historic gesture of protest on the olympic podium at the cost of the athletes involved. ♪ >> this week, two very different olympics stories. we will meet an athlete whose protest in the 1968 olympics became an iconic image of the civil rights fight. more than 40 years later, he explains why he felt he had to speak out. >> i was blessed to use my talent to help those without a platform to voice an opinion, and this opinion was a unilateral opinion of dealing with human rights. >> and with this year's olympics opening -- opening in london later this month, meet the doctor who looked into the sponsorship deal attached to this global festival of sport and physical fitness. >> we're facing an obesity epidemic, and i find it of scene that the olympics chooses to associate itself with fast food, sugary drinks, chocolate, and alcohol. >> hello. this month, the united kingdom, in london in particular, will be the center of the world's attention. the olympics is a sporting event, the politics is never far away. for a palestinian gunman in munich to an anti-abortion protest in atlanta, many are t

. >> and now, "bbc world news." >> welcome. this is "bbc world news" live from the olympic park in london. coming up -- close to the kickoff, the olympic action gets underway in just a few hours' time with the first match in the women's football tournament. one-day strike planned before the start of the olympics have been called off. turkey opposes economic sanctions against syria by closing its side of their border to commercial traffic. the family of an afghan soldiers sentenced to hang for killing five french troops tells the bbc why he should be scared a mental health -- spared on mental health grounds. >> hello, and a warm welcome to our coverage of the olympic park in london. a big day for london 2012 because with 48 hours left before the games officially open, today is actually the first day of sporting competition. it kicks off with the opening match of the women's football, between britain and new zealand in cardiff. more than 30,000 people are expected to be there to watch. here in london, many athletes are making themselves at home in the olympic village. the full dress

. >> prime seats bought a corporations remained anti at olympic games, police crackdown on protesters outside. on friday, 182 cyclists were arrested outside olympic park. we will have a report from jules boykoff and what you not see on nbc's wall-to-wall coverage. and counting the 2002 olympics. >> york train for that one moment. >> the were mired in scandal and deficits. they turned to mitt romney. >> he faced a $400 million budget deficit and turned it around to $100 million surplus. >> investigative reporter wayne barrett and have key figures in a solid city olympic breeze can remain influential backers of romney's presidential run. a look at how the world's super rich are hiding as much as $132 trillion and tax havens, twice as much as the gross domestic product of the united states. today, james henry. all of that and more coming up. this is "democracy now!," democracynow.org, the war and peace report. i'm amy goodman. shooting suspect james holmes has been charged with 24 counts of first-degree murder for the killings of 12 people at a movie theater in aurora, colorado earlier t

no accepted accounting for the olympics. auditors look at the books. countries report after the games how they did economically. they want to show the games were successful so they keep off the books all sorts of costs which were contributed by the government or other agencies. in japan, the cost of construction is not considered an olympic expenditure. we do put that on the books in our case. the numbers are difficult to come by. the ultimate reason for the games in my view is an opportunity to serve. it is an opportunity to show one's committee but is not in national would fall unless you're lucky. >> how difficult is the security problem for the olympic games in utah? we have had a lot of attention to new threats of terrorism. is this change in your calculation about what you have to do? >> there are three branches of security that we consider. one is the security within the venue itself or security within the fence. we have tens of millions of dollars in our budget. to bring in security people from around the country and around you talk as well as some of our own staff to pr

overlooking the olympic park in london. coming up in this program -- south korea claims the first two records in the games in the men's archery ranking round. let the bells ring out! a mass bell ringing takes place across the u.k. to celebrate the start of the games. the olympic torch gets a royal escort as it makes its way down the river thames on the queen's royal barge. unemployment in spain hits its highest level since current records began in 1976. >> so, seven years of preparations, seven years of anticipation, and finally the day has dawned. it is all systems go, as we count down the hours to the formal opening of london 2012. the city is preparing for what's been dubbed the biggest show oneth, certainly the biggest sporting show on earth. we expect about four billion people are going to be watching the opening ceremony from this wonderful new olympic stadium. and with excitement rising, right around the east of london where the olympic park, is but across this nation and across the world as well, we also follow the progress of the olympic flame. it's been on a journey that has

