erin hamlin took her first sled run at the age of two.rd 25 years, she has become the first american ever, male or female, to win an olympic gold medal in singles luge. very happy to have you here. what is luge? >> it is the french word for sled. we go feetfirst down the track and we are trying to beat the clock and get from top to bottom as fast as we can. >> there are brakes or no brakes? >> yes. >> we are trying to go as fast as we can. there is a steering system and not quite a suspension but it is a flexible device. we have steering with our legs and hands with handles and any shifting of our body weight. we are on a slightly sharp edge and we use that to dig into the ice, kind of like skiing. >> you do this while you are traveling 90 miles an hour. >> potentially. every track is different. >> do you know how fast you are going? >> not as we are going down. we can see the time after. sometimes if you mess up and maybe start hitting a few walls you can tell sometimes that you're going really fast because it does not always feel the be

erin hamlin was feeling the glow of bronze. >> i thought holy cow, at first i could only laugh, i thought this is actually happening. it is insane. >> there are firsts for everything. >> reporter: her medal made history, the first ever for an american man or woman in singles luge. >> your daughter is an olympic medallist. >> you might make me cry. >> reporter: and there is a new team relay in luge, and team usa is among the favorites so erin hamlin could win another medal. brian? >> chris jansing for us tonight. we have an update on the crisis in syria where today they resumed this evacuation of people who have been trapped in the besieged part of the city, rebel-held part of the city of homs. about 200 people were brought out of the city by aid workers, bringing the total to about a thousand, that is progress. and about the woman we showed you two nights ago crying out after her lost son, after an intense effort to find out more on this we have been told they have been reunited. >>> sad word arrived from the west coast today, we lost a giant in the world of comedy, sid caesar has died, h

erin hamlin brought home the bronze to medal in the luge.hat was a 50-year drought for the americans. u.s. had medaled in the doubles luge before. >> here's a story that captureses true olympic spirit. a men's russian player was having a miserable run. canadian coach justin wadsworth jumped into action and went on the course to help the russian. wadsworth replaced the ski with one he had for his team. he said i wanted him to have dignity as he crossed the finish line. >>> american speed skater shani davis will look to make history in the three-peat in the men's 1,000 meets. if he does it again today, he'll become the first american man to win an olympic event three times in a row. current medal, norway on top with 11. canada with 9, team usa hanging in there, we've got 7. still work to do, hopefully, we can climb that ladder as the olympics progress. >> andy, something we almost never see in the olympics, a tie for gold in the women's downhill. the exact same time. two women will split the gold medal. it really is kind of crazy. >> thanks, a

that athlete 27-year-old erin hamlin of new york. she clin itched that medal.tching the flag after her amazing performance. family dressed as american flags as well. janelle wang. you spoke to erin. she's got to ecstatic. >> reporter: she's so happy. so sweet and modest about it. third time's a charm. her third olympic games and she's the first american ever to medal in individual luge event since luge started at olympics 50 years ago. i got to chat with her one-on-one. history in the making. has it sunk in for you yet? >> i don't think completely. i'm getting my medal tonight, i think will make it for real and, yeah, an amazing almost 24 hours i guess. yeah. totally unexpected and i'm so thrilled. >> reporter: you were going down that icy chute, could you tell it was going to be a medal run? >> by the four run i knew i had enough time in the bank if i had a clean run and nailed the entire course, i would have been pretty good. so about halfway down when i made it through the tricky spots i was like, all right, i think i can say i finally did it. >> reporter: s

erin hamlin made history for the women. she won bronze in the luge.the first time any american has won a medal in any single luge event in the olympics. >>> and the vermont native overcame a knee injury in 2012 to make it to sochi. here's your medal count. norway leads with 11 medals, followed by canada and the netherlands. united states is tied with russia with seven apiece. today the women's ice hockey will take on canada. the men's hockey tournament is also under way. and marian speed skater shaunie davis will try to do what shaun white did not. he'll attempt to win gold. >> we wish him luck. alphonso van marsh in sochi. thank you very much, alphonso. >>> straight ahead, your wednesday morning weather and a mob bus. we'll take you on a police raid targeting suspected members of the mafia. targeting suspected members of the mafia. completely. s so you can feel free to add it to anything. and feel better about doing it. better it with benefiber. really? is it the richness? it's like nothing i've ever felt before. what's the secret? i'm waiting. [ fem

