• Usain Bolt wins Olympics 200 meters title, breaks Twitter record

    Eddie Keogh / Reuters

    Jamaica's Usain Bolt poses with his gold medal on the podium after winning the men's 200m event at the London 2012 Olympic Games at the Olympic Stadium August 9, 2012.

    By Peter Prengaman, Associated Press

    When Usain Bolt won the 200 meters, the Twitter world went nuts — so much so that the Jamaican speedster generated another kind of Olympic record.

    "Record alert!" Twitter said in a tweet. "@usainbolt sets a new Olympic Games conversation record with over 80,000 TPM for his 200m victory."

    TPM is Twitterspeak for tweets per minute.

    Bolt, who became the only man with two Olympic titles in the 200, has never been shy about his skills.

    His Twitter profile says he is "The most naturally gifted athlete the world has ever seen."

    Now he has a Twitter record of sorts to add to his "living legend" contention.

    More Digital Life:

    TODAY's Natalie Morales takes a look at funny images of U.S. gymnast McKayla Maroney's unimpressed face Photoshopped onto iconic images, such as the walk on the moon and the Wright Brothers' first flight.

     

  • Instead of gold, pin traders seek Olympic brass

    Sergei Grits / AP file

    Pin collectors chat next to Olympic Park in London, on July 25, 2012. Outside Westfield Mall, at the edge of the Olympic Park security zone, a dozen people set up shop to trade and sell pins from the 2012 games and Olympics past.

     

    By Catherine Treyz
    NBC News

    While athletes in London are set on winning Olympic gold, self-described “pinheads” are focused on collecting Olympic brass. Pin traders from across the globe have gathered in London -- not just to watch the international competition, but to find unique, sought-after pins.

    “Some people are fanatics,” said Don Bigsby, 72, of Schenectady, NY. Bigsby, a retired telephone engineer, is preside­nt and founder of the world’s largest Olympic pin and memorabilia club, the Olympin Collectors Club. “I’m well past that sort of thing.”

    Don Bigsby

    Complete with glass cases and informational captions, collector Don Bigsby has turned his house into an Olympic museum featuring pins, posters, and much more. This particular corner of his collection is designated to the Berlin 1936 and the London 1948 Games.

    Since 1980, Bigsby’s Olympic collection has grown from just pins to include programs, torches, tickets, medals and more. To accommodate all of this he has turned his house into a museum. In 1999, Bigsby spent $150,000 to build a two-floor, 1,700-square-foot addition to his 1,000-square-foot house to hold his memorabilia.  

    “[Because of pin collecting] I know more about the world than I ever learned in school," said Bigsby, who carries a book of flags with him to help him “chase pins” by national colors and symbols.

    At the Games, merchandise and memorabilia are in high demand. Sales at London 2012 shops, according to the London Organizing Committee of the Olympic and Paralympic Games, have increased by 115 percent since the start of the Games. The Opening Ceremony pins have sold out.

    Although certain commercial pins are especially popular, true “pinheads” are not at the Games to buy or sell, but to trade. “Pin collectors, athletes, media people, etc. are really into pin trading, maybe more than ever before,” wrote Bigsby in an e-mail from London. “Every day, the ‘rules’ change for collectors. Where to trade, how many pins to wear ...”

    Don Bigsby

    Hungary's London 2012 athletes pin looks almost identical to Hungary's Berlin 1936 athletes badge, which was made by the Hungarian Mint and is highly-coveted because of its quality and beauty.

    This year, one pin in high demand among niche collectors is Hungary’s athletes pin. Made by the Hungarian Mint, this year’s pins look almost identical to Hungary’s athletes’ pins of the past.

    When a trade is finished, however, returns aren’t allowed.

    “It’s a deal. Move on. Find somebody else to trade with,” said Bigsby said.

    Athletes join in the fun

    Earlier this year, tennis player and gold medalist Serena Williams recently told USA Today that she has been an avid pin collector since Sydney 2000.  Shooter and three-time gold medalist Kim Rhode of Team USA makes her own pins and gives them away on Twitter. She tweeted, “To win a pin I’m going to ask trivia type questions while I’m here @Olympics and the person who responds first with the correct answer wins.” So far, Rhode has given away three.

    Rhode is one of many pin traders who have shared their hobby online. The London Pins website, for example, is dedicated to organizing information about all of this year’s pins. On Twitter, users have expressed their surprise about how popular the hobby is and how surprised they are that they have, too, become addicted. “I didn’t think it would happen but I’ve become obsessed with collecting pin badges #gamesmaker,” one person tweeted. 

    Pins are usually made of metals like brass, copper, and tin. It's the sentimental value, not the monetary value, that keeps “pinheads” trading and inspires more traders each Olympiad.

    “Pins really have no monetary value,” said Navid Khonsari, whose 2007 documentary Pindemonium provides a lens into the Olympic subculture of pin collecting.  “Pins are really a vehicle for people to really interact with one another.”

    Pin trading: where it all began

    Khonsari said most of the American pin traders got their start at Lake Placid in 1980 or in Los Angeles in 1984. Although pins have been a part of the Olympic tradition since the first modern games in Athens in 1896, the Summer and Winter Olympics in the 1980s marked a turning point in the demand for Olympic collectibles with special venues emerging for the purpose of trading and selling commemorative goods. According to Coca-Cola, one of 10 worldwide Olympic sponsors, 17 million pins were traded at the 1984 Los Angeles Summer Games.

    Suzanne Plunkett / Reuters file

    Pin collector Johnny Ioannides of Greece waits outside the Olympic Village in Stratford in east London July 26, 2012.

