• NYT public editor: Lolo Jones story was ‘too harsh’

    Lolo Jones fires back at her critics and gets emotional when discussing what she feels was harsh criticism from a recent New York Times story.

    By Scott Stump

    After Lolo Jones tearfully claimed on TODAY Wednesday that she was “ripped to shreds” in a recent New York Times piece, the Times’ public editor called the story “too harsh’’ in an article on Thursday.

    Public editor Arthur S. Brisbane, who is the “readers’ representative” at the Times, wrote on Thursday that “in this particular case, I think the writer was particularly harsh, even unnecessarily so.’’ The piece on Aug. 3 by staff writer Jere Longman, “For Lolo Jones at the Olympics, Everything is Image,’’ argued that Jones is more sex appeal and media hype than substance.

    In the story, Longman quotes the director of the International Centre for Olympic Studies comparing Jones to former tennis professional Anna Kournikova, who was known more for her good looks than anything she did on the court.

    “This piece struck me as quite harsh and left me, along with others, wondering why the tone was so strong,’’ Brisbane wrote.

    After finishing a disappointing fourth in the 100-meter hurdles on Tuesday, Jones addressed the Times story on TODAY Wednesday.

    “I think it was crazy just because it was two days before I competed, and then the fact that it was from a U.S. media,’’ Jones told Savannah Guthrie before fighting back tears. “They should be supporting our U.S. Olympic athletes and instead they just ripped me to shreds. I just thought that that was crazy because I worked six days a week, every day, for four years for a 12-second race and the fact that they just tore me apart, which is heartbreaking.

    “They didn’t even do their research, calling me the Anna Kournikova of track. I have the American record. I am the American record holder indoors, I have two world indoor titles. Just because I don’t boast about these things, I don’t think I should be ripped apart by media. I laid it out there, fought hard for my country and it’s just a shame that I have to deal with so much backlash when I’m already so brokenhearted as it is.”

    Since the article appeared in the “In the Rings’’ section of the Times’ Olympic coverage, it was intended as an opinion piece and not a straight news story, according to Brisbane.

    “One person’s harsh is another person’s tough minded,’’ the Times’ sports editor told Brisbane. “(Longman), while acknowledging Jones’s accomplishment and qualities of perseverance and candor, thinks this female athlete fell short.’’

    Read More:

    Tearful Lolo Jones: Media 'ripped me to shreds' before race
    Lolo Jones on virginity talk: 'Maybe I should zip it' 
    NBC Olympics: Harper, Wells take veiled shots at Lolo Jones  Lolo Jones: 'When will I meet man of my dreams?'
    Lolo Jones is staying a virgin until marriage 
    Lolo Jones' post-workout shake

     

     

     

     

     

  • Lolo Jones' post-workout shake, and the food she'll never eat again

    TODAY

    Lolo Jones shows Savannah Guthrie how delicious a protein shake can be. Get the ingredients below!

    By Vidya Rao

    Lolo Jones knows about nourishing herself with protein shakes – and not just because she’s an Olympic hurdler with the body of a goddess.

    It turns out that Jones used to make shakes for a living. Yup, she’s a professional shake-maker.

    “To kind of make ends meet while I trained, I worked at a gym, making protein shakes,” Jones told TODAY. “And little did I know … it's key for an athlete to have a protein shake within 15 to 20 minutes after a workout.”

    Jones’ go-to shake is easy enough for even us mere mortals to make (I know I’m making this in the hope of looking like Lolo after my workout. A girl can dream). She uses a handful of strawberries, a whole banana, spinach, a couple tablespoons of protein powder, a little bit of honey and water, with optional ice, and then blends it all together.

    TODAY

    Lolo's shake is chock full of protein, greens and fruit.

    “The key about spinach is, they say you can add it to any protein shake and you won't tell the difference,” explained Jones. “You can taste it a little bit. They lied, but it's really healthy for you.”

    She drinks a variation of this shake after each and every workout.

    “I'm so tired of these, I've had (them for) 365 days” she joked. “I actually love the protein shakes because you can make them a million different ways.”

    When it finally comes time for her to hang up her sneakers, Jones says she’ll still be drinking shakes. But there is something she looks forward to never tasting again.