parts of aleppo an attempt to retake control over the country's second city. london olympics gives out its first sets of medals after a breathtaking opening ceremony that was however tainted by police arresting about one hundred cycling activists. saudi arabian police attacked demonstrators with clubs and live ammunition as pro-reform protests from bahrain and united arab emirates. six am in moscow i met très a good to have you with us here on r t our top story dozens of people reportedly killed during fresh clashes in syria's largest city as government forces step up a counter offensive against entrenched rebels witnesses describe the scene in aleppo as the fiercest fighting of the sixteen month conflict with a rebel is claiming they can't win the battle without international support russia says syrian authorities need to work towards peace but can't be expected to concede while western backed insurgents continue taking over cities moscow accuses foreign powers of fueling the violence to bring about regime change in damascus the former head of the u.n. mission to syria says assad

overlooking the olympic park in london. let the games begin -- the greatest show on earth gets under way as athletes from around the world gather here in london. it is a day which those across the u.k. wrong in with pride, even as one prominent ringer got a surprising lack, and syrians take to the streets of aleppo in a sign of defiance as fears grow of a coming onslaught. welcome to our viewers on pbs in america and also around the globe. after years of preparation, tonight, london is basking in the olympic spotlight. right behind me, the opening ceremony is taking place in that stadium. it is well under way, and athletes as well as spectators have come from all around the world to take part. here is a quick look at what they have been watching. it started with the queen, who fe,was there, of course, for the opening ceremony, and there were the olympic rings forged in a scene reminiscent of the industrial revolution. of course, this has been a whole arc of british history and culture during this opening ceremony. you can see them there, the olympic rings, floating up above the stadi

way. to go until the 30th olympic summer games begin. hello and a very warm welcome to this special edition of "european journal." we are in london in stratford, in the east of the british capital, to be precise, right in the middle of the olympic park. behind me, you see the big stadium. the opening ceremony will take place here. more than 10,000 athletes from over 200 nations will take part. both rich and poor countries will be represented. they are all equal in the competition's. that is one of the olympic ideals. but some athletes from greece face a rocky path before they can actually take part. >> the greek olympic team has been training. virginia is an olympic sailors who comes here every day, even though the conditions leave a lot to be desired. in the run-up to the beijing olympics four years ago when she won bronze, the mood was bland, but this time around, it is all very different against the backdrop of the greek debt crisis. >> we can carry on training here until we go to london. then the entire sports center is going to be privatized. because the state has to sell off l

summer olympic games are finally underway in london and while athletes were gearing up to go tough on their opponents police were getting tough and some locals around one hundred cycling activists taking part in the monthly mass bike ride were arrested during the games opening ceremony they claim to have been encircled by police while pedaling towards the olympic park officers reportedly use pepper spray or scuffles broke out the opening show itself proved to be a breathtaking spectacle though with the final price tag of twenty seven million pounds philippic torch was delivered by football superstar david beckham virus speed boat on the river thames seven young athletes nominated by british sporting greats look the flame to the applause of sixty thousand. strong against culminated with and the sit down big forwards display. and you can learn how the queen who teamed up with agent double zero seven made a surprise entrance opening on a website party dot com. also online updates from all the competition is free and while some of being swept up by the spirit of the olympic games others a

around the globe. after years of preparation, tonight, london is basking in the olympic spotlight. right behind me, the opening ceremony is taking place in that stadium. it is well under way, and athletes as well as spectators have come from all around the world to take part. here is a quick look at what they have been watching. it started with the queen, who was there, of course, for the opening ceremony, and there were the olympic rings forged in a scene reminiscent of the industrial revolution. of course, this has been a whole arc of british history and culture during this opening ceremony. you can see them there, the olympic rings, floating up above the stadium. we went into the industrial revolution, the dark satanic mills, that provided the wealth and energy for the british empire as well. it was quite an extraordinary scene there for the people seated inside the stadium, and for the billion people who have been watching around the world. quite an extraordinary sight there from the olympic stadium right behind me. we have correspondence for that right across the city of lond

