good morning. fantastic finishes. american king outduels her russian rival i breaststroke. ryan murphy striking gold in the 100 meter backstroke. divers david boudia and steele johnson with the best u.s. finish ever in synchronized 10 meter platform. silver. but the men's gymnastics team

women and simone biles prepare to go for gold, "today," tuesday, august 9th, 2016. >> murphy took off like a rocket right there. look at him go. >> they made it look so effortless. >> announcer: from nbc news, this is a special edition of "today" at the olympic games with de janeiro, brazil, and savannah guthrie live from rockefeller plaza. >> good morning, everybody. welcome to a special edition, split edition of "today" on a tuesday morning. we're in great company here in rio de janeiro. want to say hi to some folks that have come down to our set to join us. in the background here we have david boudia and steele johnson

swimmers that took home medals after another intense night at the aquatics. we're back here along copacabana beach on a nice morning and another event today. this one is a birthday. happy birthday to you. >> isn't it fun having these medal winners here. something about turning around and seeing them holding their hardware which is awesome. >> by the way, we're here in ri back in new york city. savannah, you have a lot cooking there as well. >> yesterday you guys had the oiled up flag bearer from tonga and the zumba band. not to be outdone. this will last all morning long. raising a glass to you, hoda, for your birthday. >> thank you, savannah. >> our big story will be another rough morning for delta passengers. hundreds of flights canceled again today. the airline is recovering from that mass outage that grounded

travel woes here. guys, back to you. >> all right, savannah. thank you very much. on this tuesday morning, let's start with your olympic highlights. natalie is here with a roundup. >> good morning once again. from triumph to heartbreak to new rivalries, team usa had another wild night in rio. this morning two more u.s. swimmers are basking in the golden spotlight. lillia king going h with a russian swimmer in the 100 meter breaststroke. >> king has the lead. she's going to win it. >> king taking the gold medal. king took the russian to task mocking her opponent for claiming she was number one. just moments before last night's race, the women refused to acknowledge each other but after her victory, king didn't hold back. >> we can compete clean and do

that's how it should be. >> murphy stretching to the wall. >> american ryan murphy dominated earning gold and a place in history. murphy's parents celebrated their son's win cementing him as one of the world's most elite backstrokers, an achievement the 21 year old had entire life. i hope i'll break the world record. i want to be the best swimmer in the world. and tonight michael phelps will compete in the 200 butterfly against his nemesis. monday night phelps shot a nasty look at his rival who was shadow boxing before their semifinal. phelps doing his best to stay focused. >> it's like he's going through a boxing routine and phelps is,

>> and the father of olympic diver steele johnson was fired up. watching his son and diving partner david boudia take silver in men's synchronized diving. for the u.s. men's gymnastic team. heartbreak. failing to make finishing fifth in the team final. sticking together despite the fall. and in judo, silva came out on top earning the first gold medal of the games for the host nation. her victory an inspiration for the hometown crowd growing up in poverty in one of rio's most dangerous neighborhoods. a fairy tale ending for the inspirational young woman. so great for her.

katie ledecky qualified while missy franklin who dominated in london failed to advance. looking at the medal count. the united states holding strong increasing their lead with 19 total through monday followed by china, japan and russia. matt, great start. >> it really is, natalie. thanks very much. let's bring in those divers behind the best u.s. finish ever in men's synchronized 10 meter don't you want to wear those? >> these are heaviest medals i've seen. >> do you mind? my goodness. those are fantastic. can i repeat what i just said. the best u.s. finish ever in this event. how is that? >> it's great. to do it alongside this guy. we've trained day in and day

the venue yesterday. what i like most about this silver medal is you guys had what i like most about the medal is the score on the last dive. when it was all on the line, you came up with your best dive. >> typically that is the dive that doesn't go well in training. i'm so tall, it is hard for me to make. the fact we did it well when we need to do it, it was great. >> i want to warn the cameraman. you are so tall. i want to show something. this is not the perfect match perfectly for sychronized diving. >> it works because we have the same mechanics and we have the same coach. we walked away with the silver medal. it works for us. >> when you get the medal, do you stop and go back, guys, to all the early mornings and all the late nights and all the

family sacrifices? >> that's what so hard for training for the olympic games. daily sacrifice. this is reward. my wife and daughter and my family have been so supportive. >> both a couple of hoosiers? >> that's right. >> who do you want to say hi? >> specifically boilermakers. >> i don't mean who, hoosiers as a state. >> a lot of my family is here. boilermaker nation is here. they supported us. what's up, boilermakers? >> david boudia and steele johnson. over to hoda. to some team usa swimmers. the 100 meter backstroke and katie meile scored in the breaststroke. good morning all you medal winners.