    “The thing I probably will never have again after I'm done with the Olympics is hardboiled eggs. For the last I don't know how many years, hardboiled eggs (have) been in my breakfast. I take the yolk out. And I never want another hardboiled egg again in my life ever,” said the Olympian. "I don't even care of it's Easter. No hardboiled eggs.”

    Jones says she doesn't even want to be in the vicinity of those oeuf-fenders. “I feel bad for my (future) kids, 'cause, (if) they're like, ‘Mom, we're going to paint Easter eggs’ — no, we're not. We're totally just going to have over-easy eggs.”

    Vidya Rao is a TODAY.com editor who is vying for a spot on Team USA — maybe these magic shakes can get her there. Rio 2016, here she comes!

    More from TODAY:

  • TODAY anchors fight the London 'monsoon'

    Al, Natalie, Matt and Savannah proved they were pros when wild weather disrupted the TODAY broadcast from the London Olympics this morning.

    First, Natalie bravely delivered her newscast despite torrential rain flying sideways and hitting her face. Watch it here.

    Later, strong winds ruffled the anchors' hair and blew into their mics. Thinking quickly, Savannah figured out a solution to keep the broadcast going:

    More on TODAY:
    TODAY tries Olympic racewalking (and things get awkward)
    London calling: TODAY anchors go sightseeing
    Beach volleyball (and its dance squad) takes TODAY by storm

  • Gabby Douglas: 'Gold medals are made out of sweat, blood and tears'

    Fresh from her historic gold medal win in the Olympic gymnastics individual all-around, Gabby Douglas talks about the hard work and sacrifice it took to get there and about making history as the first African-American woman to win the all-around title.

    By Jillian Eugenios

    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. 

    Read More:

    Video: Gabby Douglas is welcomed by gymnastics legends Mary Lou Retton, Carly Patterson, and Nastia Liukin

    Golden Gabby! Read Shawn Johnson's analysis of gymnastics all-around finals

    Why (some) Olympic athletes still embrace the scrunchie

    Rubio offers bill to waive taxes on Olympic medals, winnings

    U.S. gymnast's lucky towel gains fans, helps him take bronze


  • U.S. gymnast's lucky towel gains fans, helps him take bronze

    By Scott Stump

    After a disappointing performance on the pommel horse at the start of Wednesday’s all-around finals, U.S. gymnast Danell Leyva draped his lucky blue towel over his head in silence.

    A few hours later, he replaced it with a bronze medal around his neck. Meanwhile, his towel was busy gaining thousands of new Twitter followers.

    Leyva appeared on TODAY Thursday alongside his stepfather and personal coach, Yin Alvarez, and U.S. gymnastics teammate John Orozco to talk with Savannah Guthrie about his good luck charm.

    What started out as a joking superstition five years ago has become a mechanism for Leyva to focus when his mind tends to wander. The old blue towel with a star pattern has become a celebrity in its own right, as its parody Twitter account, @LeyvasTowel, now has 10,000-plus followers, rapidly gaining on the 50,000 on Leyva’s account.

    TODAY

    Danell shows off his lucky towel.

    “At first it was just a lucky towel, but it has turned into so much more than that,’’ Leyva told Guthrie. “It has turned into something that really helped me get into the zone and into the concentration of my routine because I tend to get distracted way too easily. It really helps.’’

    The towel celebrated all the attention surrounding Leyva and his good luck charm after Wednesday's performance by tweeting, "OMG! It's a fluff piece all about meeeee!"

    Leyva, 20, has had the lucky item by his side since 2007. While one aunt went to buy a towel, another aunt went to retrieve one from her house, and they both came back with the same exact type of towel. He kept both of them, and one of them ripped later in 2007. The remaining one has been his constant companion at competitions for the past five years.

    Another constant at his competitions has been Alvarez. His rhythmic clapping, ritual kissing of Leyva’s forehead and other routines have become a regular part of Leyva’s performances.

    “It’s something that I do every day,’’ Alvarez told Guthrie. “I do it with all my athletes since Danell was a little kid, and I still do it with the little kids. It’s something that I do. That’s me. That’s my routine.’’

