• Missy Franklin tweets new Olympic tattoo

    @FranklinMissy / Twitter

    Swimmer Missy Franklin says that her new tattoo of the Olympic rings, a Team USA tradition, will be the only ink she ever gets.

    By Scott Stump

    In addition to the five Olympic medals she took home in London, swimming phenom Missy Franklin has added one other permanent reminder of her breakout performance.

    Following Team USA tradition after a successful Olympics, Franklin has gotten a tattoo of the Olympic rings. She tweeted a photo of  her new tat on her right hip on Thursday. “All inked up. AHH!’’ she wrote. “Can’t believe it! My one and only!”

     

    During the Olympics, Franklin told TODAY.com that she had planned on getting the traditional Olympic tattoo found on numerous U.S. athletes, and that it would be her first and last tattoo.

    "Getting a tattoo has never been something ever thought I would do, but this one just has so much meaning to it and it is really something that you have to earn,'' Franklin told TODAY.com. "Not a lot of people have the opportunity to get it, so I just feel like it’s an honor to get it.'' 

    The swimmer's father, Dick Franklin, had already approved of the tattoo before it officially was inked on to her hip.

    "This will be the only one, and she's earned it,'' he told TODAY.com while in London.

    Dick also joked that he might get his own tattoo.

    "Yeah, 'Missy's Dad,''' he said while pointing to his bicep.

    Franklin told TODAY.com that she had initially planned to get inked while she was still in London, a day before her father's Aug. 10 birthday. While her busy schedule didn't allow that, she eventually was able to find time after attending the Olympic Closing Ceremony on Sunday and making an appearance on "The Tonight Show" that aired Wednesday night.

    Franklin flew back to her home in Centennial, Colo., on Monday before jetting off for the "Tonight" spot, and on Thursday she began her senior year at Regis Jesuit High School -- with a permanent souvenir of what she did on her summer vacation.

    Read more:

    Missy Franklin plans to have tattoo along with medals

    Missy Franklin's dilemma: Go pro or go to college?

    Missy Franklin: Amateur status 'still the plan right now'

     

     

     

  • 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.

     

  • 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

     

     

     

     

  • Samuel L. Jackson is obsessed with tweeting the Olympics

    Danny Moloshok / Reuters

    Samuel L. Jackson has taken to Twitter to root on the United States in the Olympics and give his unique take on everything from water polo to gymnastics judges.

    By Scott Stump

    Whether it's water polo “dopeness” or “seriously smokin’” women's beach volleyball, it’s clear that Samuel L. Jackson loves the Olympics more than a Royale with cheese.

    The popular actor has been tweeting a steady stream of commentary on all types of Olympic events while rooting on the United States at every chance. Whether it’s women’s time trial cycling, water polo, gymnastics, or synchronized diving, Jackson has made his thoughts about most Olympic competitions known to his 1.1 million Twitter followers.

    He gave a shoutout to swimmer Michael Phelps (“Big Mike”) for setting the Olympic record for most career medals on Tuesday, and provided his unique brand of commentary on the women’s gymnastics team finals: “Okay, that was Drunk Lady Staggering Flip dismount!" he tweeted. "Made famous by many girls missing the top step in da club!”

    Jackson also let loose on the gymnastics judges (SHADY!!!) and gave his opinion of the on-air commentators. The language in his tweets is closer to Jules in “Pulp Fiction” than Mace Windu in “Star Wars,” so be warned that they are not entirely family-friendly.

    Check out all of TODAY's Olympics coverage here! And follow TODAY on Twitter and Facebook for London 2012 behind the scenes!  

    Read More:

    Obama calls gymnasts, tweets Phelps: 'You make our country proud'
    U.S. gymnast's dad 'embarrassed' watching viral video 
    UK teen arrested after Olympic diver Tom Daley receivers Twitter death threat 

     

     

  • Obama calls gymnasts, tweets Phelps: 'You make our country proud'

    AFP - Getty Images, AP

    Updated 11:45 a.m. ET:
    President Barack Obama must be a big fan of the Olympics!

    Hours after congratulating swimmer Michael Phelps on winning his 19th and record-setting medal, the commander in chief apparently phoned the five members of the gold-winning Olympics women's gymnastics team. 

    The "Fab Five" took to Twitter to express their gratitude.

    Watch the women chat about their win on TODAY: 

    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.

    Original post: 
    Michael Phelps has a fan in a high place!

    President Barack Obama tweeted his congratulations to the swimmer after he received his 19th medal — a gold in the 4x200 relay — making him the most decorated Olympian of all time. 

    Obama's staff, who run his Twitter feed, have said those signed "-bo" come directly from the president.

    Read more about Phelps' record-breaking race on NBCOlympics.com. 

    More on TODAY.com:
    Let them live their dream: Parents of 'Fab Five' offer advice
    Ryan Lochte's mom: He's too 'on the go' for girlfriend
    Olympians flash their bling while going for gold
    Phelps rival writes his own headline: 'Ryan Lochte takes over'  

  • UK teen arrested after Olympic diver Tom Daley receives Twitter death threat

    Toby Melville / Reuters

    Britain's Tom Daley prepares to take part in the Olympic men's synchronised 10-meter platform final on Tuesday.

    By Ian Johnston, NBC News

    LONDON -- A British teenager was arrested Tuesday on suspicion of making "malicious" remarks, after a death threat to U.K. Olympic medal hopeful Tom Daley appeared on Twitter. 