you get out of the water. you look up and see your family right there on the railing. what was it like during that moment for you? >> i think it was pure joy. coming into this, it was a complete surprise. i'm super happy i swam this well and have my family there to support me. >> what other big deal? there was earringgate. one of your earrings was lost. a scuba did you swim with two earrings for good luck? how did it work? >> i went to see my sister after the prelims. i said can i borrow your earrings. i need pearls. she is earringsless right now. i'm wearing hers. >> david, congratulations to you. you have wanted to be in the olympics for 12 years. i think in london, you missed going to the olympics by .12. how sweet was it winning bronze this year?

amazing to be part of the greatest team of all time. it is awesome to be here. >> you have kids. you have two and a newborn? is that right? >> i have two. >> one and a newborn. do you think your kids will hop in the pool early? will you get them started early? >> i think we might. we'll let them decide. hopefully they enjoy it as much as i do. >> katie, first olympics for you. you hit the bronze. on the medal stand shared with what was that moment like when the anthem played and you were? >> that was cool. we actually found out afterwards that no two u.s. women have been on the podium together in the breaststroke in the history of usa swimming. to have that moment and share it with her. we push each other to get better the past two years. it was cool to experience that with her. >> you guys, congratulations on your medals. we are so proud of you. thanks again for coming.

hoda, thank you. let's turn to gymnastics. the u.s. men finished fifth in team competition. women will get their turn at gold tonight. here now with a look back and ahead, nbc sports analyst and olympic gold medalist is tim daggett and nastia luken. was their substandard? >> without question, the men were capable of winning a medal and contending. they started off rough on floor exercise. they got it going, but leyva who i never would have imagined would have come off the bar like that. he qualified for the individual events. he is tremendous there. it just didn't get going and it ended poorly as well.

dannell do that. i watched him on the mat. i thought he was hurt. he just couldn't believe it happened. >> he was in shock and devastation. he was the anchor and last to good up. they thought she had a chance to clinch the bronze medal. he had no idea what was happening in the moment. >> can we talk about the women for a minute? it is a big night. they are so far out in front. everyone is expecting gold. do you see that in the >> yeah, absolutely. they finished the qualifications ten points ahead. that has never been done before. they are dominant. >> have you seen any one like simone biles? how does she rank? >> she hasn't lost a competition in the last four years. the world has been waiting to see her on the olympic stage.

the pressure is high for her. she is expected to win. she delivered when she needed to. >> tim, let's ask you about that. nastia asked about the lead. if you are coaching the women's team going into the competition tonight, what do you tell them -- how do you tell them to handle it mentally? >> take it one step at a time and do what you do on day one. the team from the very beginning, they have been put under so many different situations and so much stress and pressure. day in and day out. it is not a they know how to rise to that occasion. they, you know, they are the most dominant team in gymnastics ever. simone biles is the greatest gymnast whoever walked the planet. >> no pressure. >> she will go away with the games with five gold medals. there are only six to be had. >> wow. >> high praise from a couple of people who know the sport. nastia, tim, thank you. we will hear from simone biles

women's team go for gold along with michael phelps and katie ledecky swim tonight at 8:00 on our olympics coverage. let's go back to new york and savannah. let's start with the presidential race. election day is 90 days away. the new poll out this morning shows hillary clinton opening up a double digit advantage. 51% to 41% over donald trump. this is clinton's largest lead yet. in our nbc news/surveymonkey tracking poll. hallie jackson is in north carolina where clinton has two events this morning. good morning. >> reporter: good morning. we are looking at donald trump losing support from his own party. another member of congress now saying she cannot back him. it is a move that could open the door for others in the gop to break with the nominee.

the republican from maine. susan collins writing, there is no new donald trump. the same candidate who will slash and burn and trample anything and anyone. the op-ed on the heels of a warning from 50 national security experts that donald trump would be the most reckless president in history. the former cia director a t policies are making a statement as trump makes one of his own. politically motivated written by the ones the american people should look to for answers on why the world is a mess. trump on defense online too. floating a debunked conspiracy theory over the iranian nuclear scientist who spent time in the

mr. trump to stop saying crazy and offensive things for the next three months? >> well, you know, i tell you this campaign has head down and going after it hard. >> reporter: trump is going after the middle class vote now. revealing a tax plan on regulations and a plan to renegotiate trade deals. taking aim at his rival. >> one feature of the hillary clinton idea i it punishing you for working and doing business in the united states. >> reporter: trump's getting a bit more competition in the race with a new independent candidate looking to throw his hat in the ring. former congressional staffer evan mcmullin. he has zero name recognition and

he is a long shot. savannah. thank you, hallie. in the meantime, the parents of the two soldiers killed in benghazi have filed a wrongful death lawsuit against hillary clinton. parents of sean smith and tyrone woods claiming her use of the private e-mail server contributed to the attacks. it is showing her carelessness correspondents. the spokesperson said none of the investigations found any evidence of any wrongdoing on the part of hillary clinton. another big story. delta airlines cancelling nearly 250 more flights as the airline tries to recover from the system outage on monday. it saw nearly 900 flights canceled. tens of thousands of passengers stranded.