competition will be in action. natalee coughlin, tomorrow will likely be her final olympic event in her long career. she will compete. saratoga native sarah walsh is participating in her fourth olympic games. her volleyball partner, misty may traynor. their early round competition will be going on just down the road from buckingham palace. >> queen elizabeth host ed a reception at buckingham palace, and among the guests were u.n. secretary general and michelle oba obama. michelle obama is head of the american delegation for the olympics. you can celebrate with hundreds of others right now, nbc bay area's christina loren is live in new york city at a public olympic viewing party. >> good evening to you, we are so excited about the opening ceremony, which you can catch in just minutes now right here on nbc bay area, i'm live here in redwood city, it's a free event, it's called the red, white and blues festival. and basically it's a free jazz concert followed by a big screen, lcd featuring the opening ceremonies. i have had a chance to talk to some locals about what they're most excite

tonight on r t game on the twenty twelve olympics officially began today with the opening ceremonies about some of the only thing that's red hot in london the debate over performance enhancing drugs is more heated than ever as the anti-doping agency cracks down on athletes are if doping should just be allowed out. from the old days of naked athletes to today's a superhuman competitions and one picks has seen its share of changes over the years coming up we'll show you just how far the games have come since the athens arena arena. and the athletes are the only ones competing these days mitt romney is vying for israel's affection and he's willing to do almost anything to prove his loyalty but why is he so eager to win the hearts and minds of the jewish people before he's even sealed the deal with the american public will question more. it's friday july twenty seventh seven pm in washington d.c. i'm christine if you're watching our t.v. . well let the games begin today is the official start to the two thousand and twelve olympic games the summer games of course come every fou

chilly and rainy on the second day of competition at the 2012 summer olympics. the games of course went on as planned. and nbc's phil rogers joins us now from london with a look at some california athletes who made history today. hello, phil. >> hi, diane. one of those was a u.s. olympian who blasted her way into the record books as mother nature demonstrated that she could be a tough olympic competitor, too. >> it's raining hard. >> reporter: female cyclists braved thunder, lightning, and a blinding rainstorm as they raced through the streets of london this morning. but the clouds parted just in time for u.s. shooter kimberly wode to take the gold medal in skeet shooting. she's the first american olympian to win medals in five olympics. >> i went out there and did the best i could. >> reporter: indoors today the u.s. basketball men beat france 98-71. and french star tony parker wondered aloud if anyone was in their class. >> it's going to be tough. they're a great team. >> reporter: unresolved this evening, whether one of saudi arabia's first female olympians can compete in her he

then off to the olympic park where we are for the opening ceremonies. she will be sitting with bay area soccer legend brandi chastain. a couple miles from here is big ben, and big ben, the big clock tower along the river thames was very loud this morning. take a listen. at exactly 8:12 this morning big ben sounded 40 times kicking off the official day of celebration. by the way, the same foundry that made big ben made the liberty bell in philadelphia. a little london trivia as it relates to the united states. and now to the opening ceremony. the rehearsal, we have footage from inside the stadium. acclaimed danny boyle will be conducting all of this and producing this. danny boyle, you might have seen slum dog millionaire, a huge star here, what's the budget for the opening ceremony they are going to spend about $27 millio pounds. that's more than 40 million u.s. dollars. there is a heavy shakespearean theme and david beckham will be here as well. so we've got a lot to cover in the next day ahead of us. it's going to be very fun. guys, back to you in the bay area. >> it already is a

