn how to deal with it. >> we have got a real battle.

>> tonight douglas is expected to be a medal contender in her final event the balance beam. >> aly has felt the pressure before. >> she'll be competing against teammate aly raisman who tied for third in the individual all around but did not bring home bronze because of the olympic tiebreaking rule. the most anticipated matchup raisman goes head to head against jordyn wieber in the floor event final. olympic gymnastics analysts, good morning to both of you. >> good morning. >> let me start with you, with mckayla maroney, it's hard to over state how shocking this was. this is a woman who executed this vault near flawlessly time and time and time again and she faltered sunday. do you think it was a simple case of nerves. >> i think it was a little bit of nerves. first of all, her first vault wasn't as great as she's capable of doing.

she really wanted to rock the landing on the second one. it's a very risky thing to do when you're doing that forward landing to try to stick it. every vault that i've seen her do in the last years, the worst two you put together, she would have been an olympic champion easily but didn't happen. >> when she was standing on the podium with silver. let's talk about gabby douglas, obviously a total rock star performance last week. on the bars in this event competition, was she expected to medal? >> no. i think for gabby what she was expected to do was what she did at the all around competition, which was an exceptional bar routine. you have to remember in that group of athletes that were competing on bars, there were some unbelievable routines. chinese, the russians. the expectations for gabby were pretty high from everyone else, i believe. the way we saw it, her routine wasn't as difficult. she really needed to perform the routine of her life. even then it was really an outside chance being on the

medal podium. >> gabby mentioned it. what is the exhaustion level for all gymnasts as they enter the second week of competition? >> it's epic. they are used to all the of the numbers, the repetitions and the workouts. but the mental fatigue is just astounding at the olympic games. you never been surprised, felt as tortured. those kids have to do it against. >> aly and gabby on beam today. elsie, what do you expect? >> i expect great things. i think number one from gabby. she's had some problems coming into the olympic games. balance beam seems to be her nemesis. she has proven us wrong. she has hit and done everything she was asked to do on that event. aly, on the other hand, was typically rock solid but she wasn't in the finals. she has a lot to prove. it's balance beam, four inches

wide. it will come down to the athlete with the fewest uh-oh moves. they are difficult routines. it needs to be fluid and stay on and hit. >> in ten seconds, jordyn or aly on the floor standing on the medal podium. >> well, both of them have a very good shot. aly has the most difficult routine in the world if she pulls it off. jordyn is looking for some redemption and i would not count her out. >> all right, elsie, tim, thank you. catch all the action tonight during prime time coverage. up next, synchronized swimming. still to come, look who just arrived to our set. the greatest listenian of all time michael phelps is here. first these messages. you kids almost ready? i've got breakfast waiting for you. wooo! uh oh. what? mom's doing her exercise video again. when mom's on a health kick, all of us are. and now she's made us breakfast.

uh oh. [ male announcer ] eggo nutri-grain waffles. you know it's made with 8 grams of whole grain and is a good source of fiber. all they know is it tastes great. eggo nutri-grain waffles. [ marching band plays ] [ male announcer ] ...comes the eye-popping... aah! [ male announcer ] ...jaw-dropping... aaaah! ow! [ male announcer ] ...heart-stopping... clear! [ male announcer ] ...movie event of the year. who is up for nights? ooh! ooh! [ male announcer ] "the lorax" rated pg. now available. ho who is up for nights? ooh! ooh! w domale announcer ] "the lorax" rated pg. now available. edelicious hershey's chocolate with 30% less fat? who is up for nights? ooh! ooh! new hershey's simple pleasures chocolate. 30% less fat, 100% delicious. ♪ a flavor paradisens aof delicious fishes ♪♪ ♪ friskies seafood sensations. ♪ feed the senses.

with mccafé real fruit smoothies at mcdonald's. ♪ the simple joy that lasts forever. ♪ [ femala $100 cream. we were flattered when regenerist beat flabbergasted when we creamed a $500 cream. for about $30 regenerist micro-sculpting cream hydrates better than over 20 of america's most expensive luxury creams. fantastic. phenomenal. regenerist. here we go! ♪ you're not doing what i think you're doing? yeah, i am. ♪ [ male announcer ] "the expendables 2," rated r. starts august 17th. for a golf getaway. double miles you can actually use... but mr. single miles can't join his friends because he's getting hit with blackouts. shame on you. now he's stuck in a miniature nightmare.

oh, thank you. but, with the capital one venture card... you can fly any airline, any flight, any time. double miles you can actually use. what's in your wallet? alec jr? it was a gift. >> today's olympic moment is brought to you by walmart. we've been training your whole lives to save you money. walmart, save money, live better. >> and this morning on today's olympic moment, a group of determined young ladies who are truly goal oriented. it was a match for the ages between the united states and canada with canadians striking first. the united states played catchup the entire time.

a magnificent goal, and it's 2-2 with 20 minutes remaining. >> only to see canada jump in front once more. then a controversial penalty kick for the u.s. >> there it is. gone. it's 3-3. >> finally one overtime, seconds to go before they had to turn the penalty kick, the americans finished it. >> here comes the drop. it's in! alex morgan has done it! with 30 seconds to go, it's 4-3 for the united states. >> now a chance for a little payback. the americans will try to avenge a world cup final lost to japan. they take them on in the olympic championship on thursday. this time one goal in mind, gold

medal. now from soccer to an olympic sport that's often awed and maybe a little puzzling, we're talking about synchronized swimming. michelle kosinski. >> in 1984, the u.s. took gold. mention synchronized swimming you get a mixed reaction and sometimes even jokes. wild costumes and makeup aside, there's no disputing these athletes are in incredible shape. the siren song, synchronized swimming brought them marching, strutting, lurching from 24 countries. for this unparalleled brew of ballet, gymnastics, cheerleading, sculpture, drama, and vegas. part esther williams, part ir

ironman, elated and angry. a little bit sunshine, a little bit rock and roll. russia chose michael jackson as a theme one day and a doll the next. brazil favored an exposed brain and organ, sparkly, of course. but heather olson, who was on the gold medal team in 1996 says the athleticism here, the intensity, the technical difficulty have doubled since then. >> liken it to a gymnastic floor routine with half the oxygen. >> reporter: matt and al gave it a whirl in athens in '04 just macing the team by a hair. in 2000, the russians have dominated, took analyst's breath away. still ask around -- you must be so excited for the synchronized

swimming. >> unbelievably hard. >> reporter: partly because of all that embellishment that built up, sparkle, faces, eye shadow. >> i think it's gone a little bit too far. >> reporter: still the sport seems to entrans the world. teams from egypt, israel, mexico, south and north korea. united in their quest for absolute perfection while holding their breath. wow that crowd a little more. the duet finals are today. back to you guys. >> all right, michelle. thank you very much. it isn't every day you get to stand in london in olympic park and say we are standing with the greatest olympian of all time.

[ cheers and applause ] michael, how are you? >> good. >> you like the sound of that. >> a little tired but i'm good. >> we just asked michael, so when are you going home and your answer was? >> i have no idea. >> this is the kind of blur that takes place after the blur that is the competition. >> it's crazy. have you a week of competing and then get up and get pulled where you're told to go. it's definitely an experience. >> we're going to sit down and talk to michael in just a second after what was such a disappointing olympic games for him. >> a lot of consoling. >> you're going to land on your feet though. >> we'll be back right after this.

[ music plays ] they're whole grain good... and yummy good. real fruit pieces. 12 grams of whole grains and a creamy yogurt flavored coating. quaker yogurt granola bars. treat yourself good.

♪ [music plays] ♪ [music plays] if we took the nissan altima and reimagined nearly everything in it? gave it greater horsepower and best in class 38 mpg highway... ...advanced headlights... ...and zero gravity seats? yeah, that would be cool. ♪ introducing the completely reimagined nissan altima. it's our most innovative altima ever. nissan. innovation that excites. ♪ nissan. innovation that excites. and set the stage for a great day.

x xxx. 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. truvia. honestly sweet.