systems to crash. delta will hand out refunds and travel couchers. the airline urged customers to check the status of the flights on delta's web site. three girls injured monday after falling from a ferris wheel at the county fair in tennessee. they fell between 25 and 45 feet. one taken to the hospital by helicopternd they are said to be alert and talking to staff. it is unclear how this happened. in kansas city, the boy killed sunday riding down the world's tallest water slide died from a neck injury. two adult women in the raft with him suffered minor facial injuries. authorities still don't know what caused that accident. it is 7:18. you are up to date. back to the folks in rio. >> sad story, savannah. thank you very much.

mr. roker. >> we have been talking about what is going along the gulf. a real mess. look at some of the video out of st. petersburg just in. you see the flooding with massive amounts of rain. the guy hanging around the drunken clam. you will spend more time in there with the heavy rain. it will continue. look at the radar. you see we have heavy showers and thunderstorms stretching from the big bend area of florida all the way just to the south of new orleans. it will continue during the day right on into friday. this gulf moisture with high pressure off the east coast pumps up the moisture. rain totals up to a foot. it continues tomorrow and thursday and finally comes to an end around friday. we will get to your local forecast coming up in the next 30 seconds. poor foster kid black

small muslim the only label that matters is olympian. >> and that's your latest weather. >> something cool just happened. on the beach, a guy walked up to our little fence area here, over

randy stocloss. he made beach volleyball famous along with his partner. he's one of the iconic figures of beach volleyball. he looks like he could still spike you across the net, al. >> the guy next to him looks like that. the little guy next to him. >> good to see you, randy. coming up, gymnast simone biles will o focused and grounded, her signature move and her celebrity status. prus plus, what swimming

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we're back now. 7:30 on a tuesday morning, august 9th, 2016. 8:30 in ri and we've got a great crowd keeping us company on copacabana beach. >> yes, we do. that's a rocking crowd. there's a woman there, do you see her there with a big cut out face of her daughter? her daughter is playing basketball for serbia and they are both u.s. air force vets. cool story. >> thank you for coming down every morning.

today's olympic headlines. more medals for team usa in swimming last night led by ryan murphy's gold and a new record in 100 meter backstroke. lilly king did the same in 100 meter breaststroke. >> just down the beach, kerry wsh jennings >> and men's rugby returns to the olympics. technically they are the reigning champs. they'll face argentina. >> okay. we've got a lot to get to. another american in the spotlight. katie ledecky swims for another gold medal tonight. katie ledecky already one of

faces has become the woman to watch in rio. >> likely not the last time katie ledecky will stand atop the medal podium. >> do you mind if i read you some of the things i've read about you lately. most dominant swimmer in the world. greatest swimmer of all-time. greatest athlete on the planet. i don't have a question but what's your reaction to that? >> that's kind of crazy for me to hear. just having fun in the pool. >> 15-year-old katie ledecky. >> at 15 years old, a young katie ledecky made her olympic debut and she remembers it as if it were yesterday. >> it was amazing being in london. i got to go to opening ceremonies. i walked into that stadium and saw all of the lights and it just took me back to watching on tv the olympics when i was 11 or

>> it was a surreal experience. >> at age 10 katie was competitive not letting setbacks stand in her way. >> in fourth grade i broke my arm playing basketball in gym class. one of the first questions i asked can i keep swimming? can i still be in the water? he gave me this special plastic bag that was tight on my arm and i could wear that and kick with the kick board. >> she looks like a birdak >> now 19 and already a two-time gold medalist, katie comes to rio with a target on her back. >> can you swim fast with that big target attached to your back? >> i don't think there's a target on my back i'll just flick it off. it's not going to weigh me down. >> but the ledecky threat is real as katie excels in short and long distance events. in the 2015 world championships,

800 and 1,500 meter races. >> one of the most dominant forces in the world in any sport from any country. >> i always like to ask athletes before they head off to the olympics, write the headline for me. write the headline that you would like to read, katie, as you swim your last race in rio. >> katie ledecky has fun in rio. i don't know. that's all i want to do. i want to have fun both competing and just enjoying every moment. >> isn't that what it's all about? just having fun. medals come, great. but just have a good time. >> it makes you love her. i didn't think i could love her more until that last answer. that was awesome. >> katie told me she doesn't have any plans to turn pro after rio.