. we have had the olympic torch relay through london over the last couple of days, and i think that i spoke to you early this week about it and the sun shown and it is marvelous. >> it has spoiled everybody and for those who are about to descend on london they are believing sunny skies and i packed all of the rain gear, and now here the rain is coming back, but it is quintessential london and it is not going to dampen the spirits of the athlete athletes and they know what to expect. they have been training for all climates that could descend on london as well. so there in hyde park, and hyde park has become multipurpose, ha hasn't it? you have a fan zone there, an concerts taking place, and i understand throughout the park, there are big screens so that if you don't have tickets to any of the events, you will get a chance to watch it, right? >> that is right. that is right. let me describe how dur ran dur r -- duran duran and this enormous british band of the 1980s were slightly disappointed they weren't playing at the opening ceremony and they have described it like this, this is t

rather dramatic entrance. now, tomorrow in the light of day, londoners will wake up in full olympics mode. tonight an estimated 1 billion people will watch these games kick off. a spectacular global show followed by the parade of nations. nbc's chris jansing is in the olympic village tonight to start things off for us tonight. chris, good evening. >> reporter: good evening to you, brian. the long wait is finally over. athletes from 240 nations are here to compete for 906 medals including more than 500 athletes from team usa. i just saw them walking into the stadium as i was coming over here. and out on the streets of london today the excitement was palatable. big ben rang in the big day in london. and from villages and cities, church towers and town halls, even as bells shattered from the excitement, there were sounds of unadulterated joy. from cheers for the torch making its way along the river thames to delighted children playing with first soccer mom michelle obama and superstar david beckham to excited cheerleaders. >> london rock the house out there. >> reporter: and in the hous

. the biggest mystery so far in the olympics directly involves coughlin. we want to warn you that this next story gives away the results of coughlin's swim that has not yet been televised. if you don't want to know, now would be a good time to hit the mute button for the next three minutes. >> reporter: perhaps the most bittersweet and confusing night of natalie coughlin's career, essentially benched by her own team, one of the most celebrated swimmers in history was taken off the relay team for tonight's finals. what makes this so strange is that she did swim in the preliminary races and was fantastic, clocking one of the fastest times. we spoke with coughlin after the prelim. >> it felt really nice. it's good to get that first race out of the way and to know that we have starts and earned a place for our team tonight, which is the most important thing in the morning relay. >> reporter: soon after this interview, she was told she would be replaced for the final race. team u.s.a. did end up winning the bronze medal tonight. even though kacoughlin did not swim in the final, she, too, ea

olympic park of course in the east side of london. we have duran duran, and stereophonics and aptly named scot paola paccini who will be playing at the olympic stadium, and quite remarkable to think of what has gone on into the planning for this. they have been practicing months and months and danny boyle, the drek tor of "slumdog millionaire" has been organizing events and we won't tell you too much about that, because a lot of it is under wraps and when you get piers down, there he will give us more of a sense of what is going on, but, yeah, here at the center of london as it were at hyde park we got tens of thousands of people already pulling in. it reiained a little bit this morning, but the weather is cheering up and you know it is a bit inclement of late, but the weather has been a lot better, fredricka. we have had the olympic torch relay through london over the last couple of days, and i think that i spoke to you early this week about it and the sun shown and it is marvelous. >> it has spoiled everybody and for those who are about to descend on london they are believing sunn

now, bbc world news. >> hi, and welcome to "bbc world news" live from london. olympic organizers apologize to north korea's women's soccer team for using the south korean flag by mistake. the british prime minister describes the legacy the games will leave behind. over the millennium bridge. the torch relay ahead of friday's opening ceremony. assyrian rebel forces prepare for battle for control of the country's second city, we will townive on the syrian c to hear about refugees. hi, everyone. welcome to our studios just outside the olympic parks. just one day to go until be a opening ceremony for the olympic games. i can promise you you were in for a treat. absolutely unique extravaganza. it is very special. you must watch it when it is on tomorrow night. you can expect some advocate sites. it is an event not to be missed. among the events happening today, the british prime minister will host a global business conference in the hopes of generating billions of dollars worth of business. the olympic torch running its final lap among those in london. another beautiful day. a lot of