erin hamlin slid into victory.year-old picked up where she left off yesterday, maintaining her third place standing and becoming the first american to win. thoughts of a curling medal may be slip siding away for team usa. the women suffered two more defeats on tuesday, making them 0 for sochi with three total losses. men haven't faired much better, losing their first two. one athlete trying to regain focus is jeremy adam. after his low scoring performance in the team event, he's checked into a hotel. >> it's more about doing the work. getting the job done, and not living some big expectation because you can't ever live up to that. >> reporter: not being able to do the work, prime time host bob cost costas. the sports casting legend has infections in both eyes and will be replaced by matt lauer. >> i know bob will want to be there. he's the best that's ever done the olympics in prime time. i'll fill in till he's back. >> reporter: those are some big shoes to fill, no doubt about that. if there was any thought about

erin hamlin earned america's first medal ever in singles luge, a bronze. women's ski jumping made its olympic debut, and the first skier to jump, park city's sarah hendrickson. >> standing at the top, we all knew this was an historical moment. and just to be a part of it is something to be proud of. >> and he goes for it. >> reporter: olympic moments don't get any more golden than this. canadian skier alex bilodeau pulling his brother fedric over the barrier after winning his second consecutive gold medal in moguls. >> another wonderful moment for the brothers bilodeau. >> reporter: fedric, who has cerebral palsy, is alex's inspiration. >> i want him as close as to believe to me when it's a big moment like that in my career and live that moment with him. >> reporter: as for tomorrow, it looks like the weather will continue to be a big story. temperatures could climb as high as 50 degrees on the mountain. brian? >> anne thompson up at the mountain top venues with all things winter games. anne, thanks. >>> we have an update tonight on what was our lead story

erin hamlin nabbed the bronze in the singles competition. fellow american devin logan clinched the silver in the women's slopestyle skiing. a new event at the winter games. >> i was biting my nails and just because all the competitors are so good and you know that anyone at any given point can put down a run that can bump you out. >> reporter: logan overcame slushy wet snowy caused a series of wipeouts including that crash by a canadian skier. in another olympic first, american sarah hendrickson became the first woman ever to ski jump at the olympics. in the end, neither she nor her teammates placed. already today, julia mancuso was back on the slopes for the women's downhill but failed to medal despite a strong run. later today, snowboarder hannah teter looks for her third olympic medal in the women's halfpipe. speed skater shani davis tries for his third straight gold medal in the men's 1,000 meeters and the u.s. women's hockey team takes on its rivals from canada. both teams are already qualified for the semifinals. kirit radia, abc news,

erin hamlin is hoping to do well in the luge again today. in speed skating, heather richardson is america's best hope. and the u.s. men's hockey team, full of nhl stars, opens its campaign against slovakia. kirit radia, abc news, moscow. >> all right, our thanks to kirit for that. >>> let's look at the latest medals count. the top five positions with the same nations as yesterday, including the united states. there it is. >>> and we mentioned the warm weather. here's what it looked like along sochi's black sea yesterday. >> some taking a dip in the 55-degree water. one of those brave enough to head in was abc's own matt gutman. he said it left him gasping for breath. a little too chilly for swimming. >> 55 in the water is different than 55 out of the water. good for him. >>> calling it quits. a baseball superstar is hanging up his cleats. not just yet. >>> and classic car casualty. a sinkhole swallows several vintage vehicles. it's all caught on tape. >>> and the massive winter storm barreling up the east coast. the latest in a live report.