7:56 is your time now on this tuesday, august 7, 2012. good morning to you, i'm eun yang. an update on breaking news on i-66. traffic started slowly getting by. let's get the update from danella sealock. >> the situation is eastbound i-66 approaching fairfax county parkway. you're able to get by, but squeezing by in the left shoulder lane and you can see how slowly these cars are moving. big delay on i-66. let's talk about delays and about a six-mile backup just sitting at sudley road. only the left shoulder lane will only th[ female announcer ] will to stay healthy,

you don't need an olympic-sized pool. or an olympic-sized stadium. you just need an olympic-sized audience. put your goals on the line, online.

get started at facebook.com/healthy. powered by ge. spectacular sunrise over the potomac and posted by one of my twitter followers, angela pan. you can send yours to weather@nbcwashington.com. getting some showers and thunder and lightning in st. mary's southern colbert. could have those off and on throughout the day

8:00 now on this tuesday morning, it's august 7, 2012. just look at the massive crowd that has gathered in olympic park on day 11 of these games. a great aerial view from our friends at goodyear. our friends on the plaza are getting a chance to mingle -- have we said this before? -- the most decorated olympian of all time. michael phelps is here. i'm savannah guthrie alongside al roker and matt lauer. >> we are 100 yards away from the athletes olympic village. it's a very cool place. michael phelps stayed there as did most of the u.s. athletes.

savannah guthrie got a tour. it's getting rave reviews. a lot of people really like it. >> they have everything there, a foosball table, most crucial. they have a manicure, pedicure place. if you want to go over there all you have to do is show a gold meteorologist and they will give it to you for free. a lot of people may remember lolo jones who came so close to gold but clipped that last hurdle. she's here in london, back, looking for redemption. she says she's a winner no matter what happens on the track. we'll catch up with her in a bit. >> mr. roker. >> a reminder when we get back to new york, not that we're rushing out of here, but we're calling it today in history. a closer look at the stories behind some of these iconic images. we may recreate a few of them ourselves. we want you to recreate your favorites as well. go to today.com and send them to us.

in fact, matt actually redid the marilyn monroe over the subway grate. >> i loved it. >> we didn't know your legs looked that good. >> did you not watch halloween. >> i averted my eyes. >> let's look at the games. michelle kosinski that highlights. >> reporter: good morning, stars of men and women's gymnastics, track, usain bolt. american hurdler lolo jones looking for a medal after failing to win one in beijing. these games have been full of surprises. >> barely 30 seconds to go, it's 4-3 to the united states. >> reporter: a stunning end to a soccer semifinal as the u.s. women's team topped canada in double overtime earning a spot in the finals against japan. alex morgan delivered the game winning goal. >> i was just trying to be in

the right position. i was and i still can't believe it. >> didn't look bad but it was a mistake. >> reporter: gabby douglas known as the flying squirrel kept on flying but came in last in the individual uneven bars. meanwhile after her historic gold medal in the all around last week, some have been making fun of the 16-year-old's hair on social networking sights. douglas uses clips, gel and a pony tail holder and told associated press i just made history and people are focused on my hair. it can be bald or short, it doesn't matter. >> that was fantastic. >> in men's gym nafs, sam was so happy with his landing he kissed the vault. his fifth place finish didn't break his spirit. >> i'm ecstatic. this has been the best experience of my life. >> looks like she's on her way to the medal round and has ga n

guaranteed herself at least a bronze. >> the year of the women as she beat her opponent to guarantee the u.s. a boxes medal. u.s. judo player has been disqualified and sent home after testing positive for marijuana. the 23-year-old blamed it on a brownie he ate before leaving for london calling it an inadvertent consumption. a touching moment during track and field as felix sanchez from the dominican republic reclaimed gold in the 400 meter hurdles. his win a tribute to his grandmother who died during the beijing games. her photo pinned to his chest during the race. an emotional response for an enduring memory. also today we will see more diving, cycling, equestrian, beach volleyball semifinals where americans misty may-treanor and kerri walsh-jennings will continue to work their magic. back to you guys. >> michelle, thank you. >> mr. roker, how about a check

of the weather? >> no, but first we're going to do natalie. >> thanks for remembering. >> right here. >> that would be natalie. >> never makes a mistake. >> that's true. good morning once again. in the news this morning investigators say the gunman who fatally shot six people and wounded nine others at a sikh temple near milwaukee on sunday was thrown out of the army in 1998 for a drinking problem. 40-year-old wade michael page also posted frequent comments on internet forums for hate groups. page was killed sunday during a shoot-out with police. for the third straight month mitt romney's campaign has raised more money than president obama's. the romney campaign took in $100 million in july to president obama's $75 million. meantime there was some unplanned drama last night while the president flew to fundraisers in connecticut. fighter jets had to intercept small planes has entered temporarily restricted airspace. sir elton john escalated his verbal feud with mad no. he called her, quote, a

nightmare that dresses like a fair ground stripper during an interview on australian tv. john said madonna's current tour has been a disaster and her career is over. madonna's spokeswoman said the singer does not spend her time trashing other artists. for an olympics edition of what's trending, what has you talking only. the world's fastest man earning praise for olympic class. the jamaica star interrupted an interview to pay respect to sanya richards-ross. >> cut the interview. >> yes. >> once the american anthem was finished, bolt turned around and he finished the interview. men's tennis champion andy murray gave his olympic hardware to the winners in his life. he tweeted this picture of his border terriers, maggie may and rusty wearing his gold medal for

men's singles and silver from mixed doubles. and now that nasa has a rover on mars astrophysicist is tweeting about what the olympics might be like on the red planet, ignoring the small detail everyone would suffocate in the martian atmosphere. the real bummer women's beach volleyball would have to ditch bikinis, no ozone, solar uv would ir radiate exposed buns, tummies, which would not be good. let's go back to al with a check of your weather. >> thanks, nat. some friends here. >> st. louis missouri. >> st. louis. very nice, very hot right now. but you're here. here we go, let's see what we've got for you you. starting off with london. not very hot here. cloudy today, showers 68. wednesday cloudy 73. lots of sun on thursday with a high of 77 degrees. as you check out the satellite and radar, you can see a lot of

wet weather in the southeast, just raining like crazy there. we're looking at beautiful weather in the pacific northwest and little on the warm side. temperatures in the 80s to upper 70s and risk of strong storms in the mid-atlantic states and sizzling weather from the central plains and we're looking at a few hit or miss showers down through southern florida. that's what's going on around the country, here's what's happening in your neck of the woods. >> good morning. tom kierein storm center 4. storm 4 radar showing a heavy downpour in st. mary's county and another shower there in western charles county. we'll get those off and on this morning south of the metro area. otherwise a partly sunny day with highs around 90 and then more humid wednesday, thursday, friday. an increased chance of isolated showers and thundershowers each of those days that might linger into mid-day saturday. otherwise, weekend looks dry, and that's your latest weather. >> all right, al. coming up next, greatest olympian of all times michael

phelps is here. we'll talk to him right after this. you think that jason bourne was the whole story? there's a lot more going on here. [ glass shatters ] who is he? [ dita ] it's aaron cross. he's the most valuable asset we've ever put in the field. he knows bourne. he knows treadstone. he's got a handle on the whole operation! consider the magnitude of what we're facing. what are you gonna do? [ cross ] i'm gonna finish what he started. ♪ aaron! you okay? let's go. [ male announcer ] "the bourne legacy." rated pg-13. with mccafé real fruit smoothies at mcdonald's. ♪ the simple joy that lasts forever. ♪ [ male announcer ] every time you say no to a cigarette you celebrate a little win. nicorette gum helps calm your cravings and makes you less irritable. quit one cigarette at a time.

i've been fortunate to win on golf's biggest stages. but when joint pain and stiffness from psoriatic arthritis hit, even the smallest things became difficult. i finally understood what serious joint pain is like. i talked to my rheumatologist and he prescribed enbrel. enbrel can help relieve pain, stiffness, and stop joint damage. because enbrel, etanercept, suppresses your immune system, it may lower your ability to fight infections. serious, sometimes fatal events including infections, tuberculosis, lymphoma, other cancers, and nervous system and blood disorders have occurred. before starting enbrel, your doctor should test you for tuberculosis and discuss whether you've been to a region where certain fungal infections are common. don't start enbrel if you have an infection like the flu. tell your doctor if you're prone to infections, have cuts or sores, have had hepatitis b,

have been treated for heart failure, or if, while on enbrel, you experience persistent fever, bruising, bleeding, or paleness. [ phil ] get back to the things that matter most. ask your rheumatologist if enbrel is right for you. [ doctor ] enbrel, the number one biolog medicine prescribed by rheumatologists. get it already! yeah, but when is there a time to buy? ♪ [ man ] now is the right time, during toyota's nationwide clearance event, where you'll find amazing deals on our rugged toyota trucks. right now get 0% apr financing on the new 2012 tundra. ♪ but your chance to save won't last long. hurry in today. [ male announcer ] get started now at toyota.com. >> today's olympic moment is brought to you by walmart. we've been training your whole lives to save you money.

walmart, save money, live better. we're back on tuesday morning with an olympic moment for the ages made here in london. >> a 48-year-old record now belongs to phelps. number 19. >> michael phelps winning gold in the 4 x 200 meter free relay to become the most decorated olympian ever. he went on to win three more medals pushing his career total to 22, 18 of those gold. we're delighted to have michael phelps with us this morning. hi, michael, how are you? it's good to see you. you're standing on the medal platform, they are playing the national anthem. you're going to tell me not for a second you didn't think i'm going to have this same feeling in four years in rio. >> i'm done, finished, no more. >> you say it definitively.