    The profanity-strewn tweets -- on an account NBC News has chosen not to identify -- also included the claim that the athlete had let down his dead father after Daley came fourth in the men's synchronized 10-meter dive.

    Daley rose to fame in the U.K. when he competed at the 2008 Beijing Games at the age of 14.

    Shortly after Monday's final, a message appeared on the Twitter account saying, “@TomDaley1994 you let your dad down i hope you know that.” 

    The account was available to only confirmed followers Tuesday, but retweets of some of the messages showed the abuse continued with one talking about drowning Daley in a swimming pool.


    The messages are part of an increasing trend in which celebrities and others are abused by so-called "trolls," who send abusive messages behind the seeming anonymity of social media sites.

    Daley retweeted the message about his father and said “After giving it my all...you get idiot's sending me this.”

    He then retweeted a number of messages from people calling for the Twitter account involved to be banned.

    More London 2012 coverage from NBCNews.com

    Daley still has a chance of a medal in the individual diving event.

    Daley’s father Rob, 40, died from brain cancer in May 2011.

    'Dad was so supportive'
    Before the Olympics, Daley spoke to BBC News about how his father "gave me all the inspiration that I've needed.”

    “Winning a medal would make all the struggles that I've had worthwhile. It's been my dream since a very young age to compete at an Olympics,” Daley said.

    Matt Cardy / Getty Images, file

    Tom Daley (second from right) follows the coffin carrying his father as it leaves St. Mary's Church Plympton, England, on June 8, 2011.

    “I'm doing it for myself and my dad. It was both our dreams from a very young age. I always wanted to do it and Dad was so supportive of everything. It would make it extra special to do it for him,” he added.

    Don't tweet if you want TV, London Olympic fans told

    London has become a giant melting pot of cultures and nationalities, but it's not immediately apparent to tourists. The double-dip recession has hit diverse neighborhoods especially hard. NBC's Stephanie Gosk reports.

    As news of the offensive tweet began to spread, a message directed at Daley appeared on the Twitter account saying “I'm sorry mate i just wanted you to win cause its the olympics I'm just annoyed we didn't win I'm sorry tom accept my apology.”

    “Please i don't want to be hated I'm just sorry you didn't win i was rooting for you pal to do britain all proud just so upset,” it added.

    Slideshow: When the Olympics is your neighbor

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    A diverse community in East London will welcome the world to Britain for the 2012 Olympic Games. Meet residents and hear how they feel about having a huge, world stage in their backyard.

    Launch slideshow

    The brief description of the Twitter account holder, who has nearly 50,000 followers, apparently quotes another tweeter as saying he was “gorgeous and the sweetest boy ever."

    Dorset Police said in a message on its Twitter account that a “17-year-old man arrested this morning at a guest house in the Weymouth area” in relation to “tweets to @TomDaley1994,” adding that the investigation was ongoing.

    A spokeswoman for Dorset Police told NBCNews.com that the teen was held on suspicion of making "malicious communications."

    More world stories from NBC News:

    News on NBCNews.com on Twitter and Facebook

     

  • Shawn Johnson: Olympians should 'censor themselves' on social media

    By Scott Stump

    Shawn Johnson has a message to Olympians who get the urge to jump on social media: Be careful.

    The London Olympics are being called the first ‘social media Games,’ where more fans than ever before will flock to Facebook, Twitter and elsewhere to follow the action.

    Johnson, TODAY.com’s special correspondent and 2008 gymnastics gold medalist, warned against athletes getting too wrapped up in social media at the expense of their primary focus. Johnson has 189,000 Twitter followers, so she is well aware of the impact it can make.

    “I think it can (be a distraction) if they allow it,’’ Johnson told Al Roker on TODAY in London Friday. “I think they need to almost censor it themselves. There’s going to be a lot of critics, a lot of opinions, a lot of competitors on social media that are going to say and do what they want, and if they read that, it can get to them, but it can also connect the world.’’

    The dangers of social media for athletes during the Games came into focus this week when a Greek triple-jumper was removed from the team when a tweet about African immigrants was deemed racist. Voula Papachristou was dismissed by the Hellenic Olympic Committee, which announced that she was placed “outside the Olympic team for statements contrary to the values and ideas of the Olympic movement.’’

    After winning three medals in Beijing in 2008, including a gold in the balance beam, Johnson, 20, is adjusting to life on the other side of the spectacle as a member of the media. She retired in June, three weeks before the Olympic trials, because of a nagging knee injury she suffered while skiing.

    “It’s a little bittersweet,’’ she said. “I would give anything to be on the team, but coming up a little short and having to retire was the best decision to me. Now getting to interview athletes and have fun with it, it’s going to be interesting.’’

    She plans on taking in Friday’s Opening Ceremony as a spectator, four years after she entered as part of the American team in Beijing.

    “It’s going to be weird,’’ she said. “I would love to be walking through it. I’ll probably get a little emotional even, but it’s going to be cool seeing my teammates walk through, and I’m very proud of them.’’

    More:

    Shawn Johnson: 'Going to London is bittersweet' 
    Gold star: Medalist Shawn Johnson joins TODAY.com Olympic team 
    Follow Shawn on Twitter 
    Shawn Johnson on her new book, 'Winning Balance' 
    London eyes: Behind the scenes with TODAY staffers