. >> reporter: american erin hamlin goes into today's luge final in third place. she's two slides away from a medal. the pairs figure skating competition begins today with americans marissa castelli and simon shnapir looking to add to their bronze in the team competition. organizers have already canceled today's final women's downhill training session. mild temperatures in the mountains have made the snow too soft to ski. kirit radia, abc news, moscow. >> eight gold medals being handed out today in seven different sports. >> all right. here's the updated medals count. most of the traditional powerhouses right there at the top including the u.s. >>> breaking news this morning, shirley temple has died. she was one of the most popular and famous child stars ever singing, acting and dancing her way to stardom. in fact, in the mid-1930s she was the most popular actor of any age. shirley temple was 85. >>> new video shows the capture of a senior al qaeda leader. it happened back in october. a white van cuts off the target's car. u.s. delta force members jump out, guns d

erin hamlin won bronze in the women's singles luge and she is the first american to medal in 50 years of olympic singles luge competition. things did not go so well for u.s. snowboarding veteran shaun white. he finished fourth in his quest to win his third gold medal in the halfpipe. he fell during the first run of the halfpipe finals. and [ non-english language ] -- >> did i say that right? >> close enough. >> -- a russian born boarder who competes for switzerland finished first. >>> silicon valley technology is playing a big role in keeping athletes safe at the olympics. kpix 5's len ramirez used himself to demonstrate this technology in palo alto. >> reporter: this is not the airport in sochi. it's a new high-tech studio in palo alto with a 3d scanning technology being demonstrated on me a hand-held version of the state-of-the-art facial recognition system used to identify people worldwide. >> this allows us to get a high quality 3d model of a face. >> reporter: they use technology more than 100 years old. these scanners take hundreds of photos around your body and software stitche

united states luger erin hamlin competing for her late grandmother who died in a car accident just a months ago put in a run of her life at the sochi games in the women's singles luge. hamlin making her third olympic appearance, defrosted the u.s. medal deep freeze in the sport that had lasted 50 years since luge was introduced in the 1964 innsbruck winter games. the 27-year-old put up a four-run total of 3:21.145 seconds, good for the bronze and a first for the united states. afterwards tweeted, 144 characters isn't nearly enough. i love you all. this is amazing, #sochi2014. >>> sharks gearing up for preliminary game. they'll face off against slovakia on thursday while patrick marleau and team canada take honor way later on that evening. >>> finally, andrew bogut providing further clarification about his injury in an interview with knbr on tuesday. the warriors big man telling tom tolbert things are all good with head coach mark jackson, and he'll likely have a cortisone shot for his injured shoulder, but won't play tomorrow against the miami heat at oracle arena. >>> this will be t

erin hamlin is the first american to win a medal for singles and luge. a picture taken just after her third run down the course last night. she won a bronze in women's singles luge behind to germans. her family was in the scenthere cheg her on. she came in 12th into reno. 16 in vancouver and four years ago when she won the world last title. her hometown of remsen in central new york, honored her hometown of remsen in central new york, honored her with a ice-cream s a good that comes in 25 flavors. from whole natural to wasabi and soy sauce. and once good gets going, there's no stopping it. get your good going. blue diamond. snack nut of u.s. snowboarding. bulldog: bulldog: mattress discounters presidents day sale ends presidents day? get a queen-size sealy gel memory foam mattress for just $497! and get four years interest-free financing on the entire tempur-pedic cloud collection. ♪ mattress discounters >> welcome back. the first round of this week's winter storms wreaked havoc on southern states. this is what the road looked like in central alabama. th

. >> erin hamlin ends the american's 50-year drought in luge.hite comes up short in the quest for three-peat. he is with us live today, wednesday, february 12th, 2014. >> announcer: from nbc news, this is a special edition of "today" at the olympic winter games. with matt lauer and savannah guthrie. live from olympic park in sochi, russia. >> and good morning. welcome to "today" and to sochi, russia. i'm matt lauer. >> i'm savannah guthrie. it is crazy. >> you have the black sea. it is a beautiful shot. it could be a beach day today. then if you look in the other direction, you have the snow-capped mountains of sochi and beyond. i imagine the snow is getting soft as the temperatures are beginning to rise. >> it has been an issue for the athletes. matt, i'm glad you can add sportscaster to your resume. >> thank you. a tip of the hat to shaun white who came down from the mountains. probably not his favorite morning of the year. he is down here greeting people on the plaza. thanks to that, shaun. we appreciate it. >> we will have all the latest on