collegiate level. >> wow. that is pretty awesome. really great. >> the interesting thing, we consider her a friend of the show, and she's been around a long time. i mean, check out her appearance on "today" more than 18 years ago. >> where is this little one from? >> maryland. 16 months. katie ledecky and michael ledecky. can we say grandparents? >> everybody got hellos. >> i look like i swallowed katie ledecky. >> it's so cool. i said this a couple times. katie's uncle john, we went to high school together. dear friend of mine. >> that's amazing. >> that's how old i am now. people who are adults were

were in the womb when they showed up on the "today" show. fantastic. all right. here's your weather. before they had satellites i was working. look at the weather we're expecting over the next several days here in rio. gorgeous today. sunny, 81 degrees. showers tomorrow about 74. thursday partly cloudy. temperature about 71 degrees. that's what's going on around the

weather any time you need it. check out the weather channel on cable. up next, gymnastics star simone biles will try to live up to very big expectations as we are live from rio right after this. ?? olympic glory doesn't just belong to athletes. and it doesn't just happen every four years. it happens one morning at a time. and one cup at a time. folgers, proud sponsor of team usa. hey, you're clarence! yes, sir. you know, at the model year end clarence event, you can get a great deal on this 2016 passat. steve. yeah?

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find the tide that's right for you at tide.com. if it's got to be clean, it's got to be tide. >> we're back now on a tuesday morning in rio with "today's" athlete to watch which is not the same thing as hoda and natalie checking out david boudia. >> you can't take your eyes off david boudia. >> that's a different athlete to watch. we're talking this simebo simone biles taking to gymnastics and new heights as she leads the u.s. women's team to the finals tonight. >> natalie is here with more. she's such a breakout star. >> she dominates. her near perfect performance helped the u.s. dominate on sunday and even before she goes for gold, she's already being compared to olympic legends like michael phelps and usain bolt.

you have to represent team usa. >> simone biles isn't just conquering the bar, she's raising it. >> i think the fun of the sports in knowing how wide range it is. we can do anything really. >> this 19-year-old phenom is on fire. the first female gymnast to win three straight world championships. three-time world champion at 19 years old. how do you even get your mind around that? just because in the gym and outside i'm still just simone. >> and just simone is in a league of her own. a 4'9" powerhouse dominating the field. you were just 6 years old when you got started in this sport. i thought it was kind of cool. and then as our day care field trip we went to the gym and i saw girls in the back working

>> her playground now the olympic stage where a spring loaded simone delivered a near flawless performance during rio's qualifying session sunday night. a combination of power and precision earning her event high marks on the vault, the beam and the floor where she wowed the crowd with her signature move, the biles. >> it's a double-a with a half turn so i'll flip twice in the air straightod >> as a little girl her gymnastics prowess stood out and her natural ability was off the charts. simone started homeschooling at age 13 to go full speed ahead. in 2013, she burst onto the international stage after winning her first u.s. championship at 16. >> my favorite event is floor. >> that's where you really shine? >> that and everyone gets to show a little bit of their personality and everyone can have a different type of music

considered one of the best ever scoring against gravity. what goes through your mind before you take off on the vault or you're getting ready to do your floor routine? >> i tell myself confidence and i remind myself how many times i've done this vault and that it's kind of autopilot as soon as i start running. i don't overthink anything. >> simone trains wit borman. what's your hardest event? >> bars. you can power through it. since i started late, bars, i didn't have basics that i needed to start. floor, vault and beam came easier. >> for all of her strength when simone is out with friends, shed a am it's to one big weakness. >> we all love shopping just because we're girls. that's what we like.

hunk. tell me about this obsession with zac efron. >> i think he's hot. he has a good body. >> is there somebody you look up to and admire most? >> my parents. especially my mom just because i'm just like her. that's what my dad tells me. you're just like your mother. >> in rio as to add to the journey. what advice would you give someone that wants to be like simone biles? >> i would say have fun. that's when your best memories are made. i always kept it fun. i think that's where my passion from the sport comes from. >> she's clearly having a lot of fun here already. mary lou retton calls her the most talented gymnast she has ever seen. one day she may go into the

that's in the future. for now, focusing on gold is key for her. >> let's focus for a second on her crush. she talked about zac efron. he tweeted her. he wrote so phenomenal. a skill's named after her. congrats on sticking the biles and qualifying for the finals. i'm sure she screen saved that one. it appears that she also is head over heels for the brazilian gymnast. the message with a kissy face emoji. by the way, she's also having such a great time. you can tell with her post and with the girls. she's enjoying herself. >> 4'8" and the height she gets off the floor. >> crazy. defies physics. >> coming up, billy bush is in the orange room with what people

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ce. we're back now. bill you why bush is manning our orange room while carson is out manning "the voice" booth on the west coast. >> before last night's 200 meter butterfly semifinals we were given a glimpse into the ready room. south warming up with shadow boxing. phelps shoots him a look that's classic. hashtag phelps face took off online as people started making memes of the staredown. bobby posts, when you pour a