athletes but they're banned from the olympics. because they're men. we get in the water with britain's only male synchronized swim team. >> from the global resources of abc news, with terry moran, cynthia mcfadden and bill weir in new york city. this is "nightline." july 30th, 2012. >>> good evening. i'm cynthia mcfadden. tonight, it's all over supermarket shelves, restaurant menus. and now the gluten-free diet is even making a splash at the olympic games. either by choice or necessity, several medal-winning champs have claimed that cutting out the gluten in everything from bread to pasta has helped their performance. does it make sense for you to try it too? here's my co-anchor terry moran with tonight's "you are what you eat." >> dana vollmer about to win her first olympic gold medal and trying to make it a world record as well! yes! >> reporter: when dana vollmer won gold in the butterfly at the olympics, america cheered. one american with special enthusiasm. >> and congratulations to dana vollmer, by the way. she set a world record in butterfly and she happens to be glute

once tortured and executed women. once the program was stable, azim handed it over to the olympic committee. a wild card berth to the olympics. the international boxing association last week decided she would not be allowed to compete citing concerns about her safety in the ring. >> i do believe that if the situation hadn't happened, was somewhat of a blessing in disguise. if they feel she wasn't prepared sherks obviously wasn't. the circumstances and the facility and the coaching she is getting out there is obviously horrible. she knows that i know it, and everybody over there knows it. >> reporter: he owns a power gym in san francisco and has been in touch with the olympic committee in afghanistan and said he plans to train and fund her himself. >> the ultimate mission here is keeping the program alive and her motivated. and hope for that nation. that's what we're going to do. >> reporter: azim is already working to get enough to train in san francisco, his hope is to get her here by spring. in san francisco, kimberly tere, nbc bay area news. >>> now, just ahead, we're going to

19-15, eight points, that's an even match. >> last time gibb and rosenthal swept the olympics. emmanuel and ricardo. the elimination match. still a chance. got to get one here. prudel. is roofed. and sean rosenthal. at the net. a little change of strategy there. >> a little trick in the repertoire. rosenthal's so low on the block. very difficult to see. little smaller blocker. has to go a little lower. to get his power. and prudel did not see rosenthal. so still a chance for the americans. albeit a slight chance. they trail 19-16 in a set to 21. as you may know, pool play is not an elimination. gibb and rosenthal, they're 1-0 right now. latvians 2-0 in the group. poland lost their first match to latvia. and trying to even the score. the only team in the group that really does not have much of a chance is the team from south africa. they are 0-2 and not in this class. >> this is a pool that i described as easy to get out of but tough to win. >> poland on a 9-5 run since the technical time-out. can they secure victory? prudel. off rosenthal. out of bounds. and now poland, one po

>>> tonight on "nightline," danger's grain. olympic swimmer, tennis champ, tv stars. they have all sworn it off. it's gluten. and it's in a lot of what you eat. one doctor says addictive and makes you crave more food. tonight, inside the pros and cons of going gluten free. >>> and cheney 2.0. his first interview since the heart transplant that saved his life. he opens up about chasing down death and what he really thinks of sarah palin. >>> plus no boys allowed. they are world class athlete bus they banned from the olympics because they are men. we get in the water with britta brittabri britain's only main sink know niced swim team. >>> good evening. i'm cynthia mcfadden. it's all super market shelves, restaurant menus and now the gluden free diet is makes a splash at the olympic games. by choice or necessity, several champs are saying that cutting out of gluten in bread and pasta has helped their performance. does it make sense for you to try it too? here is terry moran, you are what you eat. >> about to win her first olympic gold medal and try to make it a world record as well. y