devin logan won a silver in the women's slopestyle skiing, and erin hamlin took a bronze in the single luge. and taking a look at the medal count... norway is in first place with 11 total medals. canada is second. the united states and russia are tied for 4th -- each has seven. the u-s could increase its total this morning when two time speedskating gold medal winner, shawnee davis, competes in the one thousand meter race. that i say that correctly? the top dog was named at the westminster kennel club dog show. "sky", a wire fox terrier, was named "best in show" last night at the 138th annual dog show in new york. this is the *14th time the wire fox terrier has won the competition -- more than any other breed since 18-77. the standard poodle was named runner-up. the westminster kennel club dog show is the second oldest sporting event in the u-s ... behind the kentucky derby. what about your dog? not in the running? >> she was not in the running. she's out chasing some of the rodents that run around here in chicago. but a few weird looking caps. but check out our day. right now is 8 deg

. >> reporter: american erin hamlin goes into today's women's luge final in third place.kating competition begins today. with americans marissa castellil and simon shnapir looking to the add to their bronze in the team competition. organizers have already canceled today's final women's downhill training session. mild temperatures in the mountains made the snow too soft to ski. abc news, moscow. >> a lot of criticism about the conditions there. halfpiper hannah teter said i've seen more people fall today than i saw all season. it's just dangerous because the conditions are crappy. >> incredible. on a lighter note, women's ski jumping officially becomes an olympic sport today. up until now it was just a men's sport. go ladies. >>> our facebook question of the day has to do with the olympics. we want to know what is your favorite winter games event and why. logon to wnnfans.com and let us know. >> all right, to another store story we are following this morning. two weeks after a storm paralyzed atlanta, the city now bracing for another storm of snow and ice. georgia's govern

"today in the bay's" janelle wang got a chance to talk to erin hamlin. >> reporter: a great moment.n the first american ever to medal in a single luge event in the history of luge. when it started 50 years ago in olympics. i spoke to her one-on-one a couple of hours ago. history in the making, has it snunk yet? >> i don't think completely. getting my medal will make it for real. an amazing, almost 24 hours i guess. yeah. totally unexpected and i'm so thrilled. >> reporter: going down that icy chute, can you tell it's a medal run? >> by the fourth run i knew i had enough time in the bank if i had a clean run and nailed the entire course i would have been pretty good. so, about halfway down when i made it through tricky spots i was like, i think i can say i finally did it. >> reporter: this her third olympics. third time's a charm. 27-year-old from a small town called remson, new york, population 500 people when she won the luge event, people started gathering in the streets for a makeshift parade. she hopes her win will bring more attention to the luge event. seems like it already ha

erin hamlin won bronze in the luge. she is the first woman to medal in 50 years of olympic luge competition. shaun white finished fourth in his quest to win his third gold medal in the halfpipe. white fell during the first run of the halfpipe finals. yuri they call my ipod a russian boarder, competes for switzerland took the gold. >>> coming up, the latest high- tech way to find a mate using biology instead of chemistry. >> reporter: good morning, everybody. roberta gonzales in a very foggy pleasanton. in fact, how foggy is it? let me show you just how foggy it is. visibility down to less than a quarter of a mile and we have all the details with mobile weather. >> that fog really the main weather story again today. but there's a chance of some rain in the forecast. we'll tell you when next. >> and for the first day the metering lights were turned on after 6:00 at the bay bridge toll plaza. how bad are the delays? we'll tell you coming up. first, what drives you crazy during your compete? ask a question or share a gripe

. >> that's erin hamlin.'ve known her for more than four years, she's from upstate new york, remson. she was the reigning world champion when she went into the last olympics. if you remember, there was a tragedy on the course, they shortened it. she finished out of the medals, was not one of the favorites this year, and came home with a bronze. it was really exciting to talk to her, because not only is it something very personal for her and her family has worked very hard with her, but she becomes the first single luger in the history of the united states to medal in that sport, so the sport is thinking that's very big for them. i also want to mention for you devin logan, she is the silver medalist in ski slopestyle. she had a bad injury. she blew out her knee. she spent the year studying the judges, what are they like, what do they score on, and she ended up with a silver. fun seeing both of them today, richard. >> today's events, very quickly? >> women's hockey, oh, my gosh, i was outside talking to the usa