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a huge night in nbc prime time... major events the women's team gymnastics final. that airs tonight with team u-s-a the heavy favorite to win.katie ledecky, missy franklin, michael phelps, and ryan lochte hope to maintain america's dominance in the pool. russian paralympic athletes are working to appeal the international paralympic committee's decision to ban the entire russian team from the rio paralympics. the decision followed the world anti-doping agency's investigation into doping of

former russian olympian. inna lebedinsky now lives in milwaukee... she came here few years after competing in the 1980 olympics for the soviet union's archery team. she says she makes safety a priorty in her archery classes at the nicolet rec department. enjoys teaching the sport... saying

the gold. welcoming us with open arms, we take a trip to see rio's iconic

cooperate? and branching out. >> don't look down. don't look down. >> keir simmons explores the country beyond rio with an adventure in the amazon climbing high to get a bird's-eye view. >> the view is stunning. >> and to make tuesday august 9 ths ?? ?? >> hi, we're back now on this

it's a great crowd. >> great crowd. >> another background and sunny. >> what happened to your sweater? >> that sweater was needed at 7:30. not when the sun came out. >> what is the temp about al? >> 80 degrees. >> nice. >> showers tomorrow. >> here in rio perfect sleeping beach volleyball weather. we're in the meantime of the opening games of the olympics. the aquatic is grate place for team usa. let's go over to peter alexander. he has the competition. peter? >> reporter: hey, good morning to you. things are going to get heated at the pool this evening after a

fierce rivalry and setting the stage for another. on day three of the olympic games determination and destiny over the aquatic center. >> they're so bunched up together. >> poetry in motion. murphy clinching gold, the sixth straight time an american that won. with his teammate grabbing the bronze in it. he is the oldest first time swimmer in the olympics since 1904. he spoke to hoda today. >> it's great to be part of the greatest team of all-time. it's great to be here. >> lilly king did it. >> she beat her out in a race

russian caught in a doping scandal but able to compete. >> i am proud to represent the usa and be successful to team and know that i'm competing clean and doing what i know right. >> tonight all eyes on michael phelps facing off against south african out. >> he continues to look over at phelps. >> the london games missy franklin failing to make the cups. in gymnastics an agonizing finish missing the podium. a fall after the high bar. staying on his knees for a moment before remounting and

and then upset on the olympic sand. >> austria upset the united states. can you believe it. >> they lost the second preliminary match to austria. the woman finished strong and beat china in straight sets. >> we're going to celebrate but th, but we have a lot of work ahead of us. >> he does not compete until saturday but the world's fastest jamaica announcing that the rio games is the last olympic. >> i think this is it for sure. i have done enough. i have proven myself over and over again. >> one of the best moments of the games so far happened late yesterday. brazil's first gold in judo went

growing up in poverty and one of rio's most dangerous neighborhood. let's see where the medal count stands. usa is well ahead of china, japan and russia. there's a full plate of action in store today. the u.s. woman's gymnastic squad is the favorite for gold. then back to the men's 200 meter butterfly. that's where -- and then the mens 4 by 200 meter relay. . matt, back to you. >> back to you. >> more in a moment but more with savannah.

and clinton has a lead. on monday trurch unveiled the latest to overhaul the tax code. it would streamline the deduction and reduce taxes for everyone. susan collins was the latest republican that said that she would not support trump and security and former circulated a letter saying that they're not going to vote for trump. three girls are recovering after falling from a ferris wheel in tennessee. they were all taken to the hospital where they were conscience and answering questions. firefighters had the answer questions of others when it was shut down. kansas city police say that

a neck injury. they have revealed that the body was found in a pool at the end of the ride. two adult woman with him in the raft suffered minor safety injuries. the park did not release any statements. who enjoyed this golf outing president obama or his guest. he h father who also play in the nba. i have not seen the store card but after losing to obama he said that he was distract fwid secrete service agents and the president trash talking. and dopey the dwarf is never going to post this and this

disney's hollywood studios. fortunately goofy was there to break the fall. he was checked out and released. please tell me that al is there. >> that's donald trump. that's wrong studios. >> after the fall, was he checked out by doc? >> he is feeling a little grumpy. >> you could have gone a little further. >> thanks savannah. up next the dominance in gymnastics. what happened when taking a trip to rio. and -- >> why am i hanging more than 200 feet in the air? find out coming up on "today." w. right now there's a really, really good deal at verizon. what kind of deal? up to 4 free phones.