    Bigsby, who was one of the three recipients of the International Olympic Committee’s Juan Antonio Samaranch Medal for Olympic Collecting this past June, began trading and collecting pins after attending the 1980 Winter Olympics in Lake Placid, NY. It was the year of the US men’s ice hockey team’s underdog victory against the Soviet Union and Eric Heiden’s record-setting five gold medals in men’s speedskating.

    “How could I not get hooked?” Bigsby said. “I love amateur sports and there I was in Lake Placid in the middle of it.”

    'It's amazing how it just takes over the Games'

    According to Maxine Chapman, marketing director at Coca-Cola, it's an unofficial rule that if you’re wearing more than one or two pins, you’re a trader. “A pin from the Olympics is so highly coveted,” said Chapman, who manages Olympic showcasing for international sponsor Coca-Cola. “It’s amazing how it just takes over the Games.”

    Since the 1988 Games in Calgary, Coca-Cola has opened pin trading centers at the Olympic Games. Khonsari filmed many of his interviews for Pindemonium at the Coca-Cola Pin Trading Center in Torino in 2006. This year’s pin trading centers are at two locations: London’s Olympic Park and Hyde Park. “The response has been very, very good,” said Chapman.

    One feature of this year’s trading centers is a giant map of the world where people tack pins they receive, encouraging Olympic fans to trade with the world.

    In an e-mail update from the Games, Bigsby wrote, “My daughter Calyn and I traded pins with two North Koreans, then three Iranians and had a great time chatting and gesturing a conversation. Made me wonder why everyone can't get along.”

    More from NBCNews.com

     

  • Nike takes marketing gold with neon-yellow shoes

    Streeter Lecka / Getty Images

    Ashton Eaton, left, and Trey Hardee of the United States, wearing (or not wearing) their distinctive yellow Nike Volt shoes, celebrate their gold and silver medals in the men's decathlon Thursday.

    By Bill Briggs, NBC News contributor

    As the Olympics wind down, marketing experts are awarding a gold medal in ambush marketing to Nike, which scored with bold commercials, smart PR moves and its distinctive, ubiquitous neon-yellow Volt shoes.

    Nike, which always manages a high Olympic profile despite its non-sponsor status, outwitted big-money Olympic backers such as Visa, McDonald’s and adidas - which reportedly paid $155 million for its official London 2012 sponsorship - with its nervy campaign, according to marketing experts.

    “The shoes were one of the first things I noticed during the Games,” said Leslie Smolan, co-founder of Carbone Smolan Agency, a design and branding firm in New York. She just returned from London. “I thought Nike's approach was absolutely brilliant. Nike managed to integrate themselves into the games -- the best way to show your product, not just talk about it.”

    Indeed, London Games organizers considered legal action against Nike before dumping the idea, according to The Associated Press. The IOC, ever patrolling to block non-Olympic advertisers from crashing the lavish marketing party of official Games sponsors, banned athletes from tweeting about their personal sponsors. But the logo police couldn't thwart Nike-bedecked competitors from donning those incandescent kicks: Olympians can wear whatever shoes they feel offer them a crack at the podium. 


    “Nike cleverly leveraged the combination of their recognizable trade dress and logo to get Olympic-sized brand identification without an Olympic-sized budget,” said Adam Hanft, CEO of New York-based Hanft Projects, a communications and marketing consultancy. "It's exactly the kind of guerrilla product insertion that makes marketers smile and the (International Olympic Committee) nuts."

    Needless to say, Nike was unapologetic about its shoe campaign.

    "Over 400 athletes are wearing the Volt Nike footwear at the Games," said Nike spokesman Brian Strong. "The majority of those are in track and field but also in boxing and fencing."

    As of Friday 41 athletes had medaled wearing Volt shoes, including 43 percent of track and field medalists, Nike said.

    And the company didn't need its signature swoosh to strut its brand to the world. The Volt is scientifically designed to be a pupil-popping consumer magnet.  

    "Of all the colors of the rainbow, the human eye and visual system is most sensitive to the yellow/green zone," Strong said. "The power of this visual signal is capitalized on when the background is highly contrasting, which the London Olympic track is -- reddish.  The human eye has relatively low sensitivity to red vs. much higher sensitivity to Volt color."

    Cool hues aside, does Nike agree with the many advertising experts who believe the shoe was strategically picked by Nike to rev its "ambush marketing?" 

    Strong's direct response that question: "We’ll always look to provide our athletes with the best in design and innovation on the world’s biggest stages. Volt is a strong, dynamic color and it has certainly become a visible signature of ours during the summer of competition."

    Nike's promotion of the shoes skirts on the edge of Rule 40 of the Olympic charter, which "limits athletes competing in the Olympic Games from appearing in advertising during and shortly before the Olympic Games." The rule is intended to "prevent ambush marketing which might otherwise utilise athletes to create an association with the Games."

    But Rule 40 does not affect what athletes can wear, said Jennifer Escalas, associate professor in the Owen Graduate School of Management at Vanderbilt University. 

    "It just says that if the equipment manufacturer is not an official sponsor, then the athletes cannot 'promote' the product outside of using the product during competition," she said. "The track and field athletes wearing the bright yellow Nike shoes cannot tweet about them or blog about them or post pictures of the shoes on Instagram."

    Early in the games, Nike scored a public relations coup after Egyptian athletes were discovered parading in counterfeit Nike warm-up outfits because they couldn't afford authentic gear. Rather than complain about the piracy, Nike offered free gear for the team.