    “I’m very, very lucky to have him there with me the whole time,’’ Leyva said. “It’s amazing. We have such a huge connection since I was really young, since I started. To have not only him but also my mom here…I feel very, very lucky.’’

    Alvarez and the lucky towel helped Leyva focus on Wednesday after he struggled on the pommel horse at the beginning of the all-around finals and had to recover on the other apparatus in order to earn a medal. His score of 90.698 was good enough to make him the first U.S. men's gymnast to earn a medal in the all-around since Paul Hamm won gold in 2004.

    “I didn’t have the best pommel routine,’’ Leyva said. “I kind of messed up. (Alvarez) came over to me and said, ‘Don’t worry, nothing happened. Just relax and do what you do every day.’ We both knew that my strongest events were at the end, and I just have to show off and do what I do.’’

    Orozco didn’t fare as well, as he ended up finishing out of medal contention in eighth place in the all-around competition. He and Leyva both told Guthrie they plan on competing in the 2016 Olympics in Rio de Janeiro.

    “This whole experience, it’s been a real journey for me,’’ Orozco said. “I didn’t quite have my big dream moment like I was hoping for, but just making it here and competing at the Olympics, I know that there’s thousands -- if not millions -- of kids that wish they can compete at the Olympic Games just like I did here in London. I’m grateful for the opportunity and I’m still glad that I got to go up there and compete for Team USA.’’

    Read More:

    Daughter has Olympic dreams, but does mom?

    Olympic ink: Athletes show off their tats

    Shawn Johnson: Watching Team USA told gold was 'surreal'

    Get the latest Olympic news on TODAY in London

     

     

     

     

  • Beach volleyball (and its dance squad) takes TODAY by storm

    TODAY was all shook up this morning by the Olympic beach volleyball dance troup. (Yes: That is a thing.)

    Beach volleyball has quickly established itself as the cool kid of Olympic events, what with its gnarly Santa Monican origins and devil-may-care bikinis. It's also got an attendant dance squad, who conga between points and perform full routines during technical timeouts. (See a slideshow of the team performing on NBCOlympics.com.)

    TODAY

    Beach volleyball dancers do the conga!

    As Savannah said, "This has become THE sport."

    Though maybe she should cheer from the stands rather than hit the sands. The anchors' natural athletic prowess didn't shine during a short pickup game against volleyballers Phil "The Thin Beast" Dalhausser and Todd "The Professor" Rogers.

    TODAY

    Matt tried to distract the beach volleyball Olympians with his colorful jacket.

    The gold medalists creamed them, even with Matt, Al, Natalie, Savannah and Hoda all on the same team. 

    It's OK, guys, there's always 2016. 

    Julieanne Smolinski is a TODAY.com contributor who believes there are very few things that can't be improved with the addition of a dance squad.

  • Let them live their dream: Parents of 'Fab Five' offer advice

    The proud parents of the U.S. women's gymnastics team talks with TODAY's Matt Lauer and Savannah Guthrie about what it was like to see their children accomplish their dreams and share advice for parents of future Olympians.

     

    By Jillian Eugenios

    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.”

    Jordyn Wieber, Aly Raisman, Gabby Douglas, McKayla Maroney, and Kyla Ross, known as the "fab five" of the U.S. women's gymnastics team, reveal how it feels to be only the second women's gymnastics team in U.S. history to strike gold.

    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.”

    Related:

    Watching your child compete: The agony and ecstasy of Aly Raisman's parents
    Shawn Johnson live-blogs women's gymnastics final
    Shawn Johnson's dare: Jump for TODAY!

     


  • TODAY tries Olympic racewalking (and things get awkward)

    Team TODAY donned neon jogging suits to demonstrate a deceptively tricky Olympic event: racewalking.

    John Nunn and Maria Michta, members of the Team USA racewalking team, coached Savannah, Matt, Al, Natalie, Meredith and Ryan on the quirky sport, where one foot must always be in contact with the ground. 

    Cue the starting gun: The anchors were ready to race(walk). 

    TODAY

    And... things got awkward quickly.

    TODAY

    We're no experts, but attacking a competitor seems like it would be against the rules.

    TODAY

    TODAY

    TODAY

    And when Savannah, Meredith and Natalie paused to pose for a photo, Al breezed by to win the gilded sneaker.  