i trust rowdy gains and mark spitz. they say you're going to get board of not swimming, you'll need an output for your competitive juices and want to do it again. >> the biggest thing, i can look back at my career and say i've done everything exactly the way i wanted to. if you can say that, i'm happy. i'm satisfied. >> in other words, in some ways the way you look at it, it's a lose situation if you come back, because you could only leave without completing what you want to do? >> i will not be coming back. we'll just leave it at that. >> you got boos. it's hard to boo the most decorated olympian of all time but you did it. you're sitting beside the pool in baltimore where you've trained so many years. at that point you were downplaying expectations for these games so hard. bob bowman your coach also. you're looking at me say, it's a capper, matt, i want to go and have a good time. will you admit now you had very

high expectations for yourself here. >> i did, but it was a lot more relaxed than any other olympics. bob and i were very laid back. we were ready to just have some fun. that's what we did. we came in here. sure, i prepared myself for the last four years for this moment. you know, everything came out here. >> you definitely wanted to go out with a bang. all that talk of just have some fun and swim a few events. >> sure, win a couple medals. >> i know how competitive you are. you wanted to leave people with the impression of you as the greatest and you did that. >> it was a cool week. you know, it's -- i literally can't say this enough. i've had so much fun this week. being able to stand on the award podium and listen to the national anthem play and just enjoy myself was great. >> you're not one to share a lot of personal things. back in june when we sat at that

pool, i talked to bob bowman and said to him, look, it's been such a long run for the two of you. what are you going to say to michael at the end of his last race. he said to me, i think i'll say the same thing i said in beijing when he came out after the last gold medal, good job. this time, i think i'll add, i love you. can you tell me a little about your conversation. >> when i was walking around the pool the last time, he was on the deck. that's pretty much what he said. he said i'm very proud of you and i love you. my whole career wouldn't be anywhere close to where it is today without him. you know, every day, day in, day out, we work great together. we've been able to do everything we've ever wanted. >> i was thinking about you on friday night when i was watching katie ledecky, the 15-year-old youngest member of this team win gold in the 800 meters. i was thinking as you watched that, did it take you back to sidney, australia? >> it did, she won a medal out

of it. that was one of the coolest races i was able to watch this whole olympics. i just kept watching. oh my gosh, she's going to do it. she's really going to do it. she came out of her shell, i guess, throughout the olympics. i mean, i can't say enough how amazing our team was. >> so if you were going to give her a piece of advice, not in swimming, in life, maybe missy franklin, too, whose life will change after these games, what's the one thing they have to do, the one thing they need to avoid at all costs. >> they have a great head on their shoulders. i'm not really sure they need much advice. they have seen everything. they have seen how we all go through things and i'm sure they have been learning throughout the whole thing. >> back in june, i said to you that i had just interviewed ryan lochte. i asked him at that time to write the headlines out of the olympics and he looked at me and said ryan lochte takes over. that's what i said to you.

in all the years i've known you, you have never glared at me the way you glared at me at that moment. did it fuel your fire a little bit? >> everything fueled my fire. just hearing, seeing what people are doing and saying have really helped over the last few years. i remember you saying that. i wasn't going to comment back then, and i won't comment back now. >> you said you'd do your talking in the pool. you also told me you'd written a journal and been keeping one for the first time in your life. have you written the final entry in that journal yet? >> no, not yet. i haven't written in a couple days. it's pretty much been sitting there. i kind of enjoy writing whenever i'm on the plane. so whenever i'm on the plane, i'm sure i'll go through a couple pages and write down all the moments and experiences that i've had here in london. it's been incredible. >> take a break. you deserve it. some career, michael. >> thanks, matt. >> thank you very much.

michael phelps. up next, a quest for olympic redemption for lolo jones. we're going to hear from her right after this. throughout our entire lives. ♪ one a day men's 50+ is a complete multi-vitamin designed for men's health concerns as we age. ♪ it has more of seven antioxidants to support cell health. that's one a day men's 50+ healthy advantage. [ male announcer ] critics are calling "hope springs" "extraordinary." trying to get the old magic back? [ snoring ] good luck. [ male announcer ] "meryl streep is pure magic." i'm just not ready to give up. [ male announcer ] "a funny and touching look" "at the mysteries that divide men and women." [ dr. feld ] kay's putting it all on the line here. what are you putting on the line? [ male announcer ] finally, "a smart, romantic comedy for grown-ups." [ arnold ] you could've had your pick. i didn't think you'd ever want me.

i never wanted anything more. [ male announcer ] "hope springs." rated pg-13. it's a game changer. [ male announcer ] lean, tender turkey with super food avocado. gimme some of that. [ male announcer ] hurry in and try it today. subway. the official training restaurant of robert griffin the third and athletes everywhere. the lines, the cost, the hassle. ♪ express yourself [ female announcer ] why not try coffee-mate? with over 25 delicious flavors for a fraction of the cost of the coffee house. add your flavor, with coffee-mate, from nestle. [ female announcer ] new roc® retinol correxion max. the power of roc® retinol is intensified with a serum. it's clinically shown to be 4x better at smoothing lines and deep wrinkles than professional treatments. roc® max for maximum results.

♪ something to me ♪ that nobody else could do

>> today's athlete to watch is brought to you by p&g, proud sponsor. >> this morning on today's athlete to watch, lolo jones. she won her heat in the 100 meter hurdles advancing to today's semifinals and a shot at the race for gold. life has not always been easy for jones on and off the track. twelve years, that's how long lolo jones has trained for a race that will last 12 seconds. >> when i'm on that line, i'll be focused on the technique and making sure i'm staying calm and in the moment. >> twelve seconds that can bring heartbreak like it did during the 2008 beijing games when

jones all but assured the gold, clipped the last hurdle, stumbled and was out of contention. twelve seconds that can bring doubt, like they did early this summer at olympic trials when lolo barely advanced out of the first round, putting her shot at the london games in question. >> i ran 13 seconds, which is the same time i probably ran my freshman year in college. >> you kind of had not a meltdown -- >> no, it was a meltdown. my sister came and picked me up because she knew i needed to leave the track immediately. i was very frustrated, so i just kept fighting. >> jones fights started well before olympic trials back home in des moines, iowa, where the hurdler grew up poor. >> just a lot of government support, welfare assistance, these blocks of government cheese. i actually like that government cheese. >> she and her four siblings were homeless at times, sleeping in the basement of the church. there are single mother, lolo's

namesake, held all kinds of jobs just to make ends meet. >> i wish i could go back to the past and hug her and say, it's going to be good, mom. it's going to be okay. >> since beijing lolo has continued to lean on her family for support, battling injuries, back surgery and lingering doubt that she'd regain her competitive edge. >> the valley was quite low for me, very low. >> lots of people would quit. >> there was still that fire when i ran. with every step i'm beating out the problems of my life. >> problems that in 12 seconds finally melted into joy at the trials when lolo earned a spot on team usa. >> she is going to london. >> her race is just under 50 steps, so it's no surprise she reaches out to fans in 140 characters or less, a message that's garnered a lot of attention, her pledge to stay a virgin until marriage. >> were you surprised at the reaction? >> i was. i mean, this is my path.

i was just sharing a part of my life. >> you're kind of an open book. >> i am. i am. maybe i should zip it. >> people are going to look at you, lolo. they are not going to believe you find it hard to find someone to date. >> i do not have a hard time finding dates. i do have a hard time finding a guy i want to date that has good morals, that's willing to wait. >> while the search for mr. right continues, so, too, does jones quest for that first olympic medal. with preparations coming not just on the track but also in the kitchen. her secret weapon, a post workout smoothie. >> is there any magic to this formula. >> no, it's pretty easy. just a couple strawberries and spinach or whatever. >> get your greens in there. >> the key about spinach, they say you can add it to any protein shake and you won't tell a difference. >> you don't taste it. >> that's a good thing. >> you a little bit. they lie, but it's really

healthy for you. >> let's do it. >> i make so many of these, when my niece and nephew come over they to make it for me. >> do they like it? >> yeah. >> pretty much done. >> look at that. >> i'm so tired of these. i drink them 365 days. >> right in the kitchen hang constant reminders of what she's fighting for. >> so would you hang your olympic medal here? >> i don't know. it probably would have lights and a little shrine, a bodyguard standing next to it. >> in another 12 second race at the london olympics. do you look at it as a chance to win gold or win redemption or both? >> i feel like i've already redeemed myself, you know. stepping on that line for me will be about facing my fears. >> and lolo jones races later today. still ahead, a firsthand look at what goes on inside the athletes village after your local news and weather.

breaking news at 8:26. an accident causing big delays on i-66. let's go to danella for an update right now. >> good morning, aaron. here's the situation. eastbound i-66 at fairfax county parkway was shut down and now two lanes will get you by. an active accident scene still happening. so, in turn, 66 just jammed eastbound. here's a live look at sudley. you can see the cars just itching by. avoiding i-66 altogether. avoiding i-66 altogether. aar[ male announcer ] in 1996,

president clinton and a bi-partisan congress helped end welfare as we know it, by requiring work for welfare. but on july 12th, president obama quietly announced a plan to gut welfare reform by dropping work requirements. under obama's plan, you wouldn't have to work, and wouldn't have to train for a job -- they just send you your welfare check. and welfare to work goes back to being plain, old welfare. mitt romney will restore the work requirement, because it works. [ romney ] i'm mitt romney and i approve this message.