. we also speak on the recent article, but the real story of mitt romney's and olympic turnaround. >> and judy woodruff and glenn ifill at the national press club this week. they will speak at the democratic national convention. they talked about issues including the recent health-care decision. this is just under one hour. >> is just about a month and now when republican conventions can being tw women will make journalism history, becoming the first all women's team to anger convention coverage picket given the caliber. ifill is a moderator. the longest-running public affairs program on television as well as senior correspondent and anger for the pbs news hour. she's also of the best-selling anchor of the break through. woodruff has covered news for a decade. -- co-larly:-anchors anchors pbs news hour. woodruff knows politics inside and out. for 12 years she anchored the program inside politics and played a central role in the political coverage and other major news stories. at pbs she was the chief washington correspondent. she also encouraged the weekly documentary "frontline w

hockey leagues. it's also where olympic screams blossom. >> there just aren't places like this anymore and it would be shame to get rid of it. the other ice rinks in the area, they're full too. there's just not enough ice to go around. >> reporter: spa wants the city to a prove a change to the master plan which calls for an ice rink or other recreational space. ice rink fans hope this petition will hope save the rink. so far they have collected more than 2,000 signatures. >> reporter: hoping this ice rink will continue to inspire go ahead medal dreams the owner of this ice rink is offering to put in synthetic turf at a nearby park in order to make up for the loss of the rinks. >> sad for many to see it close. >>> super bowl dreams in the south bay just got a step closer to reality today. construction crews installed the first metal beam for the new stadium in santa clara. the stadium should be completed in two years just in time for 2 the 2014 season. all the steel is american made and the land next door which has been vacant for years is now getting some attention. >> there's

their western patrons for leaving damascus no choice but to fight on. clouding the olympic ceremony british police take down a peaceful mass bicycle ride during the games opening as organizers astonished the world with a breathtaking show. saudi arabia police club down demonstrators and fired live rounds as program form protests spread from bahrain the united arab. it is six pm moscow time this is arts he lives with me rule received welcome to the program dozens of people have reportedly been killed in fresh clashes in syria's largest city as government forces stop a counter offensive against the entrenched rebels witnesses describe the scenes in aleppo as the fiercest fighting of sixteen months of conflict now russia says syrian authorities need to work towards peace but can't be expected to concede while the western backed insurgents continue to take over cities most of his foreign powers of fueling the violence to bring about regime change in damascus and the former head of the u.n. mission in syria says assad's full is just a matter of time but does admit that it won't necessari

it was a busy thrilling day at the olympics with a host of medals and an absolutely stunning first. the day belonged to michael phelps, who won his 19th olympic medal making him the most decorated olympic athlete of all time. to top it off, he got there with a gold. we go to our studios overlooking the olympic park with all the details. >> it has been a funny olympics for michael phelps because he has now won 19 olympic medals which makes him the most decorated olympia of all time. he came into the london olympics are for the back of beijing where he won 8 gold medals which was an extraordinary feat. there is a lot of pressure on michael phelps. the public really expecting a lot from him. all he had to do this in london was to win and other three metals and when i say all, i say that a very lightly. winning and the olympic medal is a tough feet. -- winning any of the metal is a tough feat. he just missed out on the gold medal. he won his 19th within the forward by 200 and event. he won a silver earlier. he looked very angry at winning the silver and not getting the bronze. he was p

few short hours, the opening ceremony of the 2012 olympics. this morning a firsthand look at what you can expect as the olympic flames makes a dramatic journey along the river thames. we have big names including obama, romney, beckham. the perfect vantage point to bring it all to you today the perfect vantage point to bring it all to you today friday, july 27, 2012. captions paid for by nbc-universal television >> announcer: from nbc news, this is a special edition of "today" at the olympic games with matt lauer and savannah guthrie. live from olympic park in london, england. >>> and good morning, everyone. and welcome to "today" on friday morning. yes, our home away from home here in london, the olympic park for the next two weeks, plus this is going to be where it's happening. i'm matt lauer alongside savannah guthrie and natalie morales. al is at the residence of the u.s. ambassador here in london. a little later this morning he's going to be talking to our first lady michelle obama. we're going to check in with him a little later on. meanwhile, what do you think of our digs. >