    The winner of the decathlon is often referred to as "the greatest athlete on earth," competing in 10 different events. Gold and silver medal winners Ashton Eaton and Trey Hardee talk about how it feels to come out of the grueling two days of competition on top.

    Nike also flirted with Rule 40 in its "Find Your Greatness" TV ad featuring rugby players, marathoners, cyclists, swimmers and wrestlers competing in London, Ohio; London, Norway; and East London, South Africa. There are no overt Olympic mentions and no images of London, England. 

    "The television commercial skirts very close to impinging on the connections in the minds of consumers between the official London sponsors and the positive thoughts and feelings consumers have about the Olympics,"  Escalas said. "I could see the official sponsors being justifiably upset about these ads."

    To which Nike's Strong responds: "The Nike 'Find Your Greatness' spots feature everyday athletes from multiple locations called London around the world, to illustrate that greatness can be found by anyone, anywhere. We think that is a powerful message at a time when the world is focused on London, UK." 

    And he sticks the landing. 

    "I love it," said Alex Campbell, co-founder Vibes, a Chicago mobile marketing and technology company, "because they weren't actually an Olympic sponsor -- but but they came off as one." 

    More money and business news:

     

     

     

     

     

  • Ryan Seacrest answers TODAY Facebook fans' questions

    TODAY

    Special correspondent Ryan Seacrest has taken over TODAY's Facebook page, revealing a behind-the-scenes look from London. Below are fans' questions he answered. 

    Floetta Sanders: What events have you enjoyed the most? And just a note: I think Willie nelson would make a cool judge on “American Idol.”
    Ryan: Without a doubt, Usain Bolt has been one of my fav stories here in London. His speed is incredible, and I love "The Bolt." It's an indelible image of this Olympics. And Willie is a legend!

    Amy Kraft Cieslak: I know Matt must secretly own a Snuggy. Let's see him wearing it!
    Ryan: It was pretty warm here in London the last two weeks, so no Snuggy sightings. But Matt was sporting some snazzy white bucks today, without socks! 

    Deb Lamb: What Olympic athlete has really impressed you in a huge way??
    Ryan: All of the Olympic athletes are so impressive -- that goes without saying. A few in particular: Gabby Douglas stands out given her age and accomplishments; Michael Phelps for his tenacity and contributions to the sport of swimming; and the women’s soccer team for their relentless pursuit of gold. 

    Monica McAfee Burnett: Hey Ryan! I hope you had a great time in London! Will you continue to be a special correspondent for TODAY in the future? You are doing a great job!!!
    Ryan: Thanks, Monica! I am having a great time hanging out with the TODAY gang. and, yes, my work as a special correspondent will continue after the Olympics. 

    Mary Moon: How can I get a job like yours?
    Ryan: Visit your local radio or TV station and figure out how to be an intern. There is no better way to learn the business than in a job where you do everything – and interns really do everything. It’s a lot of work, but hard work pays off.

    C Susan Shields: Great job! What is the most exciting sport did you enjoy in London?
    Ryan: I'm fascinated by synchronized swimming. These women are amazing athletes.

    Dolores Ozuna Cruz: Are you going to stay for the closing ceremony? Post pictures!
    Ryan: Yes! I've been asked to co-host the closing ceremony with Bob Costas and Al Michaels, two sportscasting ICONS. I'm humbled to join them for such a big night. Should be fun and I definitely will take pics. 

    Christina Koran Johnson: I just wanted to say you are doing a phenomenal job on TODAY! I am very impressed with your interview and journalism skills! Would love to see you on TODAY more!
    Ryan: Thanks for the kind words. 

    Tasahia Toland: What's in the jar [in the photo above]?
    Ryan: Just some mixed nuts. :) 

    Andrea Montalbano: What was the weirdest thing that happened to you while in London???
    Ryan: The broadcasting team from India thought I was a basketball player. Seriously

    Vanessa Sanchez McCullough: OK, Ryan! Take a pic of you and [Olympics executive producer] Jim Bell! My question is where do you find the time to do as much as you do? Especially during the "American Idol" season. You seem to juggle 100 different projects without getting burned out. What is your secret, Seacrest?
    Ryan: Bell is pretty hard to pin down at the broadcast center, but I will try to grab a shot. And sure my schedule can be tough, but I have a lot of terrific people on my team who help make it all doable. I also believe in having a little fun too -- that makes the hard work worth it. 

    Cindy Rowe Zelbst: No questions. I just wanted to tell you how much I've enjoyed you on the Olympics, and I can't wait for the closing ceremony. TODAY needs you as a contributor more often!!!
    Ryan: That's so nice. Thanks. 

    Lisa Sharrai O'Neil: Who pays for the Olympics? Where does the money come from to pay the winners? Who makes the medals?
    Ryan: NBC and other networks around the world pay to broadcast the Olympics, so a lot of the money comes from there. Other money comes from the host country and sponsors like Coca-Cola. For the London Games, the medals were made in Pontyclun, Wales, by a company called The Royal Mint. More than 800 workers made over 4,700 medals! 

    Jennifer Fisher Harris: While waiting for their Olympic events, how much time do the athletes spend training and conditioning without wearing themselves out for the games? And what activities or accommodations do they have available within the Olympic Village?
    Ryan; Athletes are given a lot of privacy at the Olympic Village so they can be comfortable and relaxed prior to competition. There is limited media access so they won't be bothered or distracted. That said, a lot of the athletes told me the food is pretty good.