. >> erin hamlin is the first american to win a medal for singles luge.r her third run down the course last night. she won runs and women's singles luge, behind two germans. her family was there cheering her on. she came in 12th into a reno. and 16 in vancouver four years ago. when she won the world title lacher, her home town of remen in central new york, on her with the naming an ice-cream sundae after her. >> overall right now, the u.s. has five metals right now. to gold, three bronze and making its force in the medal count this morning. behind norway, canada and the netherlands. >> we heard about the issues with the half pipe at sochi. sean white missed out on winning a medal in the event that he has won three golds three times before. now a member of team usa is heard on the half pipe. they are pulling out of the game. snow border arielle gold pulled out of the half pipe contest a few minutes before she was supposed to compete. details are still coming in on exactly how she was hurt. this is a picture of a gold training back in december. while the 17

we will meet the olympic medalist erin hamlin.merican, male or female, to win a medal in the single luge. beautyrious getaways, treatments. when it comes to hollywood swag bags, everyone is a winner. we take a sneak peek inside of the most expensive bags given to nominees. ♪ ♪ ♪ >> oh, my gosh. you picked the wrong business. $160,000 be getting a hair transplant. what is in shot? what is that? does anyone know? is that like a shot of liquor? >> all right, we will see you tomorrow, everyone. >> it is approaching 56 past the hour. let's take a look at where stocks close out the session. downside.ish to the the s&p only following about a 10th of one percent. jpmorgan came out and send it was going to be cutting jobs. we're watching the emerging markets as we have been. these stocks falling for a second straight day on concerns that the economy may falter and a potential slowdown. cristina alesci had a chance to sit down with david rubenstein. he told her why emerging markets cannot be ignored by investors. markets, this is in the mis

there was a major victory onle luge, 27-year-old erin hamlin chasing her dream and grabbing the bronze sarah hendrickson soared into history. the 19-year-old becoming the first woman to compete in ski jumping at the olympics. in pairs figure skating, the russians nicknamed the dream team took the lead with the short program that left the crowd wanting more, catapulting themselves into the record books. with the best ever scores for a short program. at the cross-country venue, russian skier, anton garafvov taking a nasty spill but helped by the coach for canada. two countries coming together. atop the podium, a very olympic day indeed. >> a nice moment there with the olympics are all about. there was heartbreak at today's games as well. one of america's olympic hopefuls in the half-pipe, because the women's half-pipe is going on as we speak, carol, 17-year-old ariel gold, she hurt her wrist during practice. she had to withdraw from the event. can you imagine coming all wait to sochi and not being able to compete the day of the event. heartbreaking for her. however, the other american me

for the first time ever, a male and female luge team including bronze medalist erin hamlin speeding down track. and the u.s. women are competing in the skeleton. that is a hair-raising event where you motor down the track head first. americans know wnoelle pikus-pa katie uhlaender are in first and fourth. check out katie's helmet. that is one fierce eagle. i did a little research. they travel 6,000 feet down the frozen raceway with their chin two inches above the ice. that is some bravery. >> we're not going to see that in the "gma" games. leave that for the olympics. >> unless sara wants it. >> josh is over at the sochi scoreboard. what do we have? >> a rough couple of days for the americans. after five medals in two events, look at us. just one back of norway. i wanted to bring you this tweet from kelly clark. she's the 30-year-old who said it was icing on the cake. she took bronze. her 24-year-old teammate taking the gold, kaitlyn farrington. my ceiling gets to be the next generation's floor, she said. and that is a great honor. and that is what it is all about. it's awesome. congratu