good morning. partly sunny now and we're in the 70s. storm 4 radar showing heavy downpours with thunder and lightning. the heaviest downpours in st. mary's county slowly drifting east and may have some more there later on today, off and on areas south of the metro area. otherwise partly sunny near 90. more humidity around wednesday, thursday, friday and a greater chance of showers and thundershowers mainly during the afternoons. over the weekend, maybe a lingering shower saturday morning, otherwise, lower

humidity moves in for the rest of the weekend. highs in the 80s and looks like that is the story first part of next week, too. aaron? >> thank you, tom, more weather and traffic for you

>> watch this one, here comes roker. 8:30 now on tuesday morning the 7th day of august, 2012. you're watching the remarkable skills of the crazy dunkers, a french acrobatic team that provides a bit of the halftime entertainment during basketball games here in london. these guys are intense. >> we're going to have to find something new to do for tomorrow. >> they stole our thunder. get ready. we've got a big finish here. ♪

♪ >> the crazy dunkers here in london's olympic park on a tuesday morning. nice job, guys. very well done. i'm matt lauer along with savannah guthrie, al roker and natalie morales. a little more face time over there. >> go ahead, guys. >> that would end badly. >> it almost ended badly for a couple of them. meanwhile coming up, savannah scores one of the hottest ticket in town. >> that was a pretty good ticket there. i get to go inside the athletes village at olympic park. they have anything you want, anything you want to eat, a sports medicine center where can you get a massage. i did find out it's quite painful. >> deep tissue massage. >> not like where you go for the hot stone massage. >> whoa. >> mani and pedi at the same time, it's not that bad. >> then we're doing to switch

gears after jamie oliver. you know he loves to pound things. he's made a lot of mess here so he's back at it again this morning. he's going to show us how to make a flavorful chicken dish you can enjoy for lunch or dinner. >> back to new york, notice a new look outside our studio. we've got a whole week of concerts waiting for us when we get home. starting monday, the fray. superstar nicki minaj tuesday. wednesday morning country sensation carrie underwood. thursday the smooth sounds of lionel richie. we'll wrap things up with a 98 degrees reunion. so make your plans to come on down to studio 1a for an amazing week of>> meanwhile, how about of our weather? >> let's start off with today for you. a lot of wet weather down through the gulf coast into the southeast. we're looking at sizzling weather continuing from the upper plains into the midwest. gorgeous day in the pacific northwest, temperatures upper 70s, low 80s.

mid-80s in southern california. tomorrow, the sizzling weather continues in the southwest into the western plains. more wet weather for the southeastern atlantic states. on into the eastern gulf coast. look for sunny, mild weather in the upper mississippi river valley. that's what's going on around the country, here's what's happening in your neck of the woods. >> good morning, tom kierein, storm center 4. high clouds over the metro area and points north and west and south and east, though, getting downpours with thunder and lightning. southern calvert and parts of charles county and maybe later today a few more down that way and central virginia and partly sunny, otherwise and near 90. tomorrow, partly sunny, near 90 and more humid. afternoon storms area wide, as well as thursday. friday, showers and thundershowers. highs 80s. over the weekend, a bit cooler and less humid. weather. savannah. >> all right, al. thanks. now let's say hello to the world's greatest all around female athlete. grit britain's jessica ennis won gold in the women's decathlon.

good morning to you. i guess you're getting used to crowds cheering everywhere you go. >> i'm still getting used to it. it's great here in the olympic park. we have so much support. >> you didn't just win, you killed it. you blew away the competition. this is a grueling two-day event. how did you feel doing this in front of the home crowd. >> it's the greatest feeling in the world. it was amazing. to do it here at home in london and have the support we've had and the buildup, it was really special. >> your coach said it might be the crowd's medal as much as yours. you might disagree with that. >> definitely the crowd helped me so much stepping into the stadium before the hurdles, seeing everyone and hearing the roar. it inspired me and pushed me on. >> at the same time there's a flip side to that. it must be incredibly intimidating and nerve-racking when you know your whole country is counting on you. >> it was scary leading up to the event. i was nervous. there was a lot of pressure and expectation. as soon as i got to the stage

here i felt support and positive energy, which was great. >> you could hardly have chosen a more challenging event. why do you love the heptathlon. >> it's hard, a lot of variety. it's a great event. i'm lucky to be a part of it. >> any future plans now that you have this shiny medal. >> a nice holiday and lots of rest. i'm getting married next year so lots of wedding planning. >> that's wonderful. i want to walk you down to the crowd because there's a lot of people that want to see you. up next, i'll take a visit to the olympic athletes village. have you been staying there? >> yes. >> we're going to take a look inside but there are people who want to see you, jessica. congratulations. >> hello. ♪

♪ [ male announcer ] every day we are doing our best, to make sure they are at their best. before they move us, we move them. proud to fly team usa for over 30 years. united.

olympic park. the athletes village is right behind our set. it's where the competitors gear up for their events or unwind afterwards. most people are not allowed inside but i was lucky enough to get a look. the athletes village, home away from home to over 60,000 athletes and coaches for more than 200 teams around the world. >> korea. >> judo. >> the main hub for athletes and visitors entering the village is the international zone complete with its own post office, florist, a market, even a hair salon where athletes can get manis, pedis, and haircuts free of charge. it's here where i met my tour guide for the day kelsey bryant

a silver medalist in synchronized swimming. >> hi. >> hi, i'm savannah. >> how are you? >> are you up for showing me around the olympic village. >> took me inside housing, a place off limits to cameras. we began in the lounge where i found out the athletes are just as competitive off the playing field as they are on it. >> savannah, this is our athlete lounge where we're allowed to hang out all the time. we actually have field hockey girls here now. >> a mean game of cards over there. >> are olympic athletes competitive about everything. >> this is pretty fun in the olympic village. are you guys impressed with the surroundings. >> it's nice here. the u.s. athletes are kind of in tight quarters. >> usually when we're in the massage therapy room, though, we can hear our team the loudest because we're watching sports on tv. we're like who is making all that noise. it's us, it's fine. everyone is cheering. >> let me get this straight,

there's a massage room? >> do you want to get on it? >> yes. >> we found fencer getting her massage. hardly a spa experience. >> i thought it was a massage like you'd get at the spa. >> not the same. >> how often do you come in here? >> every day pretty much. >> something else athletes do almost every day, play foosball. we found kyle and travis from the u.s. judo team in the middle of a heated game. >> have you thought about olympic foosball. >> not too much. >> i would qualify. >> one sport all these athletes can qualify for is eating. here at the international cafeteria, there's a little something for everyone. >> we base all our menus on certain nutritional value the athletes would want. >> this is my place. >> nice digs. >> yes. >> in kelsey's suite she shares with two other athletes, her own breakfast of champions. >> we've all heard about the

healthy olympian diet. >> right. >> how do you explain this? >> well, i'm done competing now and i got a silver medal so i decided to treat myself to chocolate, gummy bears. there's a few nutritious bars. >> that's not one of the nutritious bars. >> you deserve it. are you kidding? when athletes want to reach loved ones at home, they head to the phone room where calls to the u.s. are free of charge. here we found high jumper talking to her mom. >> hi, it's savannah from the "today" show. are you so proud of your daughter? you need to be hearing this. she said she's so proud of you and what a beautiful baby you are. she's getting all teary. you better get here. >> and finally a picture perfect ending to my visit to the athletes village. >> my tour guide. >> you look cute. >> funny face. >> i didn't know i was being funny. i love it. >> i'm going to have that framed

for you, matt. it was so fun. >> it's beautiful in there. >> really nice accommodations. no air conditioning. with this weather you don't need it. >> don't need it at all. >> what are they going to use it for, that village, when the games are over. is that going to be housing for people in the area. >> that's a good question. i've also wondered that. apartments i was told in my ear. saved by the bell. >> i also wondered that out loud so they would cue me in the control room. >> up next where you should stay in london if the athletes village is not available. this is "today" on nbc. you keep hearing amazing things about verizon fios.