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but i sure know where i've been and i've made up my mind, i ain't wasting no more time ?? ? here i go again on my own ? ? goin' down the only road i've ever known ? we're back now. this is a great time for a rio edition of "trending." >> absolutely. >> all the talk in rio has been about simone biles and her

"the new york times" took a look at the science behind the superstar gymnast. she designed a move that's one of the most difficult seen in the sports. it's called the biles. it's a double lay out with a half twist and blind landing. simone first performed it back in 2013. no other gymnast has even tried it in competition. so, hoda, how does she do it? simone's starting run is harder and faster than others so she can take fewer steps and generate more power. that and do more with her routine. while she stands at only 4'8", simone reaches double that height in her floor program. experts also say she has probably better wiring in her nervous system giving her better motor skills. >> incredible. >> my system gets nervous when i watch her. >> exactly. did you happen to see that sweet

on social media. it shows his grandma back home in a nursing home. she's 95 years old. look at what she's carrying. her very own olympic torch. ryan saying she's representing team usa and no doubt she is going to be watching tomorrow night when ryan swims the 200 meter individual medley. proud grandma right there. diving a trending topic this morning not just because team usa won silver in the synchronized event. look at thesema competition. do you notice anything unusual? just hold that for a second. anything unusual back in the crowd? anything. >> they're nude. >> it looks like censorship thanks to strategically placed graphics. it makes it look like they're nude. >> music change here.

>> al, you would go there. >> what's nice is that some of them needed larger graphics than others. i know i said it, al, but you were thinking it. >> not about the size of the graphics. >> speaking of diving, earlier we talk to david boudia and steele johnson. they're back with us and they have a surprise. guys? ?? >> look at the coaster. >> david, come around here. steele, come back here also. >> can i try it on? >> it's your birthday. >> are you allowed? >> still competing.

>> we wish you a happy birthday. >> thank you. >> hoda is not having any fun in rio. >> thank you so much. congratulations. >> our pleasure. thank you. happy birthday. >> i need that. >> i'll take that back. >> right about now. >> share the wealth. >> have you met her? >> she can't run far. >> billy, you want to "pop start. talked about yesterday. leslie jones has become the most spirited cheerleader of team usa and now all of her hard work has paid off. >> guess who is going to rio? guess who is going to rio? >> she's not lying. leslie is rio bound. she's formally accepted an invitation from nbc olympics

come on by. say hello. and the girl from ep epenama streamed more than 30,000 times a day. 1,200% increase for a song released in 1964. can't get it out of my head. >> that's the second most recorded song. >> very relaxing. >> i need to calm down. >> you have another competition when? >> 11 days from now. >> we'll be rooting for you. >> i don't know the song.

>> tan and lovely. does it ring a bell? >> no. >> youth. isn't that great. billy, thank you. al, a check of the weather. let's show you what we have happening for you today. we are looking at more gorgeous weather here for the women's beach volleyball. usa versus brazil today. that will be a big one. 3:30. sunshine and 76 degrees. a spectacular day. we've also got heavy rain through the gulf. we all have to go to heavy showers and thunderstorms through the gulf. rainfall amounts could see another 12 inches of rain along the big bend of florida and just to the east of new orleans. we're watching a lot of heavy rain through that area.

>> announcer: "today's" rio is sponsored by coca-cola. open a coke and >> this morning on "today's" rio, the most iconic image of this city. >> that's right. of course we're talking about christ the redeemer. hoda, al, natalie and i were scheduled to take a trip there on monday and while the forecast did not look so good, we decided to take a chance and we just may have witnessed a miracle in the making. take a look. it is the jewel of the rio

famous statue of jesus. it rises 125 feet in the air surrounded by a spectacular view of the city. except on this day. let's do a starting selfie. natalie. when we got to the tram down below, little did we know at that moment there was no view at the top. >> i'm good. i'm good. >> a rail separating us. i'm not kidding. >> look at that. the racetrack. >> wow. we're right on the edge of clouds. >> lean back. don't lean -- weight this way. >> we made it.

the foggy reality started to sink in. just in time to be completely fogged out. >> fogged in. you can almost see it. >> how about over there? >> that's more fog over there. if you look up there, that should be christ the redeemer. >> what are we looking at? >> i think this is a good time for a team photo. >> we had come all this way to see one magnificent monuments. he's there. we decided to just keep doing what we had planned to do. take pictures. enjoy the scenery. lay down on the ground and take in the view. and wave to the helicopter camera we hired which couldn't see us. >> chopper. come closer. up higher. and just when we were about to

>> my goodness. >> look at that. it's perfect. >> how perfect is that? >> we were welcomed high above rio with open arms. >> that's unbelievable. unbelievable. >> whoa. >> it was great. >> perfect timing. >> see what happens when we all get together and -- it works. i tol >> beautiful. you have to pay more for that. that's phenomenal. now to "today's" olympic moment. >> announcer: "today's" olympic moment is sponsored by walmart. save money, live better. >> with a few quick steps and flash of her blade, muhammad fenced her way into history becoming the first american

olympics while wearing a hijab. the muslim american became an instant star leading into the games bringing new diversity to team usa. her defining moment monday as she stepped on the strip and donned her mask and sealed her first bout with a victory. >> muhammad comes up with the touch to move on to the table of 16. >> and got off to a strong start in >> great fighting spirit. >> the hole just got deeper. >> her dreams of gold quickly came to an end with a devastating loss to france. >> she's off the strip. she got driven out of bounds. >> her dream of an olympic medal comes to a halt.

something bigger. keeping the faith for a new generation of olympians. >> lovely young lady. >> just ahea (jet engine reving up) you hear that?

