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.”

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.

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@maggiemay_hem/twitter

All that's missing from this photo is the Union Jack flag worn as a cape. Something tells us Maggie May is working on it.

Olympic tennis star Andy Murray swooped in to reign victorious over long-time opponent Roger Federer in the men's singles final at the London Olympics on Sunday, winning the gold. He added his win to the silver he earned in the mixed doubles with teammate Laura Robson. Even with all the fanfare — Murray was the first British man to win the gold in singles since 1908 — it wasn’t long before his Olympic medals went to the dogs.

Andy Rain / EPA

Murray celebrates with his medals and the Union Jack flag before his dogs are able to snag them.

Murray’s border collies, Maggie May and Rusty, have been avid fans of the games. Maggie May, who has her own Twitter feed, has been especially supportive of her Olympian. Soon after Murray accepted his medal, she tweeted a photo of herself wearing his gold while supervising Rusty, who was sporting the silver. She said of the photo, "Here we go folks. Just checking to make sure Rusty definitely has the silver, obviously."

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When U.S. Olympian Gabby Douglas broke into the record books Thursday by becoming the first African-American woman to win the all-around gymnastics gold, it was a moment of glory that wasn’t reached without a lot of sacrifice.

 Douglas told TODAY’s Savannah Guthrie on Friday that she hasn’t stopped smiling since standing on her podium to accept her medal. “I could barely sleep last night,” she said.
 
Douglas credits her coach, Liang Chow, with helping her focus. She began training with him when she was 14, moving from her home in Virginia Beach, Va., to be closer to his gym in West Des Moines, Iowa. She lived in Des Moines with a host family and trained alongside 2008 Olympic gold medalist Shawn Johnson.
 
“I just want people to know it took a lot," she said. "It took a lot of hard days in the gym and determination, passion and drive. Gold medals are made out of your sweat, blood and tears, and effort in the gym every day, and sacrificing a lot that you have to do.”
 
When Douglas hit the competition floor Thursday, Chow provided a reassuring presence during the finals. 

"I remember Chow telling me just stay calm, remain focused and the results will come up by themselves,” she said.
 
Douglas thrilled the crowd with her radiant smile, impressive tumbling and mastery of everything from the balance beam to the uneven bars. Her score of 62.232 kept her at the top of the leader board, and she kept an eye on it as her competitors completed their routines.

“I was like, 'Okay, do I have the gold, do I have the silver, what do I have?''' she said. "And it was a crucial moment. My heart was just pounding, and it was definitely nerve wracking. I was like, 'OK, do I have it, do I not?'”

She had it, and is honored to make history. Her victory also marked the first time the U.S. women have ever won the team gold and the individual all-around gold in the same Olympics.

“It’s so meaningful to be the first African-American to win the all-around gold medal in the individual and making the history books is definitely one of the perks,'' she said. "It just feels amazing.”

In a week that has brought two gold medals, she also received a very special invitation. After Douglas and her team won gold earlier in the week they got a call from President Barack Obama. “He was just telling us that he was so proud of us and keep up the good work, and we should come visit him at the White House sometime,” she said.

She has received another familiar perk of Olympic stars - her image now graces the front of a Kellogg's Corn Flakes box. 

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They may be young, but Gabby Douglas, McKayla Maroney, Aly Raisman, Kyla Ross and Jordyn Wieber are the true golden girls of this Olympics; the fab five U.S. women's gymnasts, or "fierce five" as they are also called, won the first gold for the United States in their event since 1996. On Wednesday, the quintet joined the TODAY team in London along with their parents, who offered hugs to their daughters and advice to other parents who may have burgeoning Olympians on their hands.
 
TODAY's Savannah Guthrie told the girls that just as they had watched footage of the "Magnificent Seven" -- the 1996 U.S. women's team -- winning gold in Atlanta, little girls everywhere may watch the Fab Five's 2012 footage and dream of making that reality their own.
 
Kyla Ross said hearing that gave her chills. "It means everything because we’ve been working so hard, and to have other people watching us means everything. I’m so proud of these girls, and it was such an honor.”
  
Gabby Douglas paid tribute to her parents. “It’s definitely important to have your mom or your family support you. It definitely hypes you up,” she said. “When you spot them in the crowd, you just feel so honored and so happy and you make them feel so proud. They’ve done so much for us, and I just want to thank them and we love them.”
 
The girls' parents seemed to still be catching their breath. Jordyn Wieber's mom, Rita, said: “I keep thinking of the word ‘surreal.’ It was unbelievable. I’m so happy for those girls. They’ve worked so hard. I am truly proud of all of them.”