    More on TODAY.com: 
    Ryan Seacrest shows his 'flexibility' with US gymnasts
    Seacrest: If Kim Kardashian was an Olympian, she'd play...
    TODAY tries Olympic racewalking (and things get awkward) 

  • Day at Olympics well worth $1,000 for family of four, NJ fans say

    Jim Seida / NBC News

    L-R: Gail and Dennis Serwick from Woodbridge, N.J., and their daughter Megan, 7 (front left) and Kim and Rick Van Liew from Randolph, N.J., and their sons Matthew, 11, (front middle) and Russell, 12 (front right), In London's Olympic Park Thursday.

    By Alastair Jamieson, NBC News

    LONDON – A day at the Olympics in one of the most expensive cities on the planet was never going to be cheap. But for a group of sports fans from New Jersey this "once in a lifetime experience" was well worth spending the equivalent of about $1,000 for a family of four.

    Ticket prices for every event -- including the opening and closing ceremonies -- start at a symbolic GBP 20.12 ($32), but most seats cost considerably more, and getting access to smaller venues such as the 6,000-capacity velodrome has proved tough.

    “It was so incredibly hard to get tickets,” said Gail Serwick, from Woodbridge, N.J., who eventually managed to secure seven seats in the aquatics center at $110 each thanks to relatives who live in her native Wales.

    Slideshow: No tickets to the Olympics? Five London parks offer the next best thing

    Around London, alternative Olympic viewing sites offer locals and tourists a cheaper, crowd-free version of the Games.

    Launch slideshow

    Five were for the women’s 10m platform diving finals on Thursday morning, while two were for synchronized swimming in the afternoon.

    “The allocation on sale in Britain was higher so it was the only real way we could get tickets. We tried everything and got so many rejections before we got these. You could get cheaper but we didn’t want nosebleed seats where you can’t see anything because we wanted it to be a special occasion," Serwick said.


    She traveled to London with her husband Dennis and daughter Megan, 7, and another family -- Rick and Kim Van Liew and their sons Russell, 12, and Matthew, 11, from Randolph, N.J.

    Their Olympic day out started with a shopping blitz for souvenirs and merchandise including London 2012 T-shirts and sweatshirts for the group and family and friends at home.

    London 2012's legacy: No more UK couch potatoes or another Olympic 'white elephant'?

    In total, Serwick and Kim Van Liew spent $907 in the official London 2012 store in Hyde Park near their hotel -- easy to do when a T-shirt costs $40.

    Jim Seida / NBC News

    Kim Van Liew and her friend Gail Serwick show off their tickets to synchronized swimming at London's Olympic Park, Thursday.

    Then there is the cost of food and drink inside the Olympic Park, where sponsors Coca-Cola, McDonald’s and Heineken control the prices. A Big Mac costs $4.20, a Big Mac Meal $6.70 and an individual tub of Caramel ice cream $3.90. For drinks, a 500ml (16.9 fl oz) Coke costs $3.60 while a pint (19.2 fl oz) of Heineken is $7.20.

    For China officials, Beijing's Olympic 'white elephants' were worth it

    In total, the group spent $93, or $13.40 per head on lunch and snacks while enjoying the sprawling park between their two events.

    The only cost they didn’t have to worry about was transport: Free one-day Oyster transit cards are included with all tickets.

    “We got a bus then a train to get here,” Van Liew said. “Everyone was very helpful – everywhere you looked there was somebody on hand to help.”

    Fears raised that London Games will see big increase in Big Brother surveillance

    In total, their day at the Olympics cost $1,770 between seven -- equivalent to nearly $253 per head, or about $1,011 for a family of four. So was it worth it?

    “I was very impressed, I think the tickets were good for the price,” Dennis Serwick said. “I’ve been to Wimbledon and Roland Garros and these Olympic tickets were better value. We had a good view of the action, didn’t need binoculars or anything.”

    Read more from NBC News about the Olympics

    Rick Van Liew said the tickets were equivalent to the price of seats to watch Major League Baseball at the Yankee’s stadium.  Indeed, tickets for an October home game against the Boston Red Sox on sale Friday ranged from $38 to $200.

    “This is a once in a lifetime experience," Gail Serwick said, "and it’s hard to put an exact price on that."

    More world stories from NBC News:

     

  • Lochte on peeing in pool: 'Sometimes you just gotta go'

    By Jillian Eugenios

    Swimmer Ryan Lochte is going home with five Olympic medals, but it's what he left behind in the pool in London that has made some joking headlines as the Olympics wind down.

    Lochte was in the spotlight a week ago when he admitted to TODAY special correspondent Ryan Seacrest that he occasionally pees in the pool. Then came a "Funny or Die" parody video where he took the peeing theme to hilarious heights.

    Lochte jokingly reiterated his stance in an interview with Matt Lauer on TODAY Friday. 

    “I mean, sometimes you just gotta go,” he said.

    British prime minister David Cameron was not amused once he heard how Lochte was using London’s Olympic pool. “I was surprised to hear that,” he told Britain's Metro newspaper. “It’s not OK to pee in the pool.”
     
     Lochte has certainly stood by his right to relieve himself in the water. When comedian Will Ferrell called and asked him to make a “Funny or Die” video on the subject, he jumped at the opportunity. In the video Lochte says, “The way I see it, the pool is the biggest, most expensive toilet and it’s all mine. That’s the only time I allow myself to pee. Animals, they mark their territory. I pee in the pool. That’s my territory.”
     
    Luckily for the pools of the world, Lochte isn’t going anywhere near one for at least a little while after a whirlwind Olympic experience.
     
    “I’m definitely going to take some time off," he told Lauer. "It's been four years of every day in the pool. I think it’s time for me to take at least a couple weeks.”