. >> reporter: and in women's singles luge erin hamlin sliding home with the bronze and making historys the first american ever to medal in the event. more history made with the introduction of women's ski jumping. american favorite sarah hendrickson placing low but becoming the first female olympian ever to compete in the event. finally a stunning performance in pairing figure skating. the russians once again bringing down the house. earning the highest score ever recorded by a pair in the short program. now let's get to the very latest news and the american pairs team of marissa castelli and simon shnapir, best known for their incredible size differential. he is 6'4". she is just 5'0". they had a big triple twist and throw triple salchow but it was only good enough for ninth place in this power house field. the other u.s. team felicia zhang and nathan bartholomay came in 15th. we will find out who grabs the gold today in the pairs freeskate. a tough loss this morning for the u.s. women's hockey team, falling to their arch r50i68s, the canadians. it was a rematch of that gold-medal co

erin hamlin hopes to add to her single's luge medal with one in the team relay competition.son is america's best hope for a medal in the women's 1000 meters. and the u.s. men's hockey team full of nhl stars opens its campaign against slovakia. >> and we have an update on that yogurt gate. remember the story with the american athletes wanting high protein greek yogurt, the chobani as part of their training and staying light before their events. chobani shipped a bunch of yogurt and it didn't make it. russians said it couldn't come in the country. >> so it is stuck in the port, i think here in new jersey. at least it is not going to waste. it won't make it to athletes, but chobani said they will donate the 5,000 cups of yogurt to two different charities here in the new york area. >> that's pretty good. >> exactly. >>> moving on, 16 people had to be rescued after they became stuck on a roller coaster at busch gardens in tampa. it was on the first embankment when it stopped working. leaving the riders leaning, look at this, at an angle. the fire department was called to the park

erin hamlin nabbed bronze in the singles competition.ing. a new event at the winter games. >> i was biting my nails and just -- because all the competitors are so good. and you know that anyone at any given point can put down a run that can bump you out. >> reporter: she overcame slushy wet snow which caused a series of frightening wipeouts, including this horrific crash by a canadian skier. in another olympic first, sarah henderson because the first to ski jump in the olympics. in the end neither she nor her testimony mates placed. julia mancuso skis down hill, looking to add to the bronze in her combined event. snowboarder hannah teter looks to win in the women's halfpipe. shani davis tries to win his third straight gold in the men's 1,000 meters. and the u.s. women's hockey team takes on their rivals from canada. both teams have already qualified for the semifinals. abc news, moscow. >> you know, it is not just fierce competition. some of the teams are actually helping each other out in a way during the cross-country skiing event yest

erin hamlin the first american to medal in the sing the luge event.to finish 16th four years ago. she's very, very good. she did not win any events in the world cup races last year. >>> and the olympic spirit on full display. a cross country free sprint competitor from russia fell and broke one of his skis during tuesday's semi-finals. he was determined to finish at all cost so he kept going on one ski. seconds later, canadian coach justin wadsworth ran onto the course and gave him a new ski. not from the same country. he came in dead last, but he did finish. >> i get chills every time i see that story. >>> quick update in the medal count. norway remains on top followed by canada, then the netherlands, then the u.s. and host, russia. the next medal event is the cross country part at the bottom of the hour. so today could be a big day for team u.s.a. shawnee davis -- shani davis looking for the first. the american women also have a huge hockey game against canada any minute now. let's get back to so much where rachel mike alcohols is standing -- nichol

three-time olympian erin hamlin. new york won the bronze in the singles luge.oman to win an individual olympic luge medal. god, such a scary event. look at that, right? american devin logan of vermont won the silver medal in the women's freestyle skiing slopestyle event. remember all the slopestyle events are new this year at the olympics, requires the athletes to navigate rails and things like that either on skis or snowboards. there look at that. whoo! don't you love watching this stuff. it's just been amazing. we feel lucky when we're here to see all this stuff because we can actually watch it live in our headquarters. big ticket last night, pairs freestyle figure skating was the ticket to get last night. the russians, tatiana volosozhar and maksim trankov completely dominating the event with the highest short program score in olympic history. and this is a huge deal for the russians because listen to this statistic. they won the gold medal in this event at every single olympics. from 1966 to 2006. then they were completely shut out last time in vancouver. s