Natalie Hawkins, Gabby Douglas’s mom, said she was thinking of everything the girls had to get through to make their Olympic dreams come true. “To know that they were able to overcome so many struggles and, you know, to be able to be here with them and celebrate in this moment in time is amazing.”
 
Aly Raisman’s parents have had their time in the spotlight during the games as well; a video of them cheering from the sidelines went viral. During the competition that made the girls gold medalists, Aly's father, Rick Raisman, said, "I kind of learned my lesson the first night not to go too crazy." He said that he's usually "pretty laid back," but when the camera caught him earlier in the week, "it was just kind of one of those locked-in moments and I just let it out.”

For parents whose children may have Olympic aspirations of their own, McKayla Maroney’s father, Mike, has some advice: "The best thing a parent can do is just support them and let them live their dream. Don’t make it your dream. It has to be theirs, because if they want it bad enough they’re going to be able to achieve it, and just give them all the tools that can give them that opportunity to have the success that their dream is all about.”

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Leon Neal / AFP - Getty Images

U.S. swimmer Dana Vollmer wears her elephant stud earrings on July 29, 2012 in London.

Though the Olympics sees more than its share of grit, the London Games have also had plenty of glitter: More and more athletes are pushing the envelope and showing off their bejeweled accessories while competing.
 
Aly Raisman, the 18-year-old gymnast and captain of the U.S. gymnastics team, made sure to pack her custom-made earrings when she left for London. Made especially for her by Adamas Fine Jewelry in her hometown of Newton Highlands, Mass., the earrings have rubies, sapphires and diamonds to represent the red, white and blue.
 
Adamas owner Veronica Sagherian spoke of the bespoke studs in a statement, saying that they were made in support of Raisman’s accomplishments: “We wanted to create something that fits her style in the Olympic games. We hope that this is a piece that she will wear forever.”
 
“If I’m allowed to wear them in the competition, then I will,” Raisman told NBC-affiliate WHDH. Once she got the green light from her coaches, it's as if she hasn’t taken them off: She’s been photographed wearing them when she qualified for her all-around final, as well as during pre-Olympic interviews and in her Sports Illustrated cover shoot.

If Raisman's team does well at the games, they can expect to get a hint of glam as well: Adamas Fine Jewelry has promised a pair of the earrings to each of Raisman's teammates if they bring home gold.

 

Mike Blake / REUTERS

Aly Raisman performs at the U.S. Olympic gymnastics trials in San Jose, Calif., on June 29, 2012.

When spectators caught a glimpse of Raisman rocking her bling on the bars, many took to Twitter to ask if that was against the rules. Many of the tweeters complained that athletes competing on regional and national levels aren’t allowed to wear jewelry during competition.

User Alex Hickman tweeted, "If Olympic athletes can wear jewelry, why can't I wear earrings in my soccer games?" Adam Christopher asked, "I’m always surprised when women fencers wear big dangly earrings while fencing. Surely they jangle around inside the mask?"

But it isn't only Raisman and the odd fencer wearing jewelry into competition. American table tennis player Ariel Hsing has won two matches at the Olympics so far, and done so while wearing a pair of gold-backed studs.

And Dana Vollmer has been competing wearing a tiny pair of elephant earrings, which she bought as a good luck charm for London 2012. Looks like they've paid off so far: She scored a world record the second day of the games, winning the 100-meter butterfly in 55.98 seconds.

No stranger to glam, Paraguayan javelin thrower and beauty contestant Leryn Franco has been photographed competing in studs and diamond hoops. Franco has also been known to bring her javelin along to photo shoots, showing that a girl can both wear stilettos and handle a javelin with no trouble at all.

Norberto Duarte / AFP - Getty Images file

Paraguay's Leryn Franco sports hoop earringa in a javelin practice in Asuncion on July 19, 2012, ahead of the London Games.

The International Olympics Committee does not officially rule regarding jewelry for each sport; instead, the governing body of each sport sets its own rules. Which means, for instance, that wearing jewelry of any kind is a no-no for volleyball players, but gymnasts are allowed to wear earrings as long as they keep it simple.

A spokesperson for USA Gymnastics told TODAY.com that the latest official rule book concerning female gymnasts states, “No jewelry, with the exception of one pair of stud earrings (one in each ear). All other piercing should be removed, not just covered with tape or Band-Aids.”

Looks like Raisman is free to show off that red, white and blue.

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The Opening Ceremony of the Olympics is just hours away, and Michelle Obama is in London not just to enjoy the festivities, but also lend them her star power in the hope that the Games will inspire kids to become involved in sports. TODAY’s Al Roker caught up with the first lady at the Winfield House, the U.S. Ambassador’s home in London, where she hosted an event for Let's Move!. 