    Lochte isn’t worried that the come-down after the Olympics will lead to a crash. He has already said that he plans on making a run at a spot in the 2016 Olympics in Rio de Janeiro when he will be 32 years old.
     
    “The Olympics is great," he said. "But for me, I treat every meet, every swim meet that I go to, the exact same. It just has a different name to it. And you know what? I love racing. And I want to keep doing it for another four years.”
     

    While the world waits to see him in Rio in 2016, he'll be keeping busy on dry land. He already is entertaining multiple reality TV offers, and he has plans to move to Los Angeles, which he said has been a big goal of his for a long time. He told Lauer he hopes it will help him get into fashion.

    “That is my passion,” he said. “When swimming is all said and done I definitely want to get into fashion and design my own clothing line.”

     

    Read more:

    Agent: Ryan Lochte fielding multiple reality TV offers

    Ryan Lochte: I'd like to do 'Dancing with the Stars'

    Ryan Lochte: 'I'm going another four years to Rio"

    Phelps rival writes his own London headline: 'Ryan Lochte takes over'

  • Misty May-Treanor on Kerri Walsh Jennings: 'I will never leave her side'

    Misty May-Treanor and Kerri Walsh-Jennings swept fellow Americans in two sets on Wednesday to earn their third straight gold medal in women's beach volleyball. They talk about the intense match, how it felt to be facing another American team, and the emotional medal ceremony.

     

    By Jillian Eugenios

    The USA win at beach volleyball Wednesday night at the London Olympics marked the end of a legacy, but not of the enduring friendship between Misty May-Treanor and partner Kerri Walsh Jennings. Still, when the pair stood on the podium to accept the gold together, they knew it was for the last time. May-Treanor, who has played with Walsh Jennings for over a decade, will be retiring.

    It was the third time May-Treanor and Walsh Jennings stood side-by-side to accept gold. The win in London wraps up a Olympic career that has led to a perfect record of 21 wins and no losses, with the pair losing only one set in all of their Olympic competitions. “We played the toughest competition in the world and we’ve withstood every challenge to be hanging out on top,” Walsh Jennings told TODAY's Matt Lauer.  
     
    Even though Wednesday was the last time the world will see the two spike on the sand, their partnership is far from over. May-Treanor, who said she's ready for her next journey, said that “I will never leave [Walsh Jennings’] side." She called her time in London "emotional," but added, "I think we learn so much about everything outside of volleyball. That’s what this Olympics signified. It was the journey off the court together, and it’s something we’re never going to forget and we’re going to be in each other’s lives forever.”

    American beach volleyball fans were assured of gold and silver wins last night when two American teams competed for the top prize. Silver medal winners April Ross and Jen Kessy talk about the intense match and reveal whether they'll be heading to Rio in four years.

    Walsh Jennings said of May-Treanor, “I think the world knows that she is the most genuine, amazing woman in the entire world. One in a billion.”
     
    The pair have been known for their closeness, which translates to some serious throw-down in competition. “You wanna build momentum and you kind of want to crush the spirit of your competitors,” Walsh Jennings said, detailing a tense moment in the competition Wednesday night.
     
    The pair, who beat fellow Americans Jennifer Kessy and April Ross 21-16, 21-16, said that it isn’t easy to go against members of your team. But according to May-Treanor, the “best way to represent USA beach volleyball is to have a gold medal match USA versus USA. They help elevate our game because they are such wonderful players.”
     
    The two best friends revealed a little detail about their pre-game ritual, which starts with Walsh Jennings clearing all sharp edges out of the room. Then May-Treanor's break-dance music comes on, to which she does the eggbeater. “I should probably wear a helmet,” May-Treanor joked.

    May-Treanor's husband, Los Angeles Dodgers catcher Matt Treanor, could not attend the game but watched it on his laptop. He spoke to reporters about his wife and her partner, saying, “For them to go back and do this, you can’t say enough about the two of them. They’ve adapted their game, they became better in terms of communication and stuff like that, and the old ladies went out and did it.”
     
    “Kerri might kill him for saying ‘old ladies,'” May-Treanor warned, but Walsh Jennings just smiled and said, “This dream is not possible without our husbands and our family and our loved ones."  

    Or, apparently, the eggbeater.

    Read more:

    May-Treanor, Walsh Jennings go out with third straight gold
    Beach volleyball (and its dance squad) takes TODAY by storm
    Prince charming: Harry cheers on Olympic volleyball

  • You've just won a gold medal! So why are you trying to eat it?

    Emmanuel Dunand / AFP - Getty Images

    Mmm, gold medal ... om nom nom. Team USA chomp on their medals after winning the women's team gymnastics final on July 31. From left to right, we have Mckayla Maroney, Kyla Ross, Alexandra Raisman, Gabrielle Douglas and Jordyn Wieber.

    By Meghan Holohan

    After medal-winning Olympians stand on the platform, receive their medals, and solemnly listen to the gold medal winner’s national anthem, they leave the stage and face an army of photographers. In front of the flashing lights, many winners grab their medals and take a bite.

    It takes years of grueling training and competition to nab gold at the Olympics. So why do the winners immediately chomp on their hard-earned prizes?

    The simple answer: Because the photographers ask them to, says David Wallechinsky, president of the International Society of Olympic Historians and author of “The Complete Book of the Olympics, via email.

    Related photos: Olympians biting their medals

    While Olympic historians aren’t sure which athlete started the trend, they believe the athletes nibble their prizes to test the metal. People once bit gold coins try to make an indent; a small tooth mark in a coin assured it consisted of real gold, which is more malleable than counterfeit gold-plated lead coins. 