their bikes in that area. >>> the road to the olympics is making a stop in san jose this week, the finals for the gymnastics trials are at hp pavilion. kimberly tere is there with more. >> reporter: hello, the gymnastics final wrapped up a couple of hours ago, two men have written their tickets to the london games, and the other three men rowing out that u.s. olympic team will be announced tomorrow morning. and on sunday it will be all about the ladies. now, while the action inside the arena has wrapped up for the day, outside there is a huge block party. people are out with their families enjoying the excitement of these olympic trials. there are tens of thousands of fans here for this weekend's main event. there are also some very well-known olympians from years past, in fact, paul hobbs the only man to win the title of all-around olympic champion which he did in 2004 is set to talk to us in just a few minutes. we hope to do that and bring you that interview at 6:00. live in san jose, kimberly tere, nbc bay area news. >> kimberly, thank you. >>> what does it take to make team usa

british police take down a peaceful mass bicycle ride scarring the london twenty twelve olympic organizers a child's first start to show the world with a killer opening show. saudi arabia police club down demonstrators on fire by grounds for reform protests spread from. the united arab. is a just after four pm moscow time this is r.t. live with me rule received and welcome to the program dozens of people have reportedly been killed in fresh clashes in syria's largest city and government forces step up a counter offensive against the entrenched rebels witnesses describe the scenes in aleppo as the fiercest fighting of the sixteen month conflict russia says syrian authorities need to work towards peace but can't be expected to concede while the western backed insurgents continue to take over cities moscow accuses foreign powers of fueling the violence to bring around regime change in damascus the former head of the u.n. mission to syria says assad's fall is only a matter of time but admits that it won't necessarily mean the end to the conflict a new allegations of also a boast of

edition of "today" at the olympic games with matt lauer and savannah guthrie live from olympic park in london, england. >>> and good morning, everyone. welcome to "today" on a friday morning. our home away from home in london. the olympic park for the next two weeks. plus this is where it's going to be happening. i'm matt lauer alongside savannah guthrie. al is with the ambassador. he'll be talking with our first lady michelle obama. we'll check in with him a little later on. meanwhile, what do you think of our digs? >> not too bad. >> it will only get more exciting. the park is closed to the public. we expect there will be crowds lining up behind us for the next couple of weeks. you're starting to feel the excitement in the air. >> it's a great location. you get the lay of the land. that big white thing, that's savannah's trailer. better known as the olympic stadium. the observation tower. the aquatic center. >> amazing. >> you asked me to store your hair and makeup. >> we're going to spend a lot of time in these places over the next couple of weeks. >> yeah. >> makes it real being he

they claim to have been encircled by police while pedaling towards olympic park officers reportedly used pepper spray as scuffles broke out of the opening show itself there proved to be a breathtaking masterpiece a final price tag of just twenty seven million pounds the olympic torch was delivered by a football star david beckham via a speedboat on the thames and seven young athletes nominated by british sporting greats let the flame of the largest. bell in the world at the extravaganza culminated with a marvelous fireworks displays you see right. now updates on the competitions results and more stunning pictures including some of the queen paul mccartney and david beckham playing key roles in the olympic opening spectacle all these pictures available for you on our web site short of visit. coverage of the grand sporting event. and why some are being swept up by the spirit of the olympic games there are others who are not so in fact. no one here. crazy back home because of the yeah people in the big apple whether they'll remember the names of the athletes even though several months