“This is a lot of fun,” she said. “We invited U.S. military families here as well as kids from the U.K. who normally wouldn't have access to the Olympic Games. The U.S. Ambassador opened up his yard and we've had games, we've had David Beckham out here, had a number of the U.S. athletes, the current and former Olympians here, and we've just been playing on the lawn."

The first lady’s Let’s Move! initiative is dedicated to tackling the problem of childhood obesity so children will grow up happier, healthier and able to pursue their dreams.  

The event hosted 1,500 kids who spent the afternoon at a plethora of activities and sports stations, which included a round of tennis with the United States Tennis Association and soccer with English team Manchester United. A marching band and DJ kept everybody going. Athletes in attendance included not only soccer superstar Beckham, but also such Olympic medalists as gymnast Dominique Dawes, Paralympic javelin thrower Gabriel Diaz de Leon, and soccer player Brandi Chastain. 

The first lady has been a fan of the Olympics for a lifetime. “I don't think I'm different from any other kid in the country growing up,” she said. “The Olympics was it.” She said that she grew up watching sports, especially with her father, whose own athletic activities were curtailed by multiple sclerosis.

“Sports and the ability to watch sports was really all he had, so it meant a lot to the family,” the first lady told Roker. “Now being able to meet some of these Paralympians who are doing so much, and pushing through, and being inspiring to other kids of all abilities, is truly an amazing thing to see.”

Tonight the first lady will lead the U.S. delegation in the Opening Ceremony. “It will be awe-inspiring for me. It will be humbling,” she said. “I've never been to an Olympics before, and to go from never attending an Olympics to heading the U.S. delegation will be a proud moment for me personally. And I know it's going to be exciting for everyone.” 

Once the Games begin, Mrs. Obama is hoping to see some tennis and swimming and possibly a little basketball; her husband is a known hoops fan. Since his duties as Commander in Chief will preclude his attending the Games, “He is so jealous of me right now,” she said.

Roker asked the first lady to weigh in on the match-up that has become the talk of the games. Who will do better in swimming: Michael Phelps or Ryan Lochte?

“Oh, my goodness,” she exclaimed. “No way. I'm not going for that. Go Team USA!”

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Debbie Phelps is the quintessential Olympic mother: Her support for her 14-time medalist son, swimmer Michael Phelps, is clear at every competition. This summer, Debbie is preparing to watch her son compete in another Olympics  — most likely for the last time.

With her final Games on the horizon, Debbie fondly remembers the first ones she attended with Michael. Her advice for mothers going to watch their children compete for the first time is the same as for mothers with young kids just starting out in sports — don’t push.

“Children have to do what they enjoy,” Debbie told TODAY.com. “You have to let your kids find what’s best for them and what their own niche is.”

Though Debbie was an athlete herself (volleyball, basketball and high jump), she never pressured her children to follow in her sports footsteps. In fact, when 11-year-old Michael started to swim at the North Baltimore Aquatic Club with coach Bob Bowman, Debbie recalls Bowman coming to speak with her and Michael’s father about their son’s swimming future. Bowman laid out a plan for Michael’s swimming career all the way up to 2012, and Debbie started to laugh.

Bowman asked what was the matter and Debbie was blunt. “I told him, ‘If [Michael] doesn’t enjoy it, this isn’t going to happen!”

If refraining from pushing is the first step toward supporting your child, the second, according to Debbie, is listening. If your child isn’t having a good time, don’t force it.

Debbie remembers a time when even the amazing Michael Phelps no longer wanted to be a swimmer and was hesitant to continue. When he was entering high school, all his friends began getting physicals to play school sports, and Michael started to feel left out. That’s when he told his mother he wanted to switch to golf!

“I sat him down and we took a look at his swimming and where it could take him,” Debbie recalls. “You have to let them decide what to do. It’s about educating them about the opportunities that can open up.” As you can guess, Michael stayed with swimming.

Education is the third element on Debbie's list for supporting a child with sports potential. Even learning how to handle their own luggage can be valuable: “I never packed their bags, I never carried bags. It was about them learning to be responsible, and part of their education.”

It was a lesson Michael learned the hard way. Once when he was at a competition at age 14, he reached for his goggles and realized he didn’t have them. When he looked over at his mom, she just lifted her empty hands. “There was nothing I could do about it! He hasn’t forgotten his goggles since,” she laughed.

Debbie, a middle school principal, is passionate about educating kids about the dangers of drinking and driving. As a spokesperson for The Century Council, she tries to bring this message to kids and encourage parents to talk about the issue with their children.