    “We know that only in 1912 the gold medals were real gold and that in all later Olympics the gold medals were made from silver with a gilt layer to show it as being gold,” explains Tony Bijkerk, secretary-general of the International Society of Olympic Historians via email. The 2012 medals contain 1.34 percent of gold, making it one of the biggest medals.

    Um, how do we break this to you, Team USA? You didn't actually win gold

    “Unfortunately, the gold layer sometimes had a tendency to fade over the years. Fanny Blankers-Koen, the heroine of the 1948 Olympics in London, who was a good friend of mine, once told me that she had to have her four gold medals re-gilded two times over the years.” (Blankers-Koen was a 30-year-old mother of two who medaled in running events, helping to prove women could be as athletic as men.)

    Even though the medal isn’t solid gold, Bijkerk suspects that Olympians could make a mark in the medal, depending on how hard they bite. And some really sink their teeth into their prizes. At the 2010 Winter Olympics, German luger, David Moeller, who won a silver medal, broke his tooth while mugging for cameras and showing off his bite.

    Psychologist Frank Farley believes that medalists bite their medals because, at this point, it’s what winning Olympians do.

    “Sports all have their eccentricities,” says Farley, a professor from Temple University in Philadelphia and former president of the American Psychological Association. “If you want to be part of the winning zeitgeist, that winning culture, you participate in that winning practice.”

    But he believes that medal biting is more than Olympians simply acting like winners. “It makes your medals yours,” Farley says. “It’s an emotional connection with your accomplishment.”

    And even if the Olympians do indent their medals, it makes the prize individual; bite imprints are as unique as the swirls on our digits.

    “The concept of the icon, something representing something else, is pretty deep in all of us. In the Olympics, they have a twist on it; it’s like imprinting [yourself] there for all of time.”

    Anthony Quintano / NBC News

    Ah, the sweet taste of victory! U.S. swimmer Ricky Berens takes a bite of his gold and silver medals on the TODAY set in London.

    Related:

  • Stripping athletes? Shawn Johnson's 6 Olympic secrets

    TODAY

    By Shawn Johnson, TODAY.com special correspondent

    Millions watch the Olympics from home, but only a select few experience the Games the way I did in Beijing. Here are six secrets from an athlete's perspective:

    1. Meeting Team USA is a revealing affair.
    Every U.S. athlete heads to the same connecting city for a "process" day before shipping off to the Games. That's where competitors are credentialed, drug-tested, provided Team USA apparel and debriefed about the dos and don'ts in representing America. 

    The best part is going from room to room filling up a HUGE shopping cart with free gear. It's quite a way to meet the other Team USA members; athletes strip to their skivvies for a mad dash to find the best-fitting sizes. Gymnasts are lucky: We're left with the extra-smalls. 

    2. Olympians don't fly first class.
    Oh yes, Olympians sit in the back by the toilets just like everyone else. But it's not all fun and games: Halfway through the flight some gymnasts actually do small workouts down the aisles. It's a fun ride as the majority of the passengers are sporting the red, white and blue.

    3. Athletes can be tested for drugs at ANY time.
    You could be sleeping, eating, competing or chatting with Matt Lauer — and the World Anti-Doping Agency officials will just show up for a drug test. It's all chosen by a random draw, but I swear some people's names — like mine! — seem to pop up a few more times than others. It's quite a process, too. You have NO privacy during the testing process, and stage fright is the worst (I speak from experience). You can be stuck in the testing process for hours.

    4. Dorms are nice, if a little plain.
    Olympian housing is divided by countries. There's a cool tradition that you hang your nation's flag outside your room, making the village a neat place as everywhere you look there are different colors flying high. It's a different story inside the dorms, which are stark white when you arrive. Many athletes decorate them so they feel more like home. The apartments also include game rooms, salons and massage tables. There's also a media center to keep you connected to loved ones.

    5. Cultures mix in the cafeteria.
    Country barriers break down in the commissary. It's an awesome place. Picture an eatery that's as big as a football field with catered food that can accommodate every athlete. The most popular place in Beijing? McDonald's. The line spanned the entire cafeteria front to back every single day! 

    6. Gold isn't the only metal you compete to win.
    Forget the events! There's a more prestigious competition happening between athletes and spectators: pin trading. You are constantly bargaining, bartering and begging for these coveted metals. And the stakes are high: Your rank among international athletes seemingly has nothing to do with your medal haul — but by your pins! And you're treated like royalty if you have a rare one.

    Gymnast Shawn Johnson, TODAY.com's special correspondent, won a gold and a silver medal in Beijing. 

    More from TODAY.com:
    10,000 and counting! Pin collector chases Olympic metal
    Video: Savannah gets inside look at Athlete Village
    Live blog: Follow athletes' tweets, Instragrams

    More from Shawn Johnson:
    Shawn Johnson's dare: On your marks, get set... jump for TODAY!
    Shawn Johnson: Olympians should 'censor themselves' on social media
    Shawn Johnson: 'Going to London is bittersweet'

  • Agent: Ryan Lochte fielding multiple reality TV offers

    Fabrice Coffrini / AFP - Getty Images

    By Daniel Miller, The Hollywood Reporter

    First there was the diamond American-flag grill Olympic swimmer Ryan Lochte tried to wear on the podium while collecting a gold medal. Then came his admission that he pees in the pool and his mother's suggestion that the busy 28-year-old only has time for one-night stands.