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?? we're back now 8:30 on this tuesday morning. it's the 9th of august, 2016. those are some of the team welcome dancers who perform for athletes at the olympic village around here. we're happy to have them with us on copacabana beach. >> by the way, they have moves.

look at where we are. we're right here. >> i'm good. >> see how cold it is. >> it's not that cold. >> find out. it feels great. >> how are you? nice to see you. >> that's lovely. fantastic. >> coming up, i hear you guys are going to experience cupping, right? >> cupping is this thing that leaves these round welts or bruises on some of the athletes. it's a form of physical therapy and we're going to figure out exactly what it's all well. also, keir simmons is going to take us to the amazon. the nut goes 200 feet up in a tree. >> looks beautiful. >> here's something to get excited about. it's time for al's portuguese class. all right. so team usa doing so well, how

if you want to say i won gold, it's el ganhei ouro. to cheer on team usa. natalie? and that's "today's" lesson. >> we should call this natalie's lesson. the weather. >> let's see what's happening as far as "today" is concerned. first of all, women's soccer will -- usa taking on colombia. 87 degrees. closer to home, a lot of wet weather from the southeast, gulf coast, florida. could be upwards of 12 inches of

northwest. tomorrow we have more wet weather moving into the northeast. some monsoonal moisture continues in the southwest and sunshine returns on the pacific northwest as well. that's what's going on >> that's your latest weather. >> can you believe this is where we do our show every morning. >> we have a surfer. >> beautiful.

slightly smaller than the u.s. and population of about 200 million, there's a lot to see in brazil. >> we sent nbc's keir simmons out to explore the country beyond rio. how was it? >> i was genuinely scared filming this. honestly frightened. our trip began in the amazon. the heart of the jungle. our goal to get a bird's-eye view of trees but what we got was the amazon. a vast 2 million square miles of awesome, largely untamed nature. an estimated 390 billion trees. i'm setting out to climb just one. it's a monster. how tall is the tree we're going to climb? >> 180 feet. >> my guide, leo, knows the forest well.

of preventing insect bites. >> i can smell it. >> covering yourself with dead ants. they bite you. they do bite you while you're trying to stop other insects from biting you. and the jungle's predators. that's where jaguars climbed the tree. >> don't think if you want to run from a jaguar if you climb a >> not exactly reassuring. i don't think i climbed a tree since i was a boy. definitely not like this. and don't look down, right? >> you can look if you want. this is halfway. soon leo's 9-year-old daughter

talking to me like this is a good way to stop me from thinking of the fact i'm hanging from a rope about 100 feet in the air. leo was born in the wrong place high up in the french alps. we found his true home here in the jungle with his wife, vanessa. their children were born on this deck. all three homeschooled. they playfully call their dad the guru but he's worried. last summer was the driest ever, he says. he fears his forest is global warming. and you're teaching all of this to your daughter. >> sure. >> back in the tree, she's confident. i'm increasingly not. i'm officially quite frightened. finally reaching the top. don't look down. don't look down. i can't actually believe that i have got up here. honestly my legs are shaking even though i have this rope attached to me.

the air above the amazon thick with the sounds and smells of life. >> look around. just look around. >> the experience of a lifetime, exhilarating and a little exhausting. later in the week we'll go prana fishing. >> great. thank you. >> up next, billy bush, al and i are going to get cupped live. >> really? >> that doesn't sound right. >> let's walk back to the tent.

>> we're back in rio with large circles that are talk of the town. >> we're not talking about olympic rings but bruises you see on a lot of athletes as a result of a healing technique called cupping. dr. kevin pierce is with the u.s. olympic medical team. dr. pierce, good morning. quite a phenomenon this is. does it really work? >> the idea behind it is that promotes blood flow to the area. it's for healing. so the athletes using it today if they have restriction of motion, they use it. it could be for soreness or just feeling tight. a lot of it is more for healing effects. >> we see bruises. is it painful? >> sometimes it's painful.

seconds. it intensifies. >> that does not look good. >> i have a legitimate calf cramp from running the other day. i hope this is good for it. >> this will give it relief and reduce tension that's on there. the accumulation of tissue is rising to the surface is blood flowing to the area. it will leave a nice little bruise. sometimes a bit of accumulation of blood in the area. that's the dark circle you get. it can through motion that intensifies the feeling you feel currently. it brings -- >> where are you going? right there? >> we use cream first. this is more traditional now. >> traditional chinese at first. it's more modern because we don't use cups. these are plastic. more durable. easier for us to transport.