Like any other mom watching her child compete in a sport, Debbie is excited to be heading to another Games. She still tears up at the thought of Michael receiving his medals at the 2004 Olympics in Athens and the moment the cameras didn’t capture: when Michael went up to his family, medal in hand, and said “Look what I did!”

“It was like a dream,” Debbie recalled tearfully. “I was so proud.”

But the whole experience of attending an Olympics is incredible, according to Debbie. “Everyone is there supporting their kids, wanting them to win, and for a little while, there’s peace. Watching your child compete is very rewarding.”

So is Michael really done competing in the Olympics after London? When Matt Lauer asked Debbie if there was any chance of her son changing his mind about competing in the 2016 Olympics in Rio, she answered with a firm no. “He will not swim there. No, no that’s final,” Debbie said, later confirming the decision to TODAY.com.

But what about Debbie and Michael attending as spectators? She isn't sure. “It’s four years away, who know what will happen by then? Maybe he’ll be playing golf!”

Yet even if she never attends another Olympics after this one, Debbie believes there are still ways those of us at home can support our athletes. “Remember them,” she insists. “Don’t forget these athletes. They only make an appearance every four years, and when the torch is put to rest, it’s easy to forget. People remember football, baseball, and those athletes because their sports are seasonal.

“Remember the hard work these athletes are doing for the Olympics.”

TODAY.com producer Lisa Granshaw is glad her parents didn't push when she decided to hang up her fencing sword, stop competing, and become a journalist. The pen is mightier than the sword anyway, right?

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Brian Cahn / Zuma Press

Ann Romney's horse, Rafalca, under the sure-handed guidance of trainer Jan Ebeling, at the National Grand Prix Dressage Championship at the United States Equestrian Federation Festival of Champions on Friday.

It’s time to shine up those riding boots and break out the top hat — Ann Romney’s dressage horse will be competing in the London Olympics this summer. 

Rafalca, Romney's 15-year-old Oldenburg mare that she co-owns, qualified for the U.S. Equestrian Team after placing well at the U.S. Equestrian Federation National Dressage Championships in Gladstone, N.J., over the weekend.

Rafalca placed third, securing one of five open spots on the team. She was ridden to victory by Ann Romney’s trainer Jan Ebeling, 53, who has been an active rider and trainer on the international dressage circuit since relocating to the United States from his native Germany in 1984. He owns Rafalca along with his wife Amy, Ann Romney and an additional owner, Beth Meyer.  

Ann Romney attended the Championships in Gladstone and tweeted from the event, “It’s great to be part of the Olympics again. We are so proud of Jan and Team USA. Now let’s bring home the gold!”

The odds seem to be in Rafalca's favor. She placed high in the qualifying competition, scoring an overall 73.169% out of a possible 100, which put her nine slots ahead of her other teammates on the U.S. Equestrian Team. 

While this isn’t the first time Ebeling has tried to get Rafalca to the Olympics, this is the first time the mare has qualified. In an article for Dressage Today earlier this year, Ebeling wrote that he attempted to qualify Rafalca for a spot on the team to compete at the 2008 Olympic Games in Beijing. Unfortunately, Rafalca sustained a severe injury that left her unable to compete, putting her training back a year.

Since then, Ebeling says Rafalca has “done a lot of growing up,” and that his journey with her has "been long and emotional with ups and downs and more than a few bumps along the way." A “bump” included a botched ride at a qualifying competition for the 2009 World Cup. Rafalca refused a command in the ring and Ebeling failed to qualify. Still, he finished the ride smiling. “That’s part of who I am,” he said. “I don’t quit.”

Perseverance is something Ann Romney and her trainer have in common. She began dressage as a way to treat her multiple scelerosis, which she was diagnosed with in 1998. What began as therapy became a hobby and then, as her husband Mitt Romney puts it, an “addiction.” He said recently, “She's convinced [dressage helped] her regenerate her strength and renew that vigor, and so she cares very deeply about this sport and about horses...I joke that I'm going to send her to Betty Ford for addiction to horses." 

According to the U.S. Equestrian Federation, dressage requires the horse and rider to "combine the strength and agility of gymnastics with the elegance and beauty of ballet. The result is truly the best blend of sport and art."

Dressage horses are trained to respond to the slightest of gestures. Through the squeeze of a calf or the closing of fingers around the reins, horses can be commanded into pirouettes, a slow-motion trot, or into a series of "flying lead changes" where the horse appears to "skip" around the arena.