    Despite the sometimes-negative publicity, sports-business experts say Lochte's antics shouldn't hurt his ability to cash in on his five London medals. If anything, they might help.

    PHOTOS: The most memorable moments from the 2012 Olympic games

    "I don't think Ryan was a buttoned-up guy to begin with," says Evan Morgenstein, CEO of PMG Sports, which represents past Olympians like Janet Evans as well as Tyler Clary, a swimmer who won a gold medal in London in the 200-meter backstroke. "A tight-a-- Madison Avenue ad agency who has a client that is risk-averse -- they weren't going to work with him anyway."

    Lochte, a Rochester, N.Y., native, has nine big endorsement deals with the likes of Speedo, Gatorade, Ralph Lauren and Gillette, which presented him with a blinged-out razor to match his grill at a press event Aug. 5. And Fortune has estimated his 2012 endorsement earnings at $2.3 million.

    Perhaps not surprising, Lochte's sports agent, Erika Wright, tells THR that the swimmer has received offers to create a fashion line and has been asked by Will Ferrell to make a FunnyOrDie video, and multiple TV offers are on the table.

    "I cannot tell you the exact shows, but two different reality show concepts have been offered and one additional is being discussed," Wright writes in an e-mail, adding that American talk shows are angling to book Lochte as a guest when he returns to the states.


    Lochte also told reporters in London that he would be open to appearing on "Dancing with the Stars," even suggesting that he and U.S. swimming teammate Michael Phelps square off on the ABC competition. And in a radio interview with Ryan Seacrest, Lochte said that he plans to move to Los Angeles after the Olympics. 

    PHOTOS: Life after the Olympics: How 15 athletes made their way to Hollywood

    Wright adds that Lochte is receiving offers for endorsement deals "daily" and has "little room for adding more" sponsors. "He has no issues whatsoever with regard to endorsements ... I can say things have been quite busy for team Lochte, heating up fast and furious since the Olympics."

    Indeed, Lochte has made good use of his time in London, partying at celebrity-friendly Chinawhite night club, among others. Wright says that the FunnyOrDie video that Lochte has been asked to make would be filmed in London before he returns home. 

    Jesse Ryback of consultancy Premier Partnerships notes that as long as Lochte doesn't run afoul of the law or find himself in more serious controversies, the swimmer should continue to attract attention from prospective endorsers and sponsors. "He has this Kanye West-like persona in terms of attention," says Ryback. "That makes him even more memorable."

    Lochte also is represented by manager Shawn Zenga but does not have a Hollywood agent.

    Do you think reality TV is a good move for the Olympic gold medalist? Share your thoughts on our Facebook page.

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  • Teen table tennis prodigy: 'My sights are set on 2016'

    Feng Li / Getty Images

    Ariel Hsing, 16, who counts Warren Buffett and Bill Gates among her pals, competes on August 3 in London.

    By Eun Kyung Kim

    After nearly defeating one of the world’s best table tennis players in a drawn-out Olympic match, American Ariel Hsing may soon be known as more than the teenager with billionaire pals.

    Hsing, 16, lost to the eventual gold medal winner on July 29 but only after pushing China’s Li Xiaoxia to the limit in six tight games. Hsing said the experience opened her eyes to her potential.

    “Before, I did not realize that I could compete with the world’s best,” the San Jose, Calif., teen told TODAY’s Jenna Bush Hager. “But now I’ve gained a little bit more confidence so my sights are set on 2016.”

    Hsing got a surprise visit in London when one of her biggest fans, “Uncle Bill” Gates, slipped into the arena to watch her match. The Microsoft chairman called her performance “northing short of phenomenal.”

    Hsing also is known for being friends with “Uncle Warren” Buffet, whom she first met as a 9-year-old prodigy at the billionaire investor’s 75th birthday party. Buffet has since invited her to several of his company’s shareholders meetings, which is how she met Gates.

    At such a meeting earlier this year, “we played a few points and they whipped out their really large paddle — it was like a pizza flipper,” she said.

    Like most Americans, Hsing started playing table tennis in the garage as a young girl. She said her parents have supported her endeavors — provided she keeps up her grades. That hasn’t been a problem for the straight-A student.

    TODAY's Savannah Guthrie, Al Roker, and Matt Lauer attempt to take on table tennis Olympian Ariel Hsing in a friendly little competition (with the help of an extra-large paddle).

    More: Check out all of TODAY.com's Olympics coverage here!
    NBC Olympics video: Mary Carillo tests her ping-pong skills 
    Video: Al, Matt swept off feet by Greco-Roman wrestling 
    Video: Aly Raisman: 'I wanted to finish off strong' 

  • Who'll win the gold medal for partying? Olympians let their hair down in London

    AFP - Getty Images

    British gold medal-winning cyclist Bradley Wiggins is seen on stage at a concert in Hyde Park, left, enjoying a beer while watching Olympic action in the Velodrome, center, and meeting Stone Roses singer Ian Brown at a secret VIP gig by the band in London, right.

    By Alastair Jamieson, NBC News

    LONDON - After four years of intense training and personal sacrifice, athletes are letting their hair down and joining London’s city-wide Olympic party.

    With many events now over, and with Sunday's closing ceremony looming, Olympians are becoming a more frequent sight on the streets – and in the bars – of Britain’s capital.

    Many are turning up at venues to support their team-mates in the remaining competition -- and sign autographs for lucky spectators.

    “It is nice for us now to be able to relax and watch some of the Games,” said Czech cyclist Denis Spicka, who was surrounded by friends and female fans at Czech House – one of dozens of temporary national ‘party houses’ set up around London by tourism promoters and sponsors.