. welcome back to olympic park at 10:29 in the morning, and a beautiful picture of the tower bridge. there's a big party planned tonight in the olympic stadium tonight and it's starting to look more like london here, gray, a little drizzly, but we are sure the rain will past just in time for the ceremony. i am willie geist, and this is a special edition of "way too early" live at the olympics. now, seven years later, the country has circled on its calendar that date every since the day has arrived and it was three years ago today that the world celebrated another moment in history, the birth of "way too early," and we are spending our birthday in london, and crowds lining up here, and somewhere in the audience many coming to rejoice in the birth of the cable show three short years ago. the ceremony is tonight and the good stuff starts tomorrow, and we will show you the first race between phelps, and what the rest say can usher out phelps, lochte. and we have our first look at multimillionaire nba stars in berets. you will like this photo album, i assure you. and from the loyal early

openingon for tonight's ceremonies for the olympics. >tracie potts is that the stadium to find more about the kickoff. >> 60,000 will pack olympic stadiums for the biggest secret in london right now. how well danny boyle and detained billions of viewers around the world? >> we want the delight of the evening to be discovered. >> 15,000 have been sworn to secrecy. paul mccartney will close singing "hey jude." mariel zagunis will carry the flag for the u.s. >> i'm probably going to cry. >> there is plenty for the public to do nad see and see. workers are putting the finishing touches on the park. michael phelps could win more medals than any athlete in history. >> how many toppings do what one on my sundae. >> archery is the only sporting event happening here today. this wrestler jokes maybe he should be on the security team. >> usually i am my own security. i don't know. you should feel safe because i'm here. >> the olympic torch arrives at the stadium tonight. tracie potts, wbal-tv 11 news. >> that is the weight mindy feels.indy in all starts before the opening ceremony. the olympic zone

. up next to a spotlight with russia's sports minister where we discuss this some in london olympics and russia's. stay with us for that. hello again to. show. i'm. proud today it's to be overcrowded. proud of supporters gathered. to break records. broken. as one of the largest in. the red machine. the soviet union and russia have always been among the best performers at the olympic games getting mostly gold medals but the russian team is performing. good and that's why there is so much attention on the athletes who have gone to. the russian sports minister is one of those who say supporters should not demand too much from the athletes the third and even fourth place in the medal table would be a good result mr goh has been a manager for a work fifteen years he used to hand the famous in. late. two thousand and eight was appointed russia's top sports official. in a welcome to the show. a statement you need it. the london olympics years ago that i quote russians are too much used to counting the number of gold medals won some reasons we don't take stock of silver and bronze. and a fou

the olympics with a host of medals and an absolutely stunning first. the day belonged to michael phelps, who won his 19th olympic medal making him the most decorated olympic athlete of all time. to top it off, he got there with a gold. we go to our studios overlooking the olympic park with all the details. >> it has been a funny olympics for michael phelps because he has now won 19 olympic medals which makes him the most decorated olympia of all time. he came into the london olympics are for the back of beijing where he won 8 gold medals which was an extraordinary feat. there is a lot of pressure on michael phelps. the public really expecting a lot from him. all he had to do this in london was to win and other three metals and when i say all, i say that a very lightly. winning and the olympic medal is a tough feet. -- winning any of the metal is a tough feat. he just missed out on the gold medal. he won his 19th within the forward by 200 and event. he won a silver earlier. he looked very angry at winning the silver and not getting the bronze. he was picked up in the last two stro

michelle obama, who today talked about what the olympics meant to her growing up. while here in london, the continuing political fallout from mitt romney's visit and his comments to us about these games. >>> and a look back at the last time london welcomed the world. the world was a very different place in 1948. tonight the gold medal winners from team usa who we've assembled to share their memories with us. "nightly news" from london memories with us. "nightly news" from london begins now. captions paid for by nbc-universal television >>> good evening. it's all under way here in london tonight. this massive global event kicking off in spectacular style as our viewers in the u.s. are about to see. what we can show you concerning what's already transpired, the interesting choice of the same front page photos by the newspapers here, part of the pyro technics show in the stadium tonight. we can show you this much. the broadcast features an unusual james bond moment and a first for the queen of england who let's just say makes a rather dramatic entrance. now, tomorrow in the light of day, londo