>> a little cream. soothing massage. we find a place of stiffness. we can cup it and control the amount of tissue that comes into the cup. >> how long do you leave them on for? >> two to three minutes up to ten. if we do a static hold, it could be up to ten. >> how long does the bruise or welt last? >> three to seven days. depends on the duration it's on for. i wouldn't leave a bruise? take it off. >> look at billy's. that's going to leave a nice bruise. >> i will walk down copacabana and he must be on the something team. >> any studies about ethicacy of this? >> research is inconclusive. athletes are seeing an increase in range of motion.

>> should we see billy's results or leave it on? >> there's some psychological effect. >> you can torture billy more if you would like. >> take it off. >> one, two. >> that's lovely. >> i want wait to go for a walk today. can't wait. >> aren't you part of the women's beach volleyball team. thank you so much. you think after will go crazy? >> there are many professional teams that use this therapy. it's been going on. thousands of years. a lot of professional sports use it today. >> wait until you see what happens now that this guy has it. thanks so much. >> coming up, we have your morning coffee fix. best brews that brazil has to

welcome back, everybody. did you know that more coffee comes from brazil than from anywhere else in the world? >> the good reason for that, rich soil, high altitude areas that makes the perfect bean. many grown on family owned farms. jenna bush hager is here with more. >> it's an integral brazilian culture. the land of coffee where java flows like water. roasted, brewed, bold or flavored, close to 500 billion cups of joe will be consumed worldwide this year and vast majority of it comes from brazil's many coffee farms like this. this harvest season beans are

processed into a million pounds of coffee. brought to brazil in the 18th century, brazil has led the world in production for close to 200 years. the farms here harvest coffee beans which are served on cafe counters across the country where brazilians grab, drink and go. the taste, sweet and nutty with a hint of chocolate brewing brazil's best in every coffee cup. i did a shoot yesterday. the coffee was lovely. it was strong, which we need. they like it sweet. not as sweet as we like it. she likes coffee mate in hers. >> a lot of people drink it black.

better. >> don't you think it's great? >> it's a smooth cup. >> think of it as a birthday present. >> coffee for birthday. we're back in a moment.

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everybody. when al and i come to the olympics, we like to try out an olympic sport. a few years ago we we want back to the first sport that we attempted and we had some team usa athletes what to do this time around. here is what they said. >> the next sport that they should do is synchronized swimming. >> rugby in first year being introduced. >> bmx but they may not make it into work. >> judo and volleyball. it would be interesting to see volleyball, but i would love to see them throw each other. >> gymnastics to get in the tight little uniforms.

shorts. you can stick with them. >> well, we're going to be in rio and beach volleyball is very iconic and there's some things involved. >> gymnastics. that's what i do. that's just some more tights for them to wear. it would be fun. >> it would be the funniest thing is if they did swimming and in a speedo. i would would love to hear about it. >> all right. go. >> i don't know about those. >> the synchronized diving would be fantastic. >> are you crazy? >> what if we did a jump with hand gestures? going up to the middle. they're not high. >> synchronized cannon ball. >> cannon ball, that's it. easy. >> okay.

had some people that have been entertaining us. they're the welcome dancers and entertain us and others across the olympic village. when you walk in, you get to see them dance. will you show us a little bit of the dance moves? will you show us? >> okay. we're going to get a quick one. okay. we're ready. >> okay. >> side, front, side, back. >> okay. do it again. >> side, front, side, back. side, front, side back. side, front, side, back. >> can we have some music? we're ready. okay. let's get the music.

?? ?? >> okay. now what? >> that's it? >> swiveling and hip shaking. >> you going to the back? >> okay. i can do that. ?? ?? >> we want to thank the teams and olympic athletes here at the beach. a lot going on. we have beach volleyball and

the beach. >> bye everybody. [ applause ] ?? >> we've got a great crowd keeping us >> we have a great crowd >> tomorrow all of the high flying moments from the woman's gymnastic in olympics 2016 when the games begin. >> more watch nbc news more than any other news organization in

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overall medal count... the host country this morning... just happy to be on the board. brazilians partied in downtown rio de janeiro to celebrate their country's first gold medal of the games. it was redemption for martial artist rafaela silva who won gold after having been disqualified during the london games in 2012. here are the updated standings this morning... the united states remains in the lead with 19.we have five gold, seven silver and seven bronze. china has 13 medals. five of them gold. jaha of italy with nine. rounding out the top five is australia... with three gold medals contributing to their seven overall. just minutes away from live coverage of more competition in rio. the big ticket items tonight include women's gymnastics... and swimming. but up next... here on today's tmj4... morning events will include beach volleyball... and water polo... with the u-s women going up against spain.

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h, celebrity endorsements are the worst. still ahead of the world record, she's going to break it! >> ledecky is on her way to history at these rio games. ?? a look from high above at the stunning shoreline of rio de janeiro. and on a warm and sunny olympic tuesday, copacabana beach is where the competition begins. from our home on the beach, welcome along. i'm rebecca lowe. last night saw plenty of excitement in the pool, headlined by gold medals for