    Have you ever wondered what Olympic athletes do after the competition and medals? TODAY special correspondent Ryan Seacrest heads out into London to investigate, going to Ryan Lochte's birthday bash and getting the scoop on how Missy Franklin plans to commemorate her medals.

    Spicka was one of hundreds of party-goers enjoying Czech beer while watching giant screens showing his country take on France at women’s basketball on Tuesday night – only hours after he had finished his own race in the Olympic Velodrome.

    “The girls here are very nice,” he grinned.

    Alastair Jamieson/NBC News

    Officials from Britain's Olympic team enjoy a late-night take-out in east London's Mile End.

    Across town, U.S. swimmer Ryan Lochte was enjoying a birthday party at a Planet Hollywood theme restaurant near Leicester Square. The 28-year-old enjoyed chicken fingers, nachos, Champagne and birthday cake, according to E!, before heading to Mahiki, a nightclub popular with Prince Harry.

    It was not the gold medal winner’s first night of partying: He joined a throng of fellow swimmers including South African Jean Basson and Lebanese Katya Bachrouche at club Chinawhite on Sunday night.

    Will Games curse leave 'ghost town' London out of the gold rush?

    Chad le Clos, the South African who beat Michael Phelps in the 200m butterfly last week, also dropped into the club, dancing with his team and some Australian swimmers. "It was pretty cool,” he told the Daily Telegraph. “Everyone was there, the Americans and the French team. Pretty much the whole of the VIP area was crawling with swimmers. We all enjoyed ourselves."

    Slideshow: Graffiti Games: UK street artists take on Olympics

    Jim Seida / NBC News

    Street and graffiti artists have been satirizing, celebrating and making jokes about the Olympic Games in London.

    Launch slideshow

    Others have been touring London’s sights or relaxing in and around the Olympic Park. Cook Islands swimming coach Romani Katoa was enjoying a few beers with fellow spectators at the track and field events on Sunday night, while Hungarian hammer-thrower Krisztian Pars was showing off his gold medal on the top floor of a double-decker bus.

    Christians, Muslims and even a 'vegan turkey' seek converts at London 2012

    In the Westfield shopping mall that leads to the Olympic Park, athletes from around the world have been signing autographs for fans or partying in the top-level casino.

    Indeed, spotting athletes has now become a London tourist activity in its own right: Olympians from Rwanda were pictured waiting for a bus on Monday, officials from Team Great Britain were seen ordering a late-night take-out in a kebab house in east London’s Mile End and Tour de France winner Bradley Wiggins posted a picture of himself on Instagram “getting wasted” near St. Paul’s Cathedral after winning his cycling gold medal for Britain.

    Wiggins and fellow British gold medalist Jessica Ennis were among the athletes who attended a VIP Stone Roses concert on Monday. The duo were reportedly introduced at the gig as "king" and "queen" of England.

    At the Austria House near the Tower of London, where party-goers can enjoy pilsner and sauerkraut while watching live Olympic action, Austrian gymnast Fabian Leimlehner was among those signing autographs.

    Jim Seida / NBC News

    Julia Sailer from Innsbruck, Austria, pours two-liter beers as fast as she can sell them at Austria's national hospitality house in the Tower Hill area of London on Tuesday.

    'So much debauchery'
    Speculation is now turning to life inside the Olympic Village – the super-private athletes-only area notorious for evolving into a party zone as the Games come to an end. In a now-notorious ESPN feature last month, Lochte predicted that “70 to 75 percent of Olympians” would be having sex with other competitors, adding: “Hey, sometimes you gotta do what you gotta do."

    About 150,000 condoms have been handed out by organizers in the wake of of stories about goings-on at the Sydney 2000 games where, according to U.S. target shooter Josh Lakatos, competitors turned an empty room into a venue for round-the-clock casual sex, assisted by an Oakley duffel bag overflowing with condoms procured from the village's medical clinic. “I've never witnessed so much debauchery in my entire life," he told ESPN.

    Traveling around traffic-plagued London can be a hassle at the best of times -- never mind during an event such as the Olympic Games. NBCNews.com put the city to the test in a race to the Olympic Park.

    So are the beds of London’s Olympic village really shaking? “We are all sharing rooms, so it is difficult,” said Czech runner Josef Prorok at the Czech House party. “Our apartment is above the laundry area and some of my friends have discovered there are some empty places, so…”

    Inside the Olympic Village: World's top athletes share college dorm-style rooms

    In practice, he said, athletes prefer to head into the city to party. “There is no alcohol in the Village bar so it is boring there. Here there is a screen and there are people having fun, and girls,” he said.

    His comments were echoed by former British Olympic swimmer Sharron Davies, who told The Mirror; “Any partying is done away from the Village out of respect for athletes who are still competing. To be honest you spend all your time training and eating healthily – and it only takes a glass of wine and you are hammered.”

    More London 2012 coverage from NBCNews.com

    All the better for Londoners, who are are cruising the national party houses in the hope of getting to meet athletes.

    "Which is the best one?" asked Nick Watterson, from north London, who was drinking at the Czech House with friends after watching Olympic soccer at Wembley Stadium. "Brazil House sounds good. It's a great atmosphere in the city at the moment, a real party going on."  

    Slideshow: Speeding through life: Olympians then and now

    Tony Duffy / ALLSPORT, Getty Images

    How has life treated the many U.S. Olympians who have dazzled and inspired us over the years? Find out in this handy then-and-now roundup.

    Launch slideshow

    More world stories from NBC News:

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