Ann Romney’s interest in dressage has been criticized as an elite sport for the wealthy that further separates the Romney family from regular Americans. Trainer Ebeling disagrees. In an interview with dressage-news.com, he said, “The visibility that Ann brings to the sport can be extremely positive, a real benefit for equestrian sport.” He called the partnership between the co-owners as something wonderful to share, with both joys as well as tears.  

Like any good dressage horse, Rafalca has remained poised throughout all the media attention. “She doesn’t understand what’s going on,” Ebeling said. “I do, of course, so it’s up to me to remain focused on what we need to do, to go into the ring just like we do every day at home and ride the best we can…and to take care of her.”

TODAY.com contributor Jillian Eugenios thinks that more animals should be taught how to skip. 

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Sesame Workshop

Not only athletes carry the Olympic flame; people with a strong sense of community and adventure are also chosen for the honor. But the upcoming London Olympics may mark the first time that a monster has gotten to be a torchbearer.

OK, so it's just a little monster. Specifically, Elmo, the perpetually 3-year-old Muppet superstar of "Sesame Street," has begun a campaign to secure a position as an Olympic torchbearer through his own promotional video and a Facebook page, "Elmo Should Go to the Olympics," set up by his friends. 

Elmo’s executive producer, Carol-Lynn Parente, told TODAY.com that Elmo is a perfect candidate for the job because he’s an exuberant monster with a penchant for sports. “He loves the fun of being an athlete,” she said. “He’s learned lots of things on Sesame Street about exercise being good for you.”

To help him land the torchbearer gig, Elmo has been practicing Olympic sports such as hurdles, weight lifting, and gymnastics. “He’s a natural at the shot put event,” Parente said, adding that “kids love throwing things.” 

Though Elmo’s favorite sport, miniature golf, is not an Olympic event, Parente says she wouldn't be surprised if it became one once Elmo gets done. that could perhaps become an upcoming campaign if Elmo’s if his Olympic bid is successful. The orange tyke with the squeaky voice is well known to be one of the most persistent characters on Sesame Street. 

Sesame Workshop

In the video of Elmo getting ready in London, he is carrying a prototype of the Olympic torch and accidentally leaves it with a stranger. So if the little monster does get to be an Olympic torchbearer, how can his fans be sure he won’t leave it somewhere?

“Sesame Street kids and even the puppets use lots of techniques for remembering,” Parente assured TODAY.com. “We’ve had an incident where he’s tied something to his finger to help him remember, so maybe some sort of a flame-colored rope around his finger might help him to remember to carry the torch.”

Besides, Elmo is just too excited about the Games to forget something so important. And he’s certainly feeling optimistic about his chances. His video ends with, “See you at the Olympics, baby!" We hope so.

TODAY.com contributor Jillian Eugenios hopes that if Elmo does go to London, the entire Sesame Street crew will go along with him. She would love to see Mr. Snuffleupagus run hurdles. 

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Liu Jin / AFP - Getty Images file

Wang Xin of China returns a shot during the final match at the Uber Cup world badminton team championships on May 26, in shorts.

When the Badminton World Federation was looking to raise its profile and glamorize its image last year, it wrote into the official rulebook that women were now required to compete in skirts. BWF announced it has abandoned the new rule, set to go into effect last Friday, amid backlash from critics. 

Paisan Rangsikitpho, an American deputy president of the Badminton World Federation, was interviewed by The New York Times before the rule was shelved. He had defended the rule, saying BWF was not using sex to promote the sport. “We just want them to look feminine and have a nice presentation so women will be more popular.” 

The new rule, which was developed by the BWF in collaboration with Octagon, an international marketing firm, said women players had to wear skirts or dresses "to ensure attractive presentation." The rule was quickly slammed for being sexist and outdated. 

Imogen Bankier, one of the world’s top 20 badminton players along with her partner, Chris Adcock, had criticized the rule before it was obliterated. She told Telegraph Sport, "You can't make demands like that to make women more glamorous...it is ridiculous; tennis certainly doesn't have this problem so why should we have to put up with it?" 

"The point of going into competitions is for us to be champions," said Vita Marissa, Indonesia’s mixed doubles player. "And we have to feel comfortable while playing."

The BWF denied that the skirt rule disrespected women or discriminated against religious beliefs. Pakistan’s government disagreed, saying the rule contradicted the country's religious principles. China, Indonesia and India also criticized the rule, as well as Malaysia's Muslim party. 

Paisan Rangsikitpho announced the cancellation of the rule during the Thomas and Uber Cup in Wuhan, China over the weekend, reports the Telegraph. "We have shelved the ban,” he said. "We just want to encourage women and men players to dress properly. We want them to dress nicely, professionally."

He also admitted that the new rule had been abandoned to avoid controversy before the London Olympics, which is less than 60 days away.

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