blazing fast internet. the best tv picture quality. but you're still sitting on the fence. so they're making it as easy as possible. now, you can switch to fios without an annual contract. they'll even set up your whole home and give you upgraded equipment, free for six months so call or go online today. this is way better than sitting on a fence. [ male announcer ] get the fios triple play now with no annual contract

and get everything you need to set up your whole home free for 6 months. now's the best time to switch to life on fios. call the verizon center for customers with disabilities at 800-974-6006 tty/v. "today" in london is brought to you by coke, coca-cola, open happiness. and this morning on "today" in london, where to stay when you visit this magnificent city. london is filled with charming

hotels, including something for every budget. features director for trav"trav leisure" magazine, nice to have you here. >> thank you. >> you've been doing your homework, i have a whole slew to talk about. >> we have six hotels. the key is, london known for grand hotels but neighborhood, intimate ones are ones to check out, make you feel like an insider and often save you money. >> this is in earls court. where is that? >> only about two blocks away from where the volleyball venue is, which is great. it's great any time of year. i cannot believe, i was just there yesterday. i wanted to know can you pay $132 a night in london and get an incredible hotel and yes, you k it's one of those squares everyone covets with a beautiful garden. the rooms may be small but incredibly well appointed. >> a room you recommend to get? >> the suite with the balcony,

you can have breakfast and look over the square. compared to notting hill, what would that be like in new york or los angeles. >> in new york, a combination between the west village and upper east side where you live, i think. >> thanks for that. >> in case anyone wants to know. >> well to do but artsy. >> and the alarm code is. >> the great thing it feels like this. decorated with finds from port bella market and trips to africa. looking at $200. >> pretty affordable. dean street in soho. >> soho, talking about neighborhoods, is the beating heart of london. there's great food. i had dinner last night. great energy, night life. this is part of the group, if you want a built in scene where you're staying, a great place to go, very buzzy. >> rated high. a lot of people think this is

better hotels. >> still value, still under $250. >> haslett hotel also in soho. >> down the street. right next to a pub i love. >> that's redundant, pub you love. >> very charming, more importantly. does serve pints, dog and duck. has a literary history, a series of georgean town houses. j.k. rowling was recently there, she left a signed copy in the library. if you're a fan of harry potter a nice place to go. >> knights bridge. >> a stone's throw from harrod's. if you have a shopping yen, this is the place to stay. kit kemp did this, an amazing job of designing the hotel. this is the pad you want your friend in london to invite you to stay at. they have an honor bar. after a long day of shopping you can serve yourself a drink. you don't have to bother with

someone paying for it. >> you pay for it but you have to write it down. honor system. >> they trust you. if you love will and kate as much as everybody loves will and kate, this is overlooking kensington gardens, by the palace. it feels like the quintessential english country hotel. you walk in, there's a snifter of brandy waiting for you in the lobby. it has tons of charm, charm to boot. >> a little pricey. >> thank you. >> thank you for having me. >> salad with british chef jamie oliver.

this morning on "today's" olympic kitchen, noted british chef jamie oliver is back. this time you're cooking up moroccoon chicken salad. >> a lot of stuff about britain. moroccan food, only three hours that direction. it's beautiful. a wonderful opportunity. couscous, tastes like heaven instead of air. first things first, a quick way to make chicken delicious. standard lovely chicken breakfast. a little salt and pepper. here is a spice, get in the food market, the market seller's mix.

if you start with the ingredients. >> black pepper, all spice, nutmeg, turmeric. must be the top of the shop, best spices. >> absolutely. you get all the spices on your shelf in one. i call it a bath. we're going to flatten out. that will cook quickly. matt, if you put oil in there my darling. couscous. lovely people, a simple way to do couscous. one cup of couscous. use any cup in your house. that goes into a bowl. you do not have to boil or cook. boiling water for a kettle. most americans don't have a kettle. go get one. two cups of boiling water in one cup of couscous. never let's you down, never sticky or horrible. ingredients come forth.

salted lemon, ladies and gentlemen. they are a particular small lemon that's really perfumed. smell that, my darling. smells like cheap perfume. that goes in there. season it. then we put a plate on top of it and leave it 10 minutes. here is some i did early. here you see at this point the couscous is lush. fork up that lovely lemon. that will break and all the flavor will come out. we'll make the most beautiful, fragrant couscous. over to the chicken. we have some cooked already. the chicken, because you flattened it out, will cook quickly. this will cook in about four minutes. how much longer do we have for this lovely segment. >> a minute and a half. we can do it. over here, go with our beautiful couscous. we can season it with a little olive oil. we've already got the lemon there from the salted lemon.

that goes into a nice platter. i love serving things on beautiful big platters. the thing about moroccan food, so full of life and tasty. now some chicken here. al, you may slice this for me. about a centimeter thick, my brother. okay. flavor. >> i'm just noticing i'm your darling and he's your brother. >> cut a pomegranate in half. a little cut, sweetness and gorgeousness. bang these out in my hand, simplest way to do it. look at the color. beautiful. al, thank you very much, my darling. our chicken. you can get these in all the american supermarkets, chili. fire and water. we're going to mix-up yogurt with the chili. then you've got the lemon. pop it in andern.

the time is coming up to finish the dish. that's okay. i am there. we've got pomegranate over the top, little capsules of heaven. mint. >> 30 seconds. >> almonds, pistachios, my american brother. >> fabulous. [ applause ] >> first take a look at some of the beautiful images captured by neil every day around our set.

8:56 is your time now on this tuesday, august 7th, 2012. i'm eun yang. following breaking news on the roadways. let's go right to danella sealock for more. >> a mess on i -66 all morning long. still dealing with the earlier accident at fairfax county

parkway. you're able to get by but only two left lanes and the delays are significant. here's a live look at sudley. your delays are about seven miles long and urging viewers to skip i-66. [ male announcer ] olympic tennis players bob and mike bryan

are always on the move. so they can't get to the bank to deposit a check. instead, they use citibank mobile check deposit. it's easy. they just snap a pic... ♪ hit send... and their checks are deposited right to their account. well almost all of their checks. stand back. seriously? [ male announcer ] citibank mobile check deposit. easier banking. every step of the way. when a crowd is cheering. that's why you have 1,317 friends. but who's counting. put your goals on the line, online. get started at facebook.com/healthy. powered by ge.

good morning. tom kierein storm center 4 right now around our region, we've got heavy downpours in southern maryland, charles and st. mary's and southern calvert counties and stationary unloading quite a bit of rain. else where, high clouds drifting over and highs reaching near 90 today and then tomorrow, thursday and friday, a greater chance of some widespread scattered showers and thundershowers, but drying out and cooling down for the weekend, morning, 7th of august.

it's day 11 of the games of the xxx olympiad. they have been here rai or shine. right now a cloudy sky. we thank people for stopping by. matt lauer, savannah guthrie, al roker, ryan seacrest and one other man here, mr. jenner. we're going to talk to you. good to have you back. >> good to be back with the

team. good morning. big day for track and field. usain bolt races the 200 after defending his gold on sunday. lolo jones as well. we'll have a preview just ahead. >> all right. another remarkable olympian, the first african-american woman to win a gold medal. she did it here in london back in 1948. >> the royals have been front and center these games cheering on team gb. which royal would american athletes like to share a spot of tea with. we asked, they answered. >> we'll get to that. but first let's say hello again to bruce jenner. back in 1976, he won the decathlon at the montreal games. these days he's busy keeping up with the kardashians. he's here with the athletes. what's more fun competing or interviewing the people competing. >> it's a lot more pressure interviewing than competing. it brings back some great memories. it's been a long time. i actually haven't been to the games since atlanta in '96.

e! our network asked if i would come and do this because they are going to have a presence with e! news. i thought, why not. i would love to come back and do it. i've had so much fun. >> usain bolt, sanya richards-ross before her win. must be exciting. >> we've had some really great ones. i just did jessica ennis in the back, which will be on tonight's show. i was hoping nbc covered it. obviously we don't see american coverage here, just the british coverage. the british coverage was just phenomenal for her, the stadium, the excitement. i wanted our audiences, primarily young women, i wanted them to see those athletes and images. >> she's very charming. >> very charming girl. >> are you more well-known for being the superhero athlete or being a father on keeping up with the kardashians. >> that's a good question. if i'm in matt's generation and my generation, our group, they kind of know you for the old days, for all the wheaties

commercials and games and all those things i did. certainly the younger group, primarily female, all about kim and chloe's dad, which is fine with me. being a parent is more important than winning gold medals. >> do you work together or is there one -- >> technically i'm executive producer. >> this is a fantastic synergy moment for us. >> we went to ryan, my wife, kris, went to ryan with an idea for the show. he brought it to e! and the rest is history. little did we know -- >> performance review. >> well done. way to go. >> you get another season, i hope, right? >> yes. >> straight from the boss. good to see you as always. >> good to see you. i'm excited decathlon starting tomorrow, i'm looking forward to it. ashton is by far the best in the world, broke the world record at the trials.

the greatest decathlete we've produced. any athlete you know, any sport, training for 10 years, he can not do what ashton will do in the next few days. the most phenomenal athlete i've seen. >> a check of the olympic headlines from natalie morales. >> good morning to you guys once again. i'll start with the excitement on the track and field including the first ever gold medal for one country and a nailbiter for the u.s. women in soccer. >> here comes -- it's in! >> a thrilling victory for team usa in the finals in soccer. alex morgan headed in the winning goal in the game giving the u.s. a 4-3 win over canada. >> i was saying the whole time i don't care who scores, as long as we score and win, that's all that matters. i got my head on it and i didn't even see it go in. >> u.s. women face japan for

gold on thursday, a rematch of the world cup game. >> she next over the bar. >> track and field american jenn suhr took a gold medal in the pole vault after clearing 1'57". going for her third gold medal in the event but settled for bronze. felix sanchez of the dominican republic won gold in the 400 meter hurdles. american michael tinsley came flying off the last hurdle to win silver. >> here comes the finish. >> in the men's 400 meter final kirani james wins the first ever olympic medal for grenada, a gold. as the sprinting champion celebrated the historic moment, fans of grenada went wild. jamaica's usain bolt got his gold medal for this spectacular win in the 100 meter dash. after the race sunday night he

tweeted this photo celebrating with the swedish women's handball team. bolt competes in the 200 meter heats later today. gymnastics all around gold medalist gabby douglas had a tough time on the uneven bars monday finishing last in the event final. russia took gold. douglas gets another shot at the medal in the individual balance beam today. a hero's homecoming for the youngest member of the u.s. olympic team. 15-year-old katie ledecky arrived at dulles airport monday night to a cheering crowd of high school classmates from bethesda, maryland. more excitement on the track today with the women's 100 meter hurdle. three american women compete in that event, including lolo jones. now to the rest of today's top stories. wade michael page, the man accused of opening fire in a wisconsin sikh temple.

comments made by page, neo-nazi skinheads pushed for fellow white supremacist members to act on their beliefs. 40-year-old page was shot to death by police after he allegedly killed six worshippers at the sikh temple. investigators say they are trying to determine why the dishonorably discharged veteran targeted the temple. new video from nasa shows rover curiosity landing on mars. this is the first glimpse of a spacecraft landing on another world. this morning a new view of the martian landscape. very cool. mitt romney campaign release as new ad today that accuses president obama of gutting welfare reform started by clinton administration. the obama campaign counters the president is giving states stability to make welfare for efficient. actress anne hathaway at a fundraiser last night. he joked hathaway's performance of "catwoman" was the best thing

in the summer blockbuster "the dark knight rises." has facebook become a reel of baby pictures. now turns out you can filter out mini mes of buddies with a plug-in that replaces all baby pictures with adorable animal photos. available on google chrome and racked up tens of thousands of likes on facebook. i'm not sure your friends would like that too much. 9:08 now. let's get a check of the weather now. >> got to see the baby. thanks so much, natalie. got some friends coming in. where are you guys in from? >> from midland, england. >> wow, we're in the middle. let's see what we've got as far as your weather is concerned. we are looking at a lot of wet weather down through the gulf into the mid-atlantic states, southeastern atlantic, stationary front laying there, going to dump a ton of rain fro

mid-atlantic from hatteras down to tallahassee and a lot of hot weather to talk about. out west temperatures well over 100 degrees and even the midsection of the country, air temperatures anywhere from the mid-90s to low 100s into texas. that's what's going on around the country, here's what's happening in your neck of the woods. >> good morning. tom kierein in storm center 4. heavy downpours in southern maryland and showing the areas in red and orange and into st. mary's and southern calvert and around the lower title potomac. later today, maybe more of those. south of the metro area and else where partly sunny near 90 and tomorrow increased humidity and greater chance of scattered thundershowers as well as on >> and that's your latest weather. ryan. >> al, thanks. track and field is taking center stage during the second week of the olympic games. the world watched the highlight race on sunday, usain bolt winning gold in the 100 meters.

he'll be back on the track in the 200 today. lewis johnson trackside reporter for nbc space, allan abrahamson. morning, gentlemen, nice to see you. let's go back to the 101st, incredible performance. there were questions coming into this because he placed second in the trials. did he answer all those questions emphatically? >> in my opinion he did. that loss in the trial in jamaica both the 100 and 200, blake then rose up as the guy to beat. bolt understands the stage, history. he knew he had to come here and be ready for everything. he absolutely answered the question. >> sebastian, chairman of the london 2012 committee, for all the noise, the other stuff, the man knows how to seal the deal. >> did you see a different athlete than you saw four years ago. >> a week before the race, i had

a chance to talk with him. in our discussion, he said i want to be a legend. you say that, that means you have to repeat the performance you've done, 100 meter gold, i knew he had a sense of history and wanted to come and win. i'm telling you, unbelievable track side to watch the speed, the power. he knows how to manage the stage. >> so he's on his way to winning the 100 and 200, first athlete ever in consecutive olympics. what are the challenges he faces? >> i don't think he faces any challenge from any other human being on the planet, to tell you the truth. the challenge he faces is actually a challenge of expectation. he has done something that nobody else has done, that is to redefine what we all think is possible. that is an extraordinary thing. think about that. to run a nine five. can you run a nine four. not here. it's too cold.

can you run a .94. >> maybe the losses at the trials may be the best thing. when bolt broke the record, did everything he did in beijing, he became one of the greatest athletes in the world, top five in the planet, traveling around, a rock star wherever he went. how do you find a way to get regrounded for the training to come back to this stage and do it again. >> let's talk about women, 100 meter hurd elehurdels, lolo stu back in beijing. is she ready for redemption. >> i know we're not going to agree on this. i think she is. here is the i think everybody has to remember. you must stop counting lolo out. yes, there's always a lot of drama around her. we saw her run through the season unblemished, u.s. outdoor champion, led her way all the way through rounds in the games, then the ninth hurdle in beijing where it came apart. her making the team, i saw raw

emotion, the chance to be back. she looked great in the first round. the hurdles are too unpredictable. i won't count her out, be in the final. >> i'm going to take the opposite, smart money on australia. she means business. sally pearson ought to win this race. smart money says five, six, ten other people ought to win besides lolo jones. i agree anything can happen in the hurdles, like watching skiing. lolo jones can't be counted out but probably not the smrt money favorite. >> no shortage of drama. gentlemen, thank you very much. can you catch track and field coverage throughout the day on nbc. more from london including which royal would you want to have over for tea. we're going to ask members of team usa. first these messages. wardrobe. cute.

then new activia breakfast blend. a great way to help start the day. mmm... creamy lowfat yogurt with grains in yummy breakfast flavors, like apple cinnamon. its hearty, with twice the protein of regular lowfat yogurt and helps regulate your digestive system. our morning routines are important, aren't they? new activia breakfast blend. it's not for colds, it's not for pain, it's just for sleep. because sleep is a beautiful thing. ♪ zzzquil, the non-habit forming sleep-aid from the makers of nyquil. [ 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.

and they're always made with milk so all you taste is something amazing. ♪ life is amazing with the love that i've ♪ ♪ found bacon?! bacon? bacon! who wants a beggin' strip? meee! i'd get it myself but i don't have thumbs! yum, yum, yum, yum, yum... it's bacon!!! mmmmm...i love you. i love bacon. i love you. [ male announcer ] there's no time like beggin' time. ...with great prices onyou. ithousands of supplies.u. that's a big deal!

so are free composition books with any $5 purchase. save big on back to school... at officemax. [ stomach growls ] [ female announcer ] skipping breakfast to get ahead? research shows that women that eat breakfast like the special k breakfast actually weigh less. what will you gain when you lose?™ records are being broken nearly every day here in london, but there are some titles that can never be beaten. i was lucky enough to sit down with alice coachman that not only broke records in the high jump but holds the distinction of being the first african-american woman to ever take home a gold medal. she did it right here in london 64 years ago.

it is an im probable journey alice dreams about but it was her own. >> did you ever dream about going to the olympics. >> i didn't know what the olympics was. i never dreamed i would be here today. >> at the 1948 summer games in london, alice became the first black woman to ever win olympic gold. her life forever changed in an instant. long before london, alice was one of ten children growing up in albany, georgia. although poor, she and her siblings found ways to have fun. >> the road we just tied together and made our own high jump poles. >> did your father approve? >> no. he said sit on the porch and act like a lady. i couldn't do that. >> even though her father

disapproved, alice continued to hone her high jumping skills despite many obstacles facing her, segregation and poverty. >> you trained yourself in a way with just rags, no shoes even, growing up in the segregated south. do you think that made you a better athlete? >> i don't know, maybe the boys made me a better one. they were going to beat me, and i wasn't going to let the boys beat me. >> she never did. her talent so impressive she was recruited to the prestigious tuskegee institute where alice received her first pair of shoes. she would go on to win 25 national championship titles. the second world war forced two summer olympics to be canceled while alice was at her peak. she would finally get her shot at the 1948 games in london. >> here i am, a black woman from the deep south, georgia peach,

born here, to represent the united states of america. >> did you see yourself as a black athlete? >> no matter where you are, who you are, you're a teammate. not only because i'm alice and i'm black. you went to win as a team. >> and win she did, all on her own. she earned a gold in the high jump. we watched that moment together. >> do you remember clearing that high bar at 5'6", even a little more than that, i believe? >> yes, indeed. >> did you know you won? >> the honor alice said she fully grasped. >> when you see that flag go up and they are playing the national anthem, it does something to your heart. you just pound inside with joy. >> you said your father

disapproved of you doing these kinds of things early on. did he end up approving in the end. >> he loved it. he had me walking down the street. this is my daughter. this is my daughter. she's the one that won the gold medal. >> well, alice's high jump also broke the olympic record that year. it was a mark that stood for eight years. she retired after the 1948 games to teach and coach young people. although she couldn't make it to london, she told me she would be watching and she hoped our athletes would do their very best and they certainly are. up next, olympians reveal which royal they would most like to have tea with right after this. it starts off as a gel... transforms into a foam and actually surrounds your teeth. it gets into all those nooks and crannies. dentists recommend pronamel. pronamel iso-active re-hardens the enamel

that's been softened by acid you're consuming. acid doesn't just affect our front or back teeth but the whole tooth. pronamel iso-active helps protect against the effects of acid erosion. pronamel iso-active helps protect against are a sizzling deal, starting at 6 bucks. try our new lunch-size chicken fajitas, sauteed onions and peppers topped with grilled chicken, served with soup or salad. chili's lunch break combos, starting at 6 bucks. nice'n easy colorblend foam

is winning top beauty awards hands down! with beautiful tones and highlights... no other foam lasts longer. and no other foam is product of the year. check out colorblend foam. only from nice'n easy. he talks to dead people. what? [ male announcer ] but there's nothing like a 300-year-old curse to turn a weirdo... come on! [ male announcer ] ...into a hero. "paranorman." rated pg. as part of a heart healthy diet. that's true. ...but you still have to go to the gym. ♪ the one and only, cheerios i'll give you money for gas. [ laughing ] not necessary. take the money. i'm not taking your money. besides i get great gas mileage. what's that? it's eassist. helps the engine run really efficiently. it captures energy that assists the engine... so i'm never guzzling gas. oh -- that's hippie talk. it's called technology dad...

here take two dollars. take the money. [ male announcer ] the all new 37 mpg highway chevy malibu eco. from conserving fuel, to the technology that makes it happen. chevy runs deep. well, a lot of people would like to catch a glimpse of the royal family here in london. >> but we wanted to know which member our olympians would most like to sit down with for a spot of tea. >> i think kate. i think she has an interesting life ahead of her. >> i watched the royal wedding. i hate to admit it, i woke up at 4:00 to watch it before practice. >> i think i'd like to meet the queen. i'd love to meet will and kate but my name is elizabeth pretty much after the royal family. >> the queen is the oldest person and has the most knowledge. i'd like to pick her brain on knowledge. >> the queen, go right to the top. >> oh boy, can i choose all of

them? okay. all of them. >> kate because i think that she's a very great person. it seems like her and i would get along very well. >> no-brainer. i want to have tea with kate. she's the hot, hot topic of london. so it would be interesting to pick her brain. >> what is it like to be the next queen of england. >> i think she's got some great style. >> i'd probably want to go out on the town with pippa and harry. they are way cooler than the other two. >> prince harry, i would like to have tea with you, because i'm single, you're single, let's make this happen. >> okay. lolo is the smart one. >> lolo has a one-track mind. >> have some fun. >> coming up. jenna bush hager takes you on a tour of london from above. >> first we'll get your local news and weather. [ cellphone rings ] hey honey!

mom, we're dying. no you're not, you're just hungry. make some totino's pizza rolls. we don't have any! front... left, totino's. [ male announcer ] well done mom! less drama, more fun! totino's pizza rolls.

breaking news at 9:26. five people heard this morning in an accident on an escalator at the metro station. we're told a customer's bag got caught in the side of the escalator there and that person stopped, causing several other people to fall, as well, on the escalator. three people taken to the hospital. two others treated there on the scene. the escalator is out of service right now while these repairs are made. again, five people injured in an escalator incident. in the meantime, big delays on i-66 because of another accident. danella has those details. >> a nine-mile backup eastbound

i-66 at fairfax county parkway. right side still tied up and two left lanes get hey, there's barely a line at space mountain. you there ! i am looking for someone, hair black as night, skin white as snow ! yeah, yeah, i got that ! she is at the castle. dad ! honey ! but she's on the move. disney mobile magic, on verizon. you wouldn't happen to have an apple ? find characters, access wait times for the park you're in, and enjoy premium features when you download disney mobile magic, powered by verizon.

good morning.

lolo jones has the lead. she hit hurdle number nine. lolo jones hit the hurdle and harper wins it. lolo jones hit the hurdle and did not get a medal. >> hard moment. but can lolo redeem herself after missing out on that medal in beijing four years ago. she gets her shot later today. lolo will be with us live here tomorrow on "today." lolo live. >> we hope some good news to bring you. >> meanwhile great shots of

olympic park, a bird's eye view. >> what is it about synchronized swimming? takes center stage every four years. a subject of fascination and ridicule. i quite like it. more on that coming up. >> i find it mesmerizing. >> all about technical difficulties. >> having tried and almost having drowned. >> we're glad you're with us. >> makes two of us. >> you can't touch your feet to the bottom. >> british chef jamie oliver will be back to show us how to serve. he made couscous salad in the last hour, he'll show us what to make with it. >> rifle event here with his wife. >> matt and katie. >> that has a nice ring to it. >> want a reality show. >> always working.

>> matt, congratulations. >> thank you. >> i know this event has given you trouble in the past. how good did it feel. >> just a relief. probably the toughest match of my whole life. to walk away with the bronze was pretty darn cool. >> you had battled, including thyroid cancer, i imagine to have a medal of any color around your neck is an incredible achievement. but most importantly your health and being back here. >> being back to the olympic is a pleasure for me. when i found out i had cancer, did it mean i was going to die, see my daughter grow up, be with my wife but i'm back here. >> didn't you guys meet at a beer garden in athens? tell us, who picked up on who. she picked up on you. what was the opening line? >> you know, i just wanted to say that he's the best for me,

because i watched his final. when he missed his gold medal after he already won one before in one event, i just wanted to say how sorry i was, but that in my heart he still was the champion by far. it actually was a year later that we really met to have a bigger talk and actually get to know each other. there just was something in between us. we like to call it magic. so there's no better word for it. it just really clicked. we started chatting and decided to give it a chance. >> with all the sacrifice that it takes, does it help to each be olympic athletes, to know what the other needs? >> it certainly helps. it's definitely been a huge asset. sometimes challenging, especially being from two different countries. a lot of the travel, a lot of times we have to be apart. having somebody next to you especially here that knows what you're going through, that's awesome. >> matt, we know katie is proud

of you, we are proud of mr. k of the weather. >> here's what's happening in your neck of the woods. >> good morning, here in storm center 4. looking a that storm 4 radar getting downpours in charles county and parts of western st. mary's county, but does look like they're beginning to break down a bit. else where, partly sunny and temperatures in and around 80 degrees and later today near 90 and maybe a few more of those showers and downpours south of the metro area and greater chance on wednesday, thursday and friday each afternoon is around 90 degrees and then lower that's your latest weather. why don't you ever say that to me. >> you are a champion. >> great weather forecasters. >> silver medal for that forecast. >> i'm starting to feel uncomfortable. >> coming up next thrill seeker jenna bush hager that a bird's eye view. she'll take you along for the ride when we come back. [ female announcer ] there's surprising news about whole grain.

now all general mills big g kid cereals have more whole grain than any other ingredient in cereals like lucky charms and cinnamon toast crunch, the delicious way to help them grow up strong.

[ alyson ] just keep walking... ♪ oh, come on! ♪ ugh, again! [ sniffs ] that's what i'm talkin' about. [ female announcer ] up to 100% flake-free, flirty hair. head & shoulders green apple. 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. [ music plays ]

release fragrance into the air... the welcoming scent of fresh lavender and juicy, sun-ripened peaches... quickly fills your home. then fills you with a little something, too. try the long-lasting one-of-a-kind scent of lavender and peach blossom. available in plugins scented oil, only from glade. and introducing glade expressions fragrance mists and oil diffusers. s.c. johnson. a family company. london is a marvelous city. we've shown you some of the ways to see it. but today contributing correspondent jenna bush hager found another way to take in the sights. jenn ark, good morning. >> good morning. yes, i did. with so many attractions and such large crowds, it's almost too hard to choose. but i quickly discovered if you really want a unique view of this historic city, you have to get above it.

when you think of london attractions, one standout immediately comes to mind, the london eye. at over 400 feet tall, it can be seen from all over the city. but let's face it -- >> there's big ben. >> the eye is for those who like to play it safe. anybody can ride this. but feast your eyes on this. to really get a rush, i decided to kick it up a notch on the london skyrocket. who better to go with me than gold medalist nastia liukin. she doesn't have a problem with heights. >> nastia, nice to meet you. >> you, too. >> this is so cool. >> are you up for it? >> i guess so. >> you're used to heights. >> i am. i am. not swinging heights. i'm mostly in control.

>> we made it alive! >> with our feet back firmly on the ground, we decided to do something a little more stable. >> this is pretty. >> how about transportation at its finest. the london airline is the newest addition to london's transportation carrying 2500 passengers an hour across the river thames. so pretty. >> seeing the whole city from above, so cool. >> the short ride over the thames drops us off a few feet from the arena, home to the gymnastics competition. while there's plenty of action going on inside, the action on top of the arena is just as exciting. welcome to base camp. yes, we were about to join the ranks of great climbers before us. sir edmond hillary, george lee mallory, liukin, hager. >> try to put these on. can we leave them open like

this? >> mine are a little big, i think. wait, i didn't put my feet through it. they are seriously m.c. hammer pants. >> getting a little fresh. >> let's go. >> this feel like right before a competition? >> yeah, i'm getting a little nervous. >> all right. strapping myself in. >> look at you, jenna. >> are we halfway? >> no. >> it's slippery. don't look down. that was the hardest part. thank goodness. hey! that's gymnastics. we're here. yea! >> wow, it looks beautiful. >> look, there's the olympic stadium.

we came, we conquered, we posed. we had a great time, although i have to say i feel a little sick from that swing still. nadia has a gold medal in gymnastics and i have a gold medal in silly things around london. >> i'm so glad you got that assignment, not me. >> you would have done great. >> i'm not sure i would have gotten it on there. up neck, the fascination with synchronized swimming, coming up after this. ♪ you won't run into the top ten appliance brands just anywhere. only sears carries them all.

this is the top ten advantage. this is sears. the more options you have, you're trying to lose weight, the more likely you are to stay on track. that's why there are 10 delicious kinds of special k® cereal. so many possibilities. what will you gain when you lose? don't hide behind your lipstick. use it to show the world how you feel. and today, i feel daring. [announcer:] revlon super lustrous lipstick. mega moisturizing formula in 82 stay true colors. ♪ [ female announcer ] life is full of little tests, but bounty basic can handle them. in this lab demo, bounty basic is stronger than the leading bargain brand. everyday life. bring it with affordably priced bounty basic.

because vitamin d3 helps bones absorb calcium, caltrate's double the d. it now has more than any other brand to help maximize calcium absorption. so caltrate women can move the world. like a squirrel stashes nuts, you may be muddling through allergies. try zyrtec® liquid gels. nothing starts working faster than zyrtec® at relieving your allergy symptoms for 24 hours. zyrtec®. love the air. has oats that can help lower cholesterol? and it tastes good? sure does! wow. it's the honey, it makes it taste so...

well, would you look at the time... what's the rush? be happy. be healthy. gives you a 50% annual bonus. and everyone, but her... likes 50% more cash. but, i have an idea. do you want a princess dress? yes how about some cupcakes? yes lollipop? yes! do you want an etch a sketch? yes! do you want 50% more cash? no you got talent. [ male announcer ] the capital one cash rewards card. with a 50% annual cash bonus it's the card for people who like more cash. what's in your wallet? i usually say that.

it's a popular event at the olympic games famous for glittering makeup, costumes and ballet moves. no, we're not talking about gymnastics but synchronized swimming. michelle kosinski has more with the fascination on the sport. >> hi, natalie. the first time this burst into the olympics in 1984, the u.s. took goal. even while you mention synchronized swimming, you might get a mixed reaction or jokes. however, wild makeup and costumes aside, there's no disputing these athletes are in incredible shape.

the siren song, synchronized swimming brought them marching, strutting, lurching from 24 countries. for this unparalleled brew of ballet, gymnastics, cheerleading, sculpture, drama, d vegas. part esther williams, part ironman, elated and angry. a little bit sunshine, a little bit rock and roll. russia chose michael jackson as a theme one day and a doll the next. brazil favored an exposed brain and organ, sparkly, of course. but heather olson, who was on the gold medal team in 1996 says the athleticism here, the intensity, the technical difficulty have doubled since then. >> liken it to a gymnastic floor routine with half the oxygen. >> reporter: matt and al gave it a whirl before athens in '04 just missing making the team by

a hair. since 2000, the russians have dominated, took analyst's breath away. still ask around -- you must be so excited for the synchronized swimming. >> unbelievably hard. >> reporter: partly because of all that embellishment that built up, sparkle, faces, eye shadow. >> i think it's gone a little bit too far. >> reporter: still the sport seems to entrance the world. teams from egypt, israel, mexico, south and north korea. united in their quest for absolute perfection while holding their breath. wow that crowd a little more.

the finals rush into the lead. they range in age from 17 to -- guess how old, natalie, is the oldest one. >> i'm going to say 32. >> 36. >> not too far off. i think it's beautiful. no ridicule. i think they look amazing. >> exactly. >> they do a great job. it's hard to do that. thank you. anyway, coming up next, want to get into a pickle, sort of, with jamie oliver. but first this is "today" on nbc. you keep hearing amazing things about verizon fios.

blazing fast internet. the best tv picture quality. but you're still sitting on the fence. so they're making it as easy as possible. now, you can switch to fios without an annual contract. they'll even set up your whole home and give you upgraded equipment, free for six months so call or go online today. this is way better than sitting on a fence. [ male announcer ] get the fios triple play now with no annual contract and get everything you need to set up your whole home free for 6 months. now's the best time to switch to life on fios. call the verizon center for customers with disabilities at 800-974-6006 tty/v.

jamie oliver back to show us how to make pickled vegetables to go with our couscous salad. why do you pickle the vegetables. tell us. >> where we're at with pickles. pickles are basically like the viagra of the cooking world. we are talking about stepping up

flavor. we're talking about cooking. >> i feel uncomfortable. >> don't feel uncomfortable. a wonderful way for fish, meat, rice dishes, you name it. i'm going to show you this. a quick way to do it, a great way for bits and pieces. a great way to get veges into stuff. first beautiful helpers, one bowl, measurements, white wine, side of vinegar. >> how much? >> all of it. >> then season heavily with salt and sugar. we can put some fragrant things in there. al, season it heavily. you want it to taste salty. >> salt. >> sugar for balance. >> then any flavors, cloves, cinnamon, bay leaves, chili. >> darling, if you can take this cucumber andape it with the fork. >> am i darling. >> you are. >> this is georgia style.

a beautiful thing. scratch it nicely. >> the cameraman's close up come here, show you a knife. >> thank goodness our director left. >> come down. if you notice -- >> when you're done down the way and your fingers are tucked in, there's no need to look or cut yourself. >> so you say. >> no, that's how it works. >> how long are they going to pickle. >> here is the great thing. what we put in, the onions, cucumber. can you put the carrots in for me, tiger. the cucumbers in, my love. you look scared. >> a large chopper. >> you deserve an emmy. >> never mind. >> i would love to. she's a beautiful lady. basically any veg earthquake, anything crunchy. herbs, mint, coriander, mexican,

spanish, italian. now, put a plate on top, hold it down. within half an hour you have something beautiful. >> half an hour. >> this will last one month in your frig. >> now you're interested. >> i am. >> this is not a husband. this is a pickle. >> what have they told you about me? >> now, the point of this, get the vege in there, use up veg. it's delicious. you can put it on burgers, grilled fish. don't eat the bay leaf. >> i thought it was a magnolia. >> i'm not sure what happens if you have a whole bay leaf. >> that is the wonderful world of pickles. >> so good. >> jamie oliver. >> a month in the refrigerator. >> nbc daytime coverage of the

olympics continues right after this. but first your local news. >> sit down and talk to michael after what was certainly a disappointing olympics for him. >> i can look back at my career and say i've done everything exactly like i wanted to. >> so much work and dedication goes into it, your heart and soul. to have it come out that way is soul. to have it come out that way is a flood of emotions.

what do you think of this one? soul. to have it come out that way is a flood of emotions.

really? what's this? this is a rose i made from a turnip. let's try together. perfect. two worlds that fit in one kitchen. come in today and save up to 20% on a kitchen from ikea. we are following breaking news right now at 9:567 on this tuesday morning. five people have been hurt on an accident on an escalator at the l'enfont station. a bag got caught and caused other people to lose their balance and fall. the roads are also a mess this morning, let's check in with danella sealock for more on i-66

in virginia. good morning. >> eun, a little bit better. right now the right lane blocked and looks now like three of the left lanes will get you by the accident. the bad news, we're still talking a significant delay. really a nine-mile backup as you make your way towards the accident at fairfax county parkway. tom, over to you. >> getting heavy downpours in southern maryland might have that off and on here until early afternoon. after that, partly sunny near 90. greater chance of showers and thundershowers wednesday, thursday and friday all around the region and cooler, less humid for the weekend. eun? >> tune in for news hey, there's barely a line at space mountain. you there ! i am looking for someone, hair black as night, skin white as snow !

yeah, yeah, i got that ! she is at the castle. dad ! honey ! but she's on the move. disney mobile magic, on verizon. you wouldn't happen to have an apple ? find characters, access wait times for the park you're in, and enjoy premium features when you download disney mobile magic, powered by verizon.