    TODAY

    TODAY

    Good thing Al's crown matches his outfit! 

    TODAY

    Julieanne Smolinski is a TODAY.com contributor who always bets on the weatherman.

    More on TODAY.com: 
    Seacrest out! Matt 'tackles' Ryan to the ground in Leno clip
    Ryan Seacrest shows his 'flexibility' with US gymnasts
    Pow! Natalie, Savannah get a boxing lesson -- in heels

  • Get ready, Savannah! Athletes offer her Olympic advice

    Savannah Guthrie is going to her first Olympic games! To prepare her, veteran Olympians including swimmer Natalie Coughlin and gymnast Jonathan Horton share their tips for making the best of her time in London.

    Let us know your thoughts for Savannah in the comments below. 

    More on TODAY.com: 
    Matt's live in London: Let the Games begin!
    Matt Lauer to Jimmy Fallon: Help us cover the Olympics
    Live blog: 2012 Summer Olympics in London 

  • Olympic hopeful Jason Richardson tries teaching Savannah to hurdle

    By Scott Stump

    As he prepares to take on the world’s best in the London Olympics this summer, American track star Jason Richardson was given a much more daunting challenge on Wednesday – teaching TODAY’s Savannah Guthrie how to clear a hurdle.

    Richardson, the reigning world champion in the 110-meter hurdles, gave Savannah the simple advice to “hop as high as you can and get over it,’’ and offered to catch her if she fell. Outfitted in her red, white and blue track suit and lined up a few yards away from a hurdle set up outside the plaza, Savannah exuded confidence.

    “You said no one’s ever died from hurdling, right?’’ she said.

    Three quick steps and one leg lift later, Savannah made it halfway home before turning back. After declaring her attempt “embarrassing,’’ she tried again with a different plan. This time she ducked under the hurdle to achieve her goal of making it clearly to the other side and possibly creating a new track event in the process.

    “Have you ever tried this way?’’ she asked Richardson. “New Olympic sport, potentially?’’

    While Savannah’s hopes of ever reaching the Olympics were dashed on Wednesday, Richardson is looking to reach his first Olympic games this summer. In August, he won his first world title in Daegu, South Korea amid strange circumstances. Reigning Olympic champion Dayron Robles of Cuba finished first, but was disqualified for obstructing China’s Liu Xiang on the penultimate hurdle. That gave the gold to Richardson, who finished in 13.16 seconds, which was .08 of a second off his personal best.

    Richardson had finished eighth in the national championships a year earlier and ran a 13.15 to take third at the USA Outdoor Championships in 2011. He now finds himself a marked man heading into the Olympic trials from June 21-July 1 in Eugene, Ore.

     “It’s an honor to feel like that,’’ Richardson said. “But everybody’s a competitor. In the Olympics, everybody brings athleticism to the track so we’re all trying to get out there and win.’’

    Richardson claims to be “allergic to stress’’ and uses several means to deal with the pressure of raised expectations as a result of his victory in Daegu. If he qualifies as expected, he will again have to deal with Robles and Xiang, along with teammate David Oliver, who have all run under 13 seconds.

    “A lot of prayers, a lot of deep breaths, a lot of good music, and just camaraderie with my teammates,’’ he said about coping with the pressure. “Team USA is the best team in the world so I’m just happy to be a part of it.’’

    A Texas native who ran for the University of South Carolina, Richardson, 26, competed in the 2008 Olympic trials but failed to qualify after suffering an injury in a preliminary race.

    “Just like in life, when you hurdle you can’t be afraid to fall, (and) you can’t be afraid to fail,’’ Richardson said. “You have to stay on your feet and when you kind of get banged up and knocked around, you’ve just got to keep going straight.’’

    A man of many talents, Richardson was on the debate team in high school and also dabbled in basketball, soccer and playing the saxophone before choosing to become a competitive hurdler. He turned professional in 2009, focusing solely on the high hurdles after also having run the intermediate hurdles in high school.

    “I chose hurdles because it came naturally, and I felt like it was a gift,’’ he said. “When God gives you gifts, you’ve just got to stick to them and just ride it out.’’ 

    More 2012 London Olympics coverage: