After two weeks of competition, hundreds of medals and an endless reel of heart-grabbing moments, the London Olympics are history and a fresh crop of champions departed the stern city they collectively charmed.

All the pre-Games grumbling over terrorism and price tags gave way to glory and goodwill as athletes pushed their bodies to extraordinary limits, enchanting audiences around the world with as much personality as prowess.

While the full athletic and economic impact of the so-called legacy Games remain to be seen, the London Olympics are already being hailed as enough of a victory to inspire calls for London’s mayor Boris Johnson to run for prime minister. No apocalyptic gridlock. No mishaps at the Opening Ceremony.  No real scandal.

Sure there were some glitches—bizarre cheating allegations, some doping charges, a few judging protests—but they were heavily outweighed by displays of goodwill, terrifically silly memes and those stirring moments of Shakespearean caliber that, for a two-week period, seemed to make day-to-day life happily recede.

Who can forget the 2012 Games' most memorable moments?

SPECTACLE
Much of the symbolism of artistic director Danny Boyle's Opening Ceremony was lost on American audiences, but there's no denying that it was a wildly ambitious, eye-popping spectacle. The $42 million show spanned more than a century of British history. Farm animals, chimneys and creepy children's book characters made appearances alongside Paul McCartney and Mr. Bean. A stunt double playing Queen Elizabeth II descended into Olympic Stadium from a helicopter as the real monarch stood solemnly in her VIP seat. Her unsmiling expression was one of many images to make the internet and Photoshop rounds.

The badminton competition got off to a strange start after eight players were booted for trying to lose. The doubles players from China, South Korea and Indonesia apparently tried to blow their matches so they could get an easier match-up in the knockout round.

Boris Johnson dangled helplessly from a zipline that was supposed to launch the spirited London mayor into Victoria Park after Great Britain notched its first gold medal. The image of Johnson in a blue helmet and suit holding two drooping Union Jacks became instant internet fodder and spawned a whole catalogue of comically photoshopped pictures.

INTERNET
As usual, the Olympics provided ample inspiration for social media memes and humor blogs. Perhaps the 3,500 hours of live-streamed coverage made it easier for viewers, already sitting at their computers, to instantly post their comedic interpretations.

A quick highlight reel: As mentioned, there was "Dangling Boris." Gymnast McKayla Maroney's sour expression on the medal podium spawned the "McKayla is Not Impressed" Tumblr, in which the teenager appears as a disapproving witness to everything from a Justin Bieber concert to a promo for Bravo's "The Real Housewives of New Jersey."

The U.S. swim team made a lip-synced music video to "Call Me Maybe" that had been played more than 6 million times by day 15 of the games. Sprinter Usain Bolt's "Bolting" celebratory move became the latest pose to imitate and share with the world on Facebook and Twitter.

And Ryan Lochte's confession to in-pool peeing earned him a spot in two Funny or Die videos, in which he expounded on his habit.

FIRSTS
Oscar "Blade Runner" Pistorius of South Africa became the first amputee ever to compete in the Olympics. He finished last in the 400m semifinal heat and again in the final 4x400 relay, but the cheerful athlete won a standing ovation and fulfilled his goal to compete in the Games alongside able-bodied competitors.

Thirty-six female boxers made history by competing in an Olympic sport that was boys-only until this year. Claressa Shields, a 17-year-old American who grew up in Flint, Mich., a city marred by poverty and crime, won the middleweight gold medal. Ireland's champion boxer Katie Taylor won gold in the lightweight division, and in fairy-tale form, the host country got a piece of the glory as Nicola Adams won the flyweight title and "God Save the Queen" was piped through the Excel Center.

Hundreds of spectators at London’s Olympic Stadium rose to their feet and applauded Sarah Attar, a 19-year-old who competed in the 800 meters under the flag of Saudi Arabia. She and one other pioneering woman, judoka Wojdan Ali Seraj Abdulrahim Shahrkhani, were the first women ever permitted to represent the Gulf nation in an international sporting event. Attar came in last place, but told The Associated Press that she participated to inspire, not to win. Their presence at the Games came down to an 11th-hour compromise between Olympic officials and Saudi leaders over details including how much skin the athletes would be permitted to cover. Women from Qatar and Brunei competed for the first time as well.

RECORDS
More than 60 Olympic records and 30 world records were broken at the London Games, mostly in weightlifting and swimming. Some of the flashiest records included Usain Bolt's 9.63 second 100m sprint that broke his own Olympic record, but fell short of breaking his world record of 9.58.

The U.S. women's 4x100 relay team ran the race in 40.82 seconds, smashing the old world record of 41.37.

First-timer Missy Franklin set an Olympic and world record in the 200m backstroke with her time of 2 minutes 4.06 seconds, while her teammate Allison Schmitt set an Olympic record in the 200m freestyle (1:53.61).

And Michael Phelps headed off into retirement after setting one of the most impressive records of the Games. By adding six medals to his astounding 16-piece collection, Phelps became the most-decorated Olympian of all time.

CELEBRITY
If the ease with which Jamaica's Usain Bolt set records and effortlessly clobbered competitors was not enough to make him the star of the 2012 Games, his outsized personality would probably have been. Bolt was a walking spectacle through the Games. After winning gold in the 200m he shushed the crowd, dropped to the track and started doing push-ups. He offered fist-bumps to track attendants, he danced at the starting blocks and he identified himself as "the most naturally gifted athlete the world has ever seen" on a Twitter page that's a window into his personality.

Ryan Lochte arrived in London a self-assured, sometimes dopey sex symbol—an image his appearance at the Games only amplified. He winked and blew kisses, he thought out loud about a future that might include designing Speedos and moving to an L.A. bachelor pad. He tried to defend his mom who characterization his relationships with women as "one-night stands." It was all fuel to the fire. Blogs called him fratty and conceited. He wore a grill with his gold medal. Fellow Olympians scrambled for pictures with him and female divers inserted a request in a parody video for Ryan Lochte to call them—maybe.

Michael Phelps was nearly overshadowed by his bombastic teammate. Locthe had beaten Phelps in a few key events and predictions abounded that Phelps' glory days were over. But then he swam into history by grabbing golds in the 100m fly, 200m individual medley, men's 4x200m IM and 4x200m freestyle relay and became the most-decorated Olympic athlete ever.

Gabby Douglas became America's latest sweetheart after she led the U.S. women's gymnastics team to a gold, and then scored another gold in the individual all-around. Her flawless, jaw-dropping routines made her the "most-clicked" athlete on NBC's Olympic site and won her the cereal box treatment. But her ascent was quickly reversed after she placed last on bars, fell off the beam and became the subject of a mean-spirited debate about her hair. Still, the 16-year-old appears to have gracefully weathered the storm.

Gymnast McKayla Maroney first became a superstar when she dazzled spectators with an opening vault that sent her body rocketing through the air and into a landing that was so sudden and still that it appeared to have surprised even Maroney. She scored a 16.233 on the vault, to give the U.S. women's gymnastics team a lead it would not relinquish. At the next competition, however, Maroney landed a vault on her backside, which was still enough to earn her a silver on the apparatus, her disappointment not-withstanding.

Kate Middleton had even the celebrities of the Olympics feeling star struck. The women's gymnastics team told the "Today" show how excited they were to meet the Duchess and find out that she was a fan of their leotards.

Missy Franklin's magnetic smile lit up the Aquatic Center again and again as she racked up her first four Olympic medals, inspiring a massive interest in the 17-year-old's post high school plans. Would it be college or professional swimming? She's leaning toward college, she told The AP, but she's still figuring it out.

POLITICS
Johnson was a famously good sport about the whole zip line fiasco. He cracked jokes and goofily waved the flags he was holding until he was rescued several minutes after his descent slowed to a mid-air stop. His lighthearted response to the awkward situation, along with his vehement defense of his city after Mitt Romney questioned its preparedness gave a big boost to his popularity and increased speculation that he might be bound for 10 Downing—speculation that Johnson has swatted away.

Mitt Romney's trip to the London Olympics turned into a fumble on his first international trip of his candidacy. The presidential nominee called London's security strikes "disconcerting" and wondered aloud if the city was ready to host such a large-scale event. These comments sparked a backlash from the British press, Mayor Johnson and Prime Minister David Cameron who said "It's easier if you hold an Olympic games in the middle of nowhere"—a reference to the Salt Lake City Games Romney oversaw.

And a day after Ralph Lauren unveiled the uniforms team USA would wear into Olympic stadium for the Opening Ceremony, someone decided to look at the tags and discovered, to the horror of American politicians, that they were made in China. The bipartisan firestorm that erupted with the news prompted Lauren to agree to have them manufactured in the USA next time around.

HEROICS
The U.S. women's soccer team won a thrilling semi-final over Canada that included a flurry of five goals in 26 minutes, with the Americans never taking the lead until the game's final minute. Two days later, the U.S. team would avenge its 2011 World Cup loss by beating Japan 2-1 to take the gold.

No one at the 2012 Games put on a greater display of pure toughness than Manteo Mitchell of the American 4x400-meter relay  team, who ran the second of of his leg with a broken leg to help the U.S. advance to the finals.

South Korean Im Dong Hyun, the legally blind archer who on the first day of competition broke his own world record with a 72-arrow score of 699.

HEARTBREAK
Soaring expectations for some athletes amplified the heartbreak and disappointment of their failures. That was no more apparent than in the men's and women's gymnastics competitions.

Everyone expected Jordyn Weiber to win the all-around gold in Gymnastics. But the 17-year-old didn't even qualify and had to watch her teammates compete from the sidelines. The gold medal went to her lesser-known teammate Gabby Douglas, whose stellar performance made her an overnight celebrity. Seeing heartbreak later were Douglas and Maroney, both falling in individual rounds.

On the men's side, John Orozco was hailed as the rising star who could challenge the Chinese and Japanese who dominate men's gymnastics. The Bronx native did just that during a preliminary round but then stumbled and stumbled yet again on the pommel horse, landing in a disappointing eighth place in the individual all-around.

Lolo Jones was hoping for a comeback. She was on pace to win the 100m hurdles in Beijing, but clipped the final hurdle and landed in seventh. The London Games were supposed to be her chance at redemption. Instead, she became the subject of major media scrutiny for such things as posing nude in ESPN the Magazine. Even worse, she ended the Games with a fourth-place finish—just shy of the bronze.

Morgan Uceny, a runner from California had fallen down in the 1,500m at the world championships last year. She picked herself up, finished 10th, and fought her way onto the Olympic track and into a perfect position to make a go for a medal. But then it happened again. She was tripped from behind on the last lap of the race and fell to the track, pounding her palms onto the ground in frustration. This time, she did not finish the race.

The strength these athletes showed in subsequent media appearances and interviews, in which they were forced to recount the details of some of the most devastating moments of their careers, were stunning examples of Olympic grace. Their failures, as much as their previous successes, were lessons in poise and in handling the tragedies that life invariably has in store.

The odd feeling Kerri Walsh Jennings felt in her stomach at the London Olympics wasn't just butterflies.

The three-time gold medalist in beach volleyball was five weeks pregnant at the games, she told Matt Lauer on Monday's "Today" show.

“When I was throwing my body around fearlessly, and going for gold for our country, I was pregnant,” Walsh Jennings said.

The Olympian first started noticing that her "body started to feel different" while she was overseas.

"I'm a pretty happy girl and I was unreasonably moody," she said. “I thought it could have been the stress of the games and travel kind of throws your schedule off. But I knew. At some point, you’re late and then you start feeling something. And I definitely felt something in London.”

Walsh Jennings, who successfully defended her gold medal title with teammate and fellow Californian Misty-May Treanor, said that the pregnancy did not affect her game. The duo became the first women’s beach volleyball pair to win three consecutive gold medals.

“I gave everything I had,” Walsh Jennings said on "Today."

The baby, due April 9, will be the athlete’s third child. Walsh Jennings and her husband, Casey Jennings, have two boys, Joey, 3, and Sundance, 2.

The gold medalist has a history of quickly returning to the game. Kerri Walsh returned within four months to the volleyball court after giving birth to her second son in 2010.

"I want to be the best," she then answered on a Q&A at the NBC Olympics site. "I want to win a gold medal in London." 

Visit NBCNews.com for breaking news, world news, and news about the economy

Surrendering a second Paralympic title in London, a chastened Oscar Pistorius was gracious in defeat this time.

Four days after suggesting a rival bent the rules to take away his 200-meter title, Pistorius — the original "Blade Runner" — didn't even make the podium for the showpiece 100 final on Thursday.

The 2008 Beijing champion had to settle for fourth place in the Olympic Stadium, even finishing behind compatriot Arnu Fourie, who earned the bronze medal.

It was British teenager Jonnie Peacock who claimed the glory, roared to gold by an 80,000-strong home crowd, in 10.90 seconds.

"For me not to be able to defend my title, but to see a performance and to be beaten by an athlete like that, makes me extremely happy," Pistorius said of the 19-year-old world-record holder. "He really epitomizes professional sprinting — not just as a Paralympic athlete but as one of the world's best.

"And to be part of that race, even if I didn't finish on the podium, was a blessing."

Pistorius, the 25-year-old double amputee, was not bothered about being upstaged in the T43 classification race by roommate Fourie, who is two years his senior and narrowly edged him a tight finish.

"I saw my name come up in third place when we crossed the line and I was quite happy ... and when I actually saw that Arnu had beaten me I think I was more happy that I came fourth," said Pistorius, who made his groundbreaking debut at the Olympics last month.

"I am going to celebrate his medal with him tonight."

The pleasure was a far cry from the seemingly bitter aftermath on Sunday in the stadium when Pistorius accused 200 winner Alan Oliveira of using lengthened blades to depose him as Paralympic champion in that race. The Brazilian could place only seventh in the shorter sprint, a place behind world champion Jerome Singleton of the United States.

"I think the sport has been appreciated a lot more now, and we can focus on proper performances," Pistorius said. "And we saw a proper performance by Jonnie Peacock tonight. ... I just got beaten by three better guys."

Richard Browne, the American who took silver in 11.03, sees a changing of the guard in the Paralympic sprints.

"It's good to be that new wave coming in," the 21-year-old Browne said. "It's a new generation — me and Jonnie."

Asked if it was the end of his dominance, Pistorius replied: "Most definitely. I haven't dominated the 100 in about three years."

But he did anchor the South Africa team to victory in the 4x100 relay on Wednesday.

The priority in London for Pistorius has always been on defending the third of his Beijing titles: the 400 meters.

"I'm desperate for that," Pistorius said.

Just as desperate as he was to become the first amputee sprinter to compete at the Olympics, where he reached the 4x400 relay final and the semifinal in the 400 on the London track last month.

Saturday's 400 final now presents his last chance at an individual gold medal during his duel-games summer in London.

"People place a lot of emphasis on the 100 meters. For me, I place that emphasis on my 400. ... I will give the crowd the best 400 they have seen," he said.

This edition of the Paralympics has sold more tickets, generated more revenue and been broadcast in more countries than any previous.

Around 45 million pounds ($71.7 million) is expected to be raised in ticket sales, exceeding initial expectations of 35 million pounds ($55.7 million), organizers said Thursday.

More than 2.7 million tickets already have been sold, surpassing the previous mark of 900,000 at the Beijing Paralympics in 2008. The 2012 Games have been broadcast in more than 100 countries.

"People out here don't even take notice of the disabilities," Pistorius said. "They see hardcore athletics."

Olympic gold medalist Allyson Felix stopped by “The Tonight Show” Friday night to speak with Jay Leno about her performance at the London Games, her future as a competitor and a childhood nickname she can’t seem to escape.

Wearing a long-sleeve red dress, the track and field star discussed her three gold medal victories in the 200-meter, 4x400-meter relay and 4x100-meter relay in London.

She said one of her proudest moments was seeing her parents after her races. In fact, she keeps her gold medals at her parents’ house.

“They like to do a bit of bragging when people come over,” she said.

And they have a lot to brag about. In London, Felix, 26, became the first U.S. woman to win three golds in Olympic track and field since 1988. She also became the second to win Olympic gold at the 4x100 and 4x400 either at one Games or all-time.

When asked what she did after her victories, Felix said she indulged by asking her brother to buy her Ben and Jerry’s Oatmeal Cookie Chunk ice cream.

“I sat on my bed all alone and just pigged out,” she said.

Finally, Felix discussed her plans for the future and a childhood nickname that followed her to London. During one of her races, an announcer said classmates used to call her “chicken legs,” a name she hated but now embraces. She also said she plans to compete in the 2016 Games in Rio De Janeiro.

“I’m going to shoot for it,” she said. "I feel like everything's finally coming together. I've got to keep it going."
 

Michael Phelps agent is flatly denying that the swimmer broke International Olympic Committee rules with photos in which he posed with luggage.

Two photos that Annie Leibovitz took of Phelps went into heavy rotation on the internet earlier this week — one showing him sitting on a couch with former Russian gymnast Larisa Latynina, whose medal record he just broke, and another showing him wearing a Speedo while he slumps in a bathtub. In each, a Louis Vuitton bag is prominently featured

The IOC's infamous Rule 40 (PDF) prohibits Olympic athletes from appearing in advertising for non-Olympic sponsors from July 18 to Aug. 15.

The rule states that athletes found in violation of the rule may face fines or even the loss of their medals, but Phelps' agent, Peter Carlisle, says his client did nothing wrong.

"He didn't violate Rule 40, it's as simple as that," Carlisle said in a telephone interview with the Associated Press. "All that matters is whether the athlete permitted that use. That's all he can control. In this case, Michael did not authorize that use. The images hadn't even been reviewed, much less approved. It's as simple as that. An athlete can't control unauthorized uses any more than you can guarantee someone isn't going to break into your house."  

The photo of Phelps with Latynina, the only one to which Louis Vuitton owns the rights, made its official debut in the Aug. 16 editions of the Wall Street Journal and The New York Times.

If it the leaking of the photos had been intentional, “it is probably a violation of Rule 40,” Sekou Campbell, an intellectual property attorney at Fox Rothschild who has written about Rule 40, told CNBC.

It seems unlikely that the IOC would go as far as to strip Phelps of some hardware, as far too much of the excitement around this year's Games centered on his pursuit of Latynina's record.

The rule sparked a minor protest, as many Olympians took to Twitter to express their displeasure over the financial hardship it created for most of the athletes.

"They don’t see the three or four years leading up to the Olympic Games, when a lot of my peers are struggling to stay in the sport. The majority of track and field athletes don’t have sponsors and don’t have support to stay in the sport,” Sonya Richards-Ross told The Associated Press. “A lot of my peers have second and third jobs to be able to do this. And that’s just unfortunate. And so it was a concerted effort.”

Trying to capitalize on a historic effort by the women of the U.S. Olympic team, Nike offered up a tribute via t-shirt. But what they thought was a clever play on words is being met with outrage.

Nike's "Gold Digging" t-shirt—available only in women's sizes—was meant to acknowledge the 46 gold medals won by American women at the 2012 Olympics in London.

But the phrase "gold digging" has for years been a reference to women who date wealthy men only for their money. Apparently aware Nike was possibly wading into dangerous waters, the description of the tee at World Soccer Shop tries to diffuse any controversy:

We aren’t saying they’re gold diggers – we’re just saying they’re out for the gold! What’s wrong with that?

Nike, for its part, describes the shirt on its website as "style that starts a conversation."

"When nothing less than the best will do, the Nike 'Gold Digging' Women's T-Shirt is up to the challenge with a bold design that's a treat on the eyes in a slim, comfortable fit," they write.

Nonetheless, Nike is being called out by some for suggesting that only women can be gold diggers.

"What’s wrong? Well, lots of things, actually," wrote Styleite. "For instance, does this shirt come in men’s sizes? Nope. Because gold digging is just for the ladies, of course! Come on, Nike."

Nike denies any charges of sexism, saying the shirt was meant to cast in a positive light the recent success of female athletes. 

"Nike has consistently supported female athletes and the position they enjoy as positive role models," Nike said in a statement. "The t-shirt uses a phrase in an ironic way that is relevant given it was released just as the world focused on the success of female athletes."
 

It was a heroine's welcome for gold medalist McKayla Maroney on Wednesday when she returned to her Westside Los Angeles gymnastics center after the London 2012 Olympics.

She was greeted by young gymnasts bearing roses at All Olympia Gymnastics Center. They even rolled out a red carpet for the 16-year-old.

"It was so amazing," Maroney said. "I immediately started getting super-duper emotional. I was just so shocked. ... It just meant so much to me, and I feel so happy right now."

Maroney won a gold medal in the women's team competition and a silver in the vault. But the medals were just part of Maroney's Olympic story.

During the latter medal ceremony, she made an dissatisfied expression that has come to be known as the "McKayla is not impressed" face. Images of Maroney making the face became an Internet sensation.

She took her online meme-hood lightly, even retweeting an image in which she appeared making the now-signature expression in a Peanuts cartoon.

"I don't regret anything. Everything happens for a reason," Maroney said. "I still thought it was funny even in the very beginning."

One of the banners that greeted her upon her return Wednesday night read: "We are impressed! Welcome back, McKayla!"

As for her future after gymnastics, this Olympian has her sights set on acting.

"I have an agent and I love fashion and modeling and all that kind of stuff," Maroney said. "It's definitely one of my other passions, other than gymnastics."

Follow NBCLA for the latest LA news, events and entertainment: iPhone/iPad App | Facebook | Twitter | Google+ | Instagram | RSS | Text Alerts | Email Alerts

Has your Michael Phelps hangover left you with a pounding headache? Try a little hair of the dog.

Just hours after the closing ceremonies for the 2012 Olympics, A photo of Phelps lounging in a bathtub in Speedo, open Louis Vuitton bag at his side, made its way to the Internet via Just Jared.

With a pair of swim goggles perched atop his forehead, the look on Phelps' face is somewhere between "come hither" and "get out"--maybe a bit of both. On the floor next to the tub a pair of jeans and towels sits a top the luxury bag.

The image appears to be an ad for Vuitton, which is featuring Phelps as the latest celebrity in its Core Values campaign, according to the Daily Mail. In that ad, he sits clothed in a three-piece suit on a couch with 77-year-old former Soviet gymnast Larisa Latynina. But the fashion giant was mum on details on the bathtub photo. None-the-less fashion blogs around the nation pronounced it divine.

If the two images don't give you your fill of Phelps, stay tuned for the start of season five of "The Haney Project," during which Phelps will travel the globe with acclaimed golf coach Hank Haney, playing the best courses in the world.

No world on a Ryan Lochte reality show.

As London 2012 closes, Olympic addicts are already getting excited about the 2014 Sochi Winter Games in Russia.

A surprise winner back in 2007, the tourist resort area on the southwest coast of the Black Sea near Russia's border with Georgia won the bid to host the games following intensive campaigning from noted sports fan and Russian President, Vladimir Putin. Sochi beat out Peyongchang in South Korea which, at the time, was considered to be the favorite choice for host city.

Adding fuel to the early excitement fire was Evan Lysacek's announcement on "Today" Friday that he would be returning to professional skating competition and hopes to make the U.S. team that will be Russia bound. The revelation gives Lysacek two years to get back into elite form - he took gold in men's figure skating at the 2010 Vancouver Olympics - and audiences a chance to regain their Olympic fervor following London.

Sochi, where palm-lined beaches are set against a backdrop of snow-capped mountains, has been a popular vacation draw for Russians for over a century and has 343, 285 residents according to a 2010 census. To brush off the dust, raise the area to Olympic standards and host the games will cost Russia a reported $30 billion. Every venue has to be constructed by scratch according to the Washington Post. An upgrade of the telecommunication and power systems is underway while 220 miles of new roads and 125 miles of railway are being built to avoid gridlock.

Even with all the building and investment, Sochi will be the most compact Winter Games in Olympic history with only two multisport venues - one in the mountains for the downhill events as well as city venues for hockey, skating, curling and the opening and closing ceremonies.

Private investment in the region has also increased. Rosa Khutor, the new ski resort where many of the downhill events will be staged has a projected private industry cost of $2 billion according to the AP. That amount buys 60 miles of new ski paths. Some 20,000 new hotel rooms are also being built in the area.

"We’re creating the new standard in environmentally-friendly construction, and we’re creating the volunteerism culture that did not exist in our country before,” said Dmitri Chernyshenko, president and chief executive of the Sochi Winter Games organizing committee, in an interview with the AP.

Like London with its security woes, the Sochi Games are already making headlines of the negative variety. Russian officials recently defied the Olympic Charter by banning Pride House, a gay-targeted venue for LGBT athletes and allies during the games which first appeared in Vancouver in 2010 and then again in London. While the move has activists citing human rights violations, the I.O.C. has yet to make a statement concerning the ban.

On the fun side, the five mascots for the Winter Games were announced in February following a public vote during the live television show "Talismaniya Sochi 2014." The hare, polar bear and leopard have been chosen, while the Ray of Light and Snowflake were named as Paralympic Winter Games mascots. It was the first time in the history of the Olympic movement that an entire country was involved with the selection process.

While tickets are still not available for sale, online registration for news and updates is available at tickets.sochi2014.com.

The XXII Winter Olympic Games will be held in Sochi, Russia from February 7-23, 2014 and broadcast on NBC.

The cream of the British music industry -- including The Spice Girls, The Who, and the teaming of pop goddess Jesse J with the remaining members of Queen -- rocked Olympic Stadium to close the London 2012 Games in a spectacular, joyful ceremony.

The dazzling, psychedelic celebration took spectators on a journey through the swinging sixties of Carnaby Street into 1980s new wave and onto the power ballads of the nineties before closing with rap and pop tracks that rule today's U.K. charts. Sunday's ceremony, titled "A Symphony of British Music," was set against an ever-changing physical and digital backdrop.

"We lit the flame, and we lit up the world," London organizing committee chief Sebastian Coe said. "When our time came, Britain, we did it right."

The often tongue-in-cheek performances began with replicas of famed London landmarks Big Ben, the Houses of Parliament, and the London Eye being stripped of newspaper wrappings to reveal a bustling, technicolor representation of a metropolis in motion. The soundtrack? "Our House," sung live by 80s' chart-toppers Madness, as well as Blur's "Park Life," and the Pet Shop Boys' "West End Girls." Singer Ray Davies later arrived via black cab to perform the Kink's 1967 classic “Waterloo Sunset."

Members of Stomp, the ageless, trash-can-pounding West End musical really got the 80,000 revelers in attendance cheering the city, the athletes and the volunteers that made these Games such a success.

Along with the greats of the British music scene, more than 4,100 participants including 3,500 adult volunteers and 380 schoolchildren from the six east London host boroughs participated in the event according to the official London 2012 website.

‘We want to create a fabulous emotional experience, something people remember for years to come," said artistic director Kim Gavin in a statement prior to the closing ceremony. And memorable it was, in particular the moment when the thousands of indefatigable volunteers were symbolically thanked for their hard work.

The audience first rose to their feet in unison as the march of the athletes began with flag-bearers entering the stadium in single file. In a surprise twist, the more than 10,000 participants from 204 countries arrived via many entry points, including through the rows of seated spectators who cheered and offered back-slaps to the competitors as they took their places around a giant Union Jack shaped stage that covered the arena floor.

In contrast to the opening ceremony athletes marched together, not by nationality, thus allowing them to be free to enjoy the festivities as a united group. This tradition began in Melbourne, Australia at the 1956 Games and is seen as bringing the global athletes together as one nation.

Some 70,000 pixels adorned the seats of the stadium, turning the arena into a giant light-box of flashing visuals that encouraged the participants to sing along as George Michael took the stage for his mega-hit "Freedom 90." In a poignant moment, the face of John Lennon appeared to hover above the crowd and sing his 1971 hit "Imagine" while a three dimensional jigsaw of the late Beatle's face was created center stage. Later in the proceedings, Freddie Mercury, the lead singer of Queen who died in 1991, also made an appearance via video screens.

Prince Harry, the Duchess of Cambridge and other members of the Royal Family were in attendance to watch the flag handover ceremony. The Queen released a statement thanking the volunteers but did not attend as there was no official role for the head of state, according to Buckingham Palace. Prince William had to return to his post as a helicopter search-and-rescue pilot for the Royal Air Force in advance of the evening's entertainment.

During a tribute to British fashion, models Kate Moss, Naomi Campbell, Lily Cole, Georgia Jagger and Stella Tennant were clad in gold designer duds by homegrown designers including Alexander McQueen, Vivienne Westwood, Burberry and Jonathan Saunders as they strut across the stage - all to the strains of what else but David Bowie's "Fashion."

And it wouldn't have been a celebration of English quirk without a nod to the country's great tradition of comedy. Monty Python alum Eric Idle almost stole the show as he enlisted everyone in a sing-along version of "Always Look on the Bright Side of Life" from 1979s "Life of Brian."

Another banner moment occurred when The Spice Girls reunited to sing "Wannabe" and "Spice Up Your Life" all the while careening around the track atop glittering black taxis. Liam Gallagher followed with a performance of the Oasis hit "Wonderwall." In other Brit supergroup pairings, the remaining members of Queen enlisted the vocal prowess of Jesse J. to get the audience chanting the anthem "We Will Rock You."

Other entertainers on the night included celebrated "Right Here, Right Now" deejay Fat Boy Slim, singer-songwriter Ed Sheeran who joined members of Pink Floyd for a version of "Wish You Were Here," Annie Lennox in full 1980s goth-get-up belting out "Little Bird" and comedian Russell Brand who made his entrance via a psychedelic bus and then proceeded to shout "I Am the Walrus." Jesse J was back on deck along with Tinie Tempah and Taio Cruz -- the trio collaborating on a bass-thumping version of the Bee Gees' "You Should Be Dancing."

Former teen heartthrobs Take That also regrouped for a performance. The '90s group sang "Rule the World" before prima ballerina Darcy Bussell and 300 dancers took to the stage as embodiments of the dying flames of the Olympic Cauldron. As their dance played out, a giant red Phoenix rose above the fire that at its extinguishing, signaled the official end of the London 2012 Games.

In a breathtaking finale, The Who belted out their hits "Baba O'Riley" and "My Generation" as the London sky was punctuated with erupting fireworks.

The celebration allowed competitors to let down their hair, mingle and momentarily forget sporting battles won and lost. It also provided host country Great Britain a final opportunity to show off its artistic accomplishments before handing the Olympic reigns to Sochi, Russia, the tourist resort area on the southwest coast of the Black Sea that will host the 2014 Winter Games.

Usain Bolt won his third gold of the London games Saturday, anchoring a Jamaican team that set a world record in the men's 4x100m relay.

Bolt, already a near-mythical figure in track and field, entered the London games facing questions about his ability to defend the three titles he won in Beijing four years ago. With his customary braggadocio and flair for the dramatic, he swept all three -- the 100m, the 200m and, finally, the 4x100m.

The Jamaicans finished the relay in 36.85 seconds, breaking their own record of 37.04, which they set last year in Korea.

The American team, staffed with its own set of heavyweights, including Justin Gatlin and Tyson Gay,  equalled that broken record, finishing second in 37.04. Trinidad and Tobago won bronze in 38.12.

The record-fast relay brought Olympic track and field competition to a fitting end. It was the last event at Olympic Stadium before Sunday's closing ceremony.

Bolt was sure to make the celebration last.

After crossing the finish line ahead of Team USA's Ryan Bailey, Bolt saluted the roaring crowd, headed to the stands for some hugs with fans, then walked the track with his teammates, flexing and posing. At one point, an Olympics official asked Bolt to return the yellow relay baton he was holding, and initially Bolt refused, apparently wanting to keep it as a memento. The official persisted, and finally Bolt acquiesced. The crowd booed. The Jamaicans then posed for pictures in front of a scoreboard showing their record-breaking time.

A little while later, an Olympics official appeared to return the baton to Bolt, and the crowd cheered its approval.

The Bolt performance followed a dominating race by American women, who won their second relay gold in as many days.

The team of Dee Dee Trotter, Allyson Felix, Francena McCrory, and anchorwoman Sanya Richards-Ross crushed the field in the 4x400m, finshing in 3:16:88, nearly four seconds ahead of the Russians, who came in second. The Jamaicans took bronze.

The victory came a day after the American team of Tianna Madison, Felix, Bianca Knight and Carmelita Jeter set a new world record in the women's 4x100m relay.

Felix has now won three gold medals in London, and Richards-Ross two. Each has four medals in their Olympic careers.

Also on Saturday, Briton Mo Farah won his second long-distance gold of the London games, completing the men’s 5000m in 13 minutes, 41.66 seconds, crossing just ahead of Ethopia’s Dejen Gebremeskel. Kenya’s Thomas Pkemei Longosiwa came in third.

Russian Mariya Savinova won the women’s 800m in 1:56:19, beating silver-medal winner Pamela Jelimo of Kenya and bronze-winner Alysia Montano Johnson of Team USA.

American Brigetta Barrett won silver in the women's high jump, clearing 2.03 meters, just short of Russian Anna Chicherova's 2.05.

The men's javelin was won by Keshorn Walcott of Trinidad and Tobago.

Sunday's closing ceremony will be every bit as spectacular as its opening counterpart that took place a mere 16 days ago. Only this time, fun will take precedence over the actual Games.

A relaxed celebration of the athletic achievements that have preceded it, the ceremony allows competitors to let down their hair, mingle and momentarily forget sporting battles won and lost. It also provides host country Great Britain a final opportunity to show off its artistic accomplishments before the official handover to Rio de Janeiro, who will stage the summer games in 2016.

The event will be streamed lived on NBCOlympics com at 4 p.m ET and air during the final Olympics prime-time show on NBC at 7 p.m. ET/PT Sunday.

Titled "A Symphony of British Music," the evening's performances will feature some of the greatest names of the British music industry along with more than 4,100 participants, including 3,500 adult volunteers and 380 schoolchildren from the six east London host boroughs, according to the official London 2012 website.

Like its opening bookend, Sunday's ceremony must contain certain elements as outlined in the International Olympic Committee (IOC) Charter: the march of the athletes; hoisting of the flags of the countries of the first Olympics (Greece), current (United Kingdom) and future (Brazil); the passing of the Olympic flag and the extinguishing of the Olympic flame -- a poignant moment signaling the official end of the games.

Following these formalities, the partying really begins.

In what remains a guessing game of bold-faced pop-music names, artistic director Kim Gavin and his team have assembled a cast that will showcase how music has been one of Britain’s strongest cultural exports over the last 50 years. ‘We want to create a fabulous emotional experience, something people remember for years to come," said Gavin in a recent statement. "It will be an elegant mash-up of British music."

Rumors of just who will entertain the 80,000+ physical attendees and around 1 billion television viewers include reunions of Brit super-groups Spice Girls and Take That, as well as appearances by Annie Lennox, The Pet Shop Boys, Ray Davies, The Rolling Stones, Pink Floyd, Madness, Muse, One Direction, Jesse J, Elbow, Adele, Elton John, and the remaining members of Queen. According to a preliminary set list obtained by the Daily Mail, ballerina Darcy Bussell and 300 dancers will perform as the flame is extinguished while The Who are currently expected to close the show.

One performer definitely confirmed to appear is George Michael, who announced his participation via Twitter. Chided by a follower for going public amidst all the secrecy, the "Freedom 90" singer replied: "It's been all over the press for weeks, and I think you all needed to be put out of your misery," before adding, "Obviously a bit nervous not having played for nearly a year, but rehearsals sounding great so far!"

The evening's musical director David Arnold told the Daily Telegraph that predictions Paul McCartney and Adele would perform were "scarily accurate," but would not confirm growing rumors that reclusive singer Kate Bush would appear.

In a tribute to British fashion, models Kate Moss, Naomi Campbell, Lily Cole, Georgia Jagger and Stella Tennant will strut a catwalk to the strains of David Bowie's "Fashion," the Daily Mail also revealed.

How these events will be staged is still guesswork, but sneak-peak photographs of some of the sets were leaked this week showing reduced-scale reconstructions of some of London's most famous landmarks, including Big Ben and the Houses of Parliament, St. Pauls Cathedral, Tower Bridge and the London Eye - all covered in newspaper. These iconic monuments will reportedly be unwrapped early in the program as 300 performers take part in a routine based on London's rush hour, with cars, bicycles, motorcycles and commuters whizzing about the main stage.

The Daily Mail also reports that London's famed Notting Hill Carnival will be recreated, along with a parade of 160 Coldstream Guards and a comedy performance by Russell Brand, Dawn French and Jennifer Saunders that contains a version of the Sex Pistol's "Pretty Vacant."

Ultimately, the closing ceremony is all about the competitors as they bid goodbye to London and bring the curtain down on the Games of the 30th Olympiad. The march of the athletes will begin with flag-bearers entering the stadium in single file, closely followed by the athletes who, in contrast to the opening ceremony, march together, not by nationality. They are then free to enjoy the festivities as a united group. This tradition began in Melbourne, Australia at the 1956 Games and is seen as bringing the global athletes together as one nation.

The closing ceremony of the London 2012 Olympic Games will be broadcast at 7 p.m. ET/PT on NBC.

U.S. women set a new world record in the 4x100 relay Friday, crushing their Jamaican rivals.

The star-studded American team – Tianna Madison, Allyson Felix, Bianca Knight and anchor Carmelita Jeter – finished in 40.82 seconds, more than half a second faster than the prior world record of 41.37, set in 1985 by Germany.

The Jamaicans, including gold medal sprinters Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce and Veronica Campbell Brown, finished second, in 41.41.

Ukraine won bronze, finishing in 42.04.

The Americans won after substituting Felix, who won gold this week in the 200m, and Jeter, who won silver in the 100m, into the lineup on Friday afternoon. It is common for track coaches to rest their best sprinters in qualifying relay races and insert them in finals.

The switch meant that Jeneba Tarmoh and Lauryn Williams did not run. The relay was Tarmoh's only Olympic event; she had a chance at the 100m spring, but withdrew from a dead-heat runoff against Felix at the U.S. Olympic trials.

The women's relay was followed by the men’s 4x400 relay, which the American team lost for the first time in 60 years. Bahamian anchorman Ramon Miller overcame American Angelo Taylor in the final 50 meters, and they finished at the 2:56.72 and 2:57.05 marks, respectively.

Trinidad and Tobago finished third, in 2:59.40. The South African team, anchored by “The Blade Runner,” Oscar Pistorius, came in last.

Team USA has dominated the 4x400m relay for many decades. The last time a non-U.S. team won the event was at the 1980 games in Moscow, which the Americans boycotted. In Munich in 1972, two Americans were disqualified and a third was injured, leaving Team USA without enough runners to compete. The last time the Americans lost was in Helsinki in 1952, when Jamaica beat them.

This year's team were hampered before the race began because they were missing two prior gold medal winners, LaShawn Merritt and Jeremy Warnier, who were out with injuries.

Also on Friday, world-record holder Meseret Defar of Ethopia won the women's 5000m in 15 minutes, 4.25 seconds. Vivian Cheruiyot of Kenya finished second and Tirunesh Dibaba of Ethiopia third.

Turkish women finished first and second in the women’s 1500m. The winner was Asli Cakir Alptekin n 4 minutes, 10.23 seconds, followed by teammate Gamze Bulut. Maryam Yusuf Jamal of Bahrain finished third.

Inside the track, Russian Tatyana Lysenko won gold in the women's hammer throw.

Renaud Lavillenie of France won the men's pole vault.

Way back in July, before Mr. Bean and a parachuting Queen Elizabeth kicked off the Olympic Games, we made a prediction that the biggest storyline of the London Games was going to be the ascension of women in sports.

With apologies to Usain Bolt and Michael Phelps, whose performances were more about their place in history than just dominating the headlines of the past two weeks, that prediction has come to fruition. Everywhere you looked during the Games, there was a woman in the center of attention.

There was Gabby Douglas becoming the first African-American all-around gymnastics gold medalist and British star Jessica Ennis winning the heptathalon in front of an Olympic Stadium crowd that made the kind of joyful noise that no one who heard it will ever forget. There was Serena Williams capping off a career Golden Slam and the inimitable Misty May-Treanor/Kerri Walsh Jennings team winning beach volleyball gold for the third straight time.

While we'd like to say that the prediction was made because of superior foresight and an inate understanding of sports we see once every four years, we know that such a response would lead to McKayla Maroney unimpressed faces by anyone who read it. History made it clear that we had reached the moment for women to take on the leading role.

It is the 40th anniversary of the landmark Title IX legislation that allowed women equal opportunity to scholastic sports in the United States, a decision that eventually led to much more gender equality in Olympic sports and the backbone of the U.S. team (47 of the 90 medals won through the end of Thursday) in these games. It is also the first Olympic Games to take place with women representing each of the countries, a moment that could one day be seen as the world's Title IX moment.

You could have written that story regardless of what went on during the Games, however. The reason why we can throw out our shoulder patting ourselves on the back is because of the way the women competed and shone when the gun went off.

On the track, you had Allyson Felix, Sanya Richards-Ross and Brittney Reese making up for disappointments in 2008 while Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce showed that jaw-dropping dominance of sprints is something for Jamaicans of both genders. Missy Franklin, Katie Ledecky and Rebecca Soni were marvels in the pool with the 17-year-old Franklin and 15-year-old Ledecky already creating thoughts about golden moments in Rio come 2016.

Alex Morgan seems destined for Mia Hamm-level stardom after her thrilling goal to beat Canada in the semifinals, unless Jersey-born Carli Lloyd's two goals in the Gold Medal game make her the next big thing in U.S. soccer. Claressa Shields and Marlen Esparza kept U.S. boxing from being completely shutout of the medals and there may not have been a more emotionally satisfying moment of the entire Olympics than watching Kayla Harrison, who bravely spoke out about being sexually abused in order to help others, celebrating the United States' first Judo gold.

U.S. women won gold in soccer, water polo, gymnastics, beach volleyball and doubles tennis (another gold for Serena) and they will play for gold in both indoor volleyball and basketball this weekend. Put those achievements together with what the women did on the track, in the pool and in the ring and you've got a staggeringly diverse set of achievements that would have been unthinkable a decade ago.

The saddest thing about one of the more controversial articles of the Games -- the Times' takedown of Lolo Jones -- is that you had to go out of your way to find an Anna Kournikova-type among all the true achievers of the U.S. team. And Jones finished fourth, which is hardly something that happens when you're just around because you're easy on the eyes.

It felt like something out of another era, one where women were only valued if they fit some kind of strict feminine ideal. As Allison Schmitt, Aly Raisman, Kim Rhode, Jennifer Suhr and so many others let us know over the last two weeks, there's no such thing as a singular feminine ideal in a world where women are able to do everything.

Josh Alper is a writer living in New York City. You can follow him on Twitter and he is also a contributor to Pro Football Talk.

NBC 4 New York sportscaster Bruce Beck is blogging from London as he helps cover the summer Olympics. Check back often as he catches up with local athletes, explores the city and tracks the games.

Got questions for Bruce while he's in London with our local athletes? Leave a comment here or tweet him @BruceBeck4NY.

Get the top Olympic news, including what to watch, results and features on our local athletes at NBC's Olympic Zone.

PHOTOS: London Calling: Bruce Beck's Olympics Gallery

Monday, August 13

Farewell, London!

Yes, the flame has been extinguished, but the memories will still linger for as long as The Tower Bridge looms over The Thames. 

What a city. What an Olympics. What an experience!

In these games, we witnessed history as Michael Phelps became the most decorated Olympian of all time. His record of 18 golds, double more than any other competitor in history -- and 22 overall medals -- are marks that may never broken. (Are you listening, Joe DiMaggio?)

As good as Phelps was in London -- where his medal haul included four golds and two silver medals -- I truly believe these were the Bolt Olympics.

Bolt, the Muhammad Ali of his time in terms of brashness and bravado, put on another show for the ages in London. He competed in three events and earned three gold medals. And he became the first runner in history to successfully defend both the 100 and 200 meters. 

Best of all time? Bolt thinks so! "I'm the greatest. Now call me a legend. I've got nothing to left to prove!" 

When you talk about team performances in London 2012, the U.S. squads stand out. New Jerseyan Carli Lloyd and the U.S. women's soccer team put on a show, winning a gold before 80,000 people at Wembley. 

The U.S. women's gymnastics team dazzled us by bringing home our country's first overall team gold since The Magnificent 7 from the '96 Atlanta games. Also, Gabby Douglas stole our hearts while hitting the high note in the women's all-around. 

Our women's basketball team won their fifth consecutive gold medal. The sensational team has won a ridiculous 41 consecutive games in the Olympics. 

And our men's basketball team stood at the top of the podium as well. Under Coach K, Kobe, Lebron and the rest of the multimillionaires submerged their egos and played an unselfish brand of basketball that would have made former Knicks coach Red Holtzman proud.

To me, three individual stories stand out from the London Olympics. They exemplify what the largest sporting event in the world are all about. They embody the Olympic creed: "The most important thing in the Olympics Games is not to win but to take part. Just as the most important thing in life is not the triumph but the struggle."

First is Manteo Mitchell, the American who took part in the preliminaries of the men's 4-by-400 meter relay. Despite breaking his leg during his portion of the race, he finished with authority. Unbelievable guts displayed by a runner who now has become a household name.

If you like sportsmanship, look no further than the men's 110-meter hurdles, where 2004 gold medalist Liu Xiang of China crashed and burned. After it was over, Great Britain's Andrew Turner, who had won the race, ran back on to the track to help Xiang get off it. It was a simple, beautiful gesture.

And if you're looking for a true sign of humanity and an amazing personal touch, too, we must recognize the actions of Kirani James of Grenada. James won a semi-final in the 400 meters, while the blade runner Oscar Pistorius finished dead last.

After the race was over, the runners embraced and James asked Pistorius if they could exchange bibs. Classy move by James, who not only saluted the double amputee, but showed us all what the spirit of the Games is all about. I was in Olympic Stadium that night and got goosebumps. I will never forget that heart-warming exchange by the two athletes. 

Overall London did a remarkable job. Its historic landmarks served as the perfect backdrop for the Games of the XXX Olympiad. And the engaging soul of the multicultural city was on display each and every day. 

The events started punctually. The crowds were enthusiastic. The hospitality was beyond reproach.

My fifth Olympics were grueling. They were comprised of 20-hour days and limited sleep. But the stories were fascinating and the experience was simply awesome. 

So, good-bye London, and thanks for a memorable 16 days. Up next: Rio in 2016, or perhaps Sochi for the Winter Olympics in 2014. 

But lets talk about that stuff later. For now, my bed is calling and I'm answering. Good night! 

Sunday, August 12

Bruce has covered a lot of the tri-state athletes competing in the 2012 Olympics, and many of those have a connection to St. John's University. His ties to the school runs deep, and he's written a post on his blog to the University's president, the Rev. Donald J. Harrington, CM, to let him know how far the St. John's tradition has traveled -- from Queens to London and back.

Dear Father Harrington:

As I conclude this 23 day adventure in London, I wanted to share some thoughts with you.

It seems as though everywhere I go; every local athlete I cover; every story I develop - there's a link in some way to your wonderful University.

The hits just keep on coming -- and I'd be remiss if I did not tell you that St. John's "pride" is booming an ocean away.

Let me tell you about some of those magical moments:

There's the story of Phobay Kutu-Akoi, a 2009 St. John's graduate. The fastest 100 meters runner in the history of St. John's University, Phobay was the flag bearer for Liberia, a nation on the southwest coast of Africa.

Who said you can't come home again? As a youngster, Phobay and her family left the embattled country to seek a better life. A series of civil wars made it impossible for her to pursue her dreams.

A few years later, her dreams became a reality when she enrolled at St. John's and the rest as they say -- is history. Phobay set a record in the 100 meters at the Met Championships and finished second in the Big East Championships.

Here in London, Phobay returned to her roots and carried the flag for Liberia at the Opening Ceremony. She did it with a new sense of pride and the same old conviction. She told me, "it would have never happened without St. John's, an institution which shaped her life."

I'm sure by now you've heard about my encounter with Dagmara Wozniak, the fencer from Avenel, New Jersey, who was born in Poland. She came to America in the late 80's when the Polish economy crumbled and her parents sought refuge in the United States. She's a senior at SJU, majoring in Biology.

After suffering a difficult loss in the quarterfinals of the Women's individual Sabre tournament, we shared an emotional moment together that I will never forget it. At first, I tried to console her but later she ended up consoling me. It had everything to do with family, love and the spirit of competition. (Please check out my earlier post on this blog to read more)

From tears to smiles -- to big laughs, with a big guy, Frank Viola. You remember Frank and all his accomplishments in Major League Baseball. He won two huge games in pitching the Twins to a World Series title in 1987 and he captured a Cy Young award with Minnesota in 1988.

But before all of that -- there was St. John's. And who can ever forget how he and John Franco led the Johnnies to the College World Series in 1980.

And of course, we all still talk about that epic game in 1981 when Viola and St. John's squared off against Ron Darling and Yale in what many consider the greatest college baseball game of all time. Darling pitched 11 innings of no-hit ball. Viola threw shutout ball over 11 innings. St. John's won the ballgame 1-0 in the 12th.

But let's get back to Viola in London. At age: 52, he was obviously too old to compete. Instead he traveled across the pond to watch his daughter, Brittany compete in the 10 meter platform in the Olympics. Brittany did nicely as she advanced to the semi-finals of the event. Frank did well as a "Diving Dad" and we had a chance to reminisce about the good old days.

On the Viola story, I used my St. John's connections to track Frank down in London and to reach deep into the archives for old pictures and articles.

Mark Fratto and Dominic Scianna were a huge help. I even solicited the advice of former St. John's Baseball Sports Information Director, Mike "Mex" Carey. He's a Georgetown guy now but I know deep down, he still bleeds red.

You see Father -- at St. John's, it's all about relationships and all about community. I know firsthand. Each Thanksgiving for the past eleven years, The Beck family has been blessed to serve the needy at the St. John's Bread and Life Program in Bedford Stuyvesant, the largest soup kitchen in Brooklyn. To serve 1000 hearty meals alongside the St. John's Men's Basketball team has been a joy. The experience has shaped the lives of my sons.

As you know, my love for St. John's runs deep. As the host of the Lou Carnesecca Showin the 80's at MSG Network, I built a friendship with Louie that is unwavering.

And of course, hosting your major fundraiser each year -- the President's Dinner at the Waldorf Astoria, is a responsibility I take seriously and a labor of love.

So whether it's in New York or London; North America or Europe - the University's presence looms large. And the feelings everyone has for the college come straight from the heart.

Take it from me -- a Jewish kid from New Jersey, who has embraced the Vincentian mission established by St. Vincent de Paul about caring for the needy and the importance of giving back.

Take it from me, a broadcaster, who had the honor to deliver the commencement address to St. John's Staten Island Campus and become a Doctor of Humane Letters in the process.

Take it from me, a guy who knows anything and everything about what this great institution represents and where it stands in the melting pot of the tri-state area. Yes, there's only one thing left to say: "We Are St. John's!"

My Warmest Regards,
Bruce

Friday, August 10 

The Fab Five -- or the Fierce Five -- of the U.S. women's gymnastics team gave us a moment at the Olympics we will never forget, bringing home the first team gold in 16 years. What a group. What a story.

Now we have another. Team USA did it again: Three straight gold medals for the U.S. women's soccer team.

And instead of five, let's concentrate on four because that's how many "Jerseyans" are on the roster.

Today, I spoke with all of them in London -- a day after they reached the mountaintop; a day after they got revenge from their World Cup loss to Japan; a day after 80,000 fans screamed their lungs out for the best "football" match-up of the Olympic tournament.

Let's start with Carli Lloyd of Delran, who has a flair for the dramatic. In 2008, she scored the only goal in the gold medal game against Brazil in the Beijing Olympics. Here in London, she scored the only two goals for the Americans in the championship game.

She once wondered, "Can I really compete on this level?" But today she told me, "I know I'm good." Rutgers' all-time leading scorer is not so much cocky as she is confident. Let's face it, everyone would want Carli Lloyd on their team. 

Then there is Heather O'Reilly of East Brunswick. She won a state title in high school and two national titles at North Carolina. She now owns three gold medals. O'Reilly, who made her national team debut in 2002 in high school, said, "It's amazing to share this accomplishment with the other Jersey girls."

At 24, Tobin Heath is the baby in the group. She followed Heather to North Carolina after starring at Ridge High School in Basking Ridge. One of the team's most skillful players, Heather had a blast today. She rode the double-decker bus into Olympic Park for a Today Show appearance with the team, and then talked to me about "Jersey Pride."

Last but certainly least is Christie Rampone, who I have known for almost 20 years. She's a fierce defender but a gentle mother of two. "The Captain" is the only women's player in U.S. history to own three gold medals and one silver. 

Christie believes the team came together at the right time. She says the chemistry is terrific. She knows they saved their best for last. 

At 37, Rampone is the oldest player on the team. Before the Olympics, she hinted that this would be her last shot at glory. But today she told me, "I'm not sure about 2016. I might want to play in that one too." 

You can blame it on the camaraderie of the team. You can blame it on wanting to enjoy more success. You can blame it on the other Jersey Girls who want her to stick around a little longer to mentor some of the younger kids.

Or you could just blame it on Rio. 

Four girls bound together by a single sport. Four girls making history together. One state proud to call them all homegrown.Take it from me, a Livingston native -- the Garden State rocks.

Tuesday, August 7

Tears again! No, not me, but Felix Sanchez. And I mean buckets of tears. The New York-born speedster, who represents the Dominican Republic, let all his emotions come flowing out after he captured gold in the men's 400-meter hurdles. 

Sanchez, who also won gold in Athens in 2004, lost his grandmother in 2008, just before the Olympics. That's one of the reasons he ran so poorly in Beijing. He could not come to grips with the devastation of having to bury the woman who raised him. 

Sanchez promised her before she passed that he would win one more medal in her honor. It took four more years but it all came to be on Monday night at Olympic Stadium. And at age 34, he became the oldest champion ever in the event.

Moments after the race, he reached behind his bib number and flipped out a picture of his late grandmother. And then he was overcome with emotion -- first on the track and then on the medal stand. What an awesome story.

WATCH: Felix Sanchez's Promise

If Jerry Rice is G.O.A.T., what does that make Michael Phelps? On Monday, I had a chance to go one-on-one for four minutes with the most decorated Olympian ever. And yes, he is the G.O.A.T. of the pool. In case you didn't follow me on the acronym -- it stands for Greatest of All Time! 

I asked Phelps what we would say to a youngster who wants to be just like him. He said, "Dream big." I like that! 

I asked him what his enduring legacy will be. His answer was, “Bob and I wanted to become the greatest of all time. We wanted to do something that nobody else had ever done before.  We've been able to do that a couple of times with a couple of things.  Looking back at that -- is pretty proud.” You see, he even said it: G.O.A.T. 

I enjoyed talking to Phelps. We discussed a lot of stuff from his Michigan days as a student. We touched on the football team: Maize and Blue Deli and the whole experience at Ann Arbor. He asked how my son Mikey was handling his recent graduation from UMich! He knows kids don't like to say goodbye to their college experience, let alone saying farewell to that magical place in that busy college town. I really appreciated his sensitivity.

WATCH: Retired Phelps Wants to Cage-Dive

And while we are on the topic of Greatest of All Time -- can we throw Usain Bolt into the equation? Yes, lightning struck twice on Sunday night when the amazing speedster destroyed the best and deepest field in 100-meter history at the Olympics. Bolt setting a new Olympic record was one thing, but the way he left Yohan Blake, Justin Gatlin and Tyson Gay in his wake -- that was incomprehensible. Bolt is the first runner since Carl Lewis to repeat as champion in the 100 at the Olympics. 

Even though the Jamaican superstar got off to his usual slow start, he had the race won by 50 meters. And the rest, as they say, is history. 

I was in the stadium for that one moment in time. It's one moment I won't forget. After all, it's my favorite event of the Games. When you think of Olympics, you think of The World's Fastest Man. In this case, the man who owns that moniker is on his way to earned another one as well - G.O.A.T.

We are approaching the top of the stretch of the Games of the XXX Olympiad. But the stories keep on coming -- sometimes they come out of nowhere. That's what makes this competition such a trip. 10,500 athletes, 10,500 stories. And these stories come in all shapes and sizes. 

Saturday, August 4

I can cross one off the bucket list! Yesterday, I visited hallowed Wimbledon. It was one of those moments I will always remember.

The club was founded in 1868 as The All England Croquet Club. The Championships, Wimbledon have been held since 1877. I really don't think much has changed since then. Not that I would know from living through that era, but I was told.

It's majestic. It's charming. It's green and white; and wooden -- and iconic in every way. It's like walking through a time capsule. It's tennis!

The place was packed. It's been the toughest ticket of the Olympics. A far cry from the first tournament at The All England Club. In that one, 200 spectators paid one shilling to watch Spencer Gore win the final. Spencer, who?

I happened to meet up with some friends including NBC Tennis Producer, Steve Mayer and his executive assistant, Rachel Segal. She was my former intern and she just graduated from Michigan with my son, Mike. Go Blue!

She showed me to the press seats. They just happened to be in the first row.

I indulged in some food. I am sorry to say it was not strawberries and cream. It was a sausage roll. Delicious! Perfect for an Olympic diet.

I watched the Men's Doubles Final as the Bryan Brothers captured their career Golden Slam. Mike and Bob bounced Joe-Willie Tsonga and Michael Llodra of France, 6-4, 7-6. They have now won all four majors (11 in all) and an Olympic Gold.
 

Afterwards, my buddy Justin Gimelstob handled the court-side interviews for NBC. Of course, the effervescent Gimelstob posed for a picture with me first. Hey, we are both Jersey Boys.

I cruised the grounds to let history soak through my veins. You could smell it. You could feel it. You could taste it. I could taste that sausage roll coming back up. Afterwards, I visited the television trucks to say hello to the crew.

And what would a trip to Wimbledon be like without taking the famous London Tube - their answer to the New York subway. I can't remember the last time I took a photo with the train tracks behind me. But I did. After all this is the Beck Blog at the London Olympics.

I've been to Lambeau Field. That was amazing. I've been to Wrigley Field. That was historic. I've been to Fenway Park. Let's not go there. I hate the Red Sox! And now, I've visited Wimbledon - the idyllic venue of the oldest tennis tournament in the world.

It was a remarkable day. And now, I can cross another one off my bucket list. In some ways, I wish it was still on my list.

____________________________________________________________________________________

Friday, August 3

Greetings from London, where the British Olympians celebrate in outrageous ways. On Thursday night (or more accurately, Friday morning), Bradley Wiggins, the most decorated British Olympian of all time, got "blind drunk."

Yes, the 7-time medal winner had a very public binge, hooting it up near St. Paul's Cathedral and then posting pictures on Twitter. 

British Olympic Chief Colin Moynihan said Wiggins was "thoroughly entitled to have a fantastic party." What a quote! I can just imagine my general manager Michael Jack saying that after a "Beck Binge." (Don't worry MJ! I have no time for sleep, let alone time for beers!)

Beware of the London weather! Up until now, we have been extremely lucky. The weather has been tremendous, considering it rained for two weeks straight before we got here. But on Friday, the heavens opened up and unfortunately, there wasn't an umbrella or shelter in sight. 

At the time, I was meeting the interns from my alma mater Ithaca College. I went out with a great bunch of kids to the best photo location in Olympic Park. Unfortunately, it has no cover, so after the group picture, I got so drenched that I had to go back to the hotel and change my clothes and let the water out of my sneakers. How does this stuff happen to me, anyway?

I caught up with New York City's Justin Gatlin, the gold medal winner in the 2004 Athens' 100-meter race. He's coming off a four-year suspension for taking a banned substance, and the time period included the Beijing Olympics. He really wants redemption, and he says he wants to move forward. 

Gatlin told me when he was a kid growing up in Brooklyn's Sheepshead Bay, he used to jump over fire hydrants. It wasn't an Olympic sport but it did get his juices flowing. So did chasing his mother's car down the street and trying to out-run her. 

At the Aquatics Centre, I grabbed Rebecca Soni and Cullen Jones after their races on Thursday and Friday. Soni was elated. She became the first Beijing gold-medal winning female swimmer to repeat in London. 

Soni is an advertiser's delight. She's old-school industrious and wholesome, and she has a great smile. Endorsements are already coming in. That makes total sense because Soni is "smashing." And now, the  fastest growing better burger restaurant in the nation has rewarded Rebecca by giving her a lifetime supply of Smashburgers.

Cullen Jones, on the other hand, was disappointed after grabbing the silver in the 50-meter freestyle Friday. He told me he's a perfectionist and he really wanted to hit the high note in honor of his dad, who died in 2000.

I ran into Tom Brokaw in the International Broadcast Center. And guess who paid me a visit? Brian Williams, the host of NBC Nightly News. We discussed the new spoiler designation and much more. Both Tom and Brian are total gentlemen. 

Finally, here's a good nugget: The awards at the Olympics in Paris in 1900 were quite different than those of today. The first place finishers got paintings, and the runner-up in the pole vault event was handed an umbrella. You can't make this stuff up.

That's it for now. I have to get back to dodging raindrops and chasing the "world's fastest man!" 

Wednesday, August 1

Another Olympics, another breakdown. Not an emotional breakdown; just a show of emotion.

Flashback to 2004 in Athens, Greece. It was my second Olympics working as a broadcaster. It was late August and I was finishing my live shot on "Today in New York" when I decided to send my oldest son good wishes on the air. 

"I just want to wish Jon Beck the best of luck," I said. "He's my first son and today, he's headed to college. Jon, I love you. I'll miss you. You'll do great!"

When I delivered that last line, I took a step to my left and hugged a guy who I had just met just two weeks earlier. He was from the NBC affiliate in Columbus, Ohio. I cried my eyes out. Here I was working in Athens, Greece, the cradle of western civilization, 3,500 miles from home -- and it hit me hard. I was missing one of the signature moments in a dad's life. 

Flash ahead four years to the Beijing Olympics. This time instead of Jon going off to Ithaca College (he later transferred to Boston University), it was my youngest son Mikey on his way to Michigan. It was another trip for my wife JJ to handle on her own. Believe me, she is a warrior -- but I always feel guilty that the responsibility falls on her strong shoulders. 

Ironically, on the day I ventured to the Great Wall of China, my "baby" was headed to Ann Arbor. Before I boarded the minivan and departed for one of the Eight Wonders of the World, I saw my good friend Vai Sikahema, the lead anchor at WCAU-TV in Philly. 

Vai was known as the Tongan Terror in the NFL and was a two-time Pro Bowler. But don't let his exterior fool you. He's got a heart of gold and he's as emotional as I am. He knew what was going on, so he hugged me. And that's when I broke down and cried like a baby. I remember his beautiful words that day: "Bubba, you're more of a man than I ever thought because you're not afraid to show your true emotions." 

Now jump to yesterday, July 31, 2012. And wouldn't you know it, two big events were unfolding on the same day. Jon was switching New York City apartments and moving in for the first time with his girlfriend Jordana. Mike was moving into Manhattan for the first time to get ready for his first year at Cardozo Law School. 

I got a note from my wife on both how well and how poorly the 14-hour move-in progressed. I was sad that I was missing another major life experience, but I didn't cry.

That is, not until today.

It happened when I was interviewing Dagmara Wozniak, a sabre fencer from Avenel, New Jersey. She suffered a devastating 15-13 loss in the quarterfinals to the reigning world champion Sophia Velikaia. 

After the match, Dagmara cried openly. So I hung around the interview area (called the Mixed Zone) waiting for her to emerge from the locker room. About an hour later, she accepted the request I'd made with her press officer to talk about the match and her Olympic experience.

She handled herself well. Her comportment was good. She had bloodshot eyes and looked like she was on the brink of crying, but she held back the tears.

After the interview, we talked about the match and then about the emotions she was feeling. She asked me if I'd ever gotten emotional when covering the Olympics, the largest sporting event in the world. 

I told her my stories. Moments later, we both starting crying uncontrollably. I thought I was going to have to hold her hand when the interview began. Instead, she ended up holding me in her arms. What a defining moment in London -- an athlete and a sportscaster bound by heartfelt emotion.

I feel better now. I know I got my one good cry out of my system. You know, I really like covering the Olympic Games but today more than ever I realized how much I love my family -- especially when I'm an ocean away. 

I can't play golf in London. I just have no time to tee it up. But I can take a mulligan or two, while I'm here.

So let me take this opportunity to say I am not marksman Kim Rhode -- and perfection has eluded me all my life. 

Right off the bat, I want to apologize to Kellogg's. We all know that Kellogg's Frosted Flakes are "Gr-r-eat!" Team Kellogg's at the Olympics includes star athletes such as Rebecca Soni of Freehold, New Jersey. But when I previewed Rebecca's 100 Meter Breaststroke Final yesterday on Today In New York, I said Soni was on the cover of a Wheaties cereal box. Wrong!

Wheaties is a cereal that is made by General Mills. Comparing the two companies is akin to comparing Michigan to Ohio State or USC to UCLA -- or even Harvard versus Yale.  

Sorry guys! I've been concentrating on synchronized swimming and Badminton and realize that I made a "bad" mistake. I will make it up to you by eating Coco Pops for the next 13 days. 

Speaking of a faux pas, the American women compete tonight in the Team Gymnastics competition. Earlier today, I said Jordyn Wieberwas out of the event. Wrong again! 

The 17 year-old sensation failed to qualify for the finals of the All Arounds but she will still compete in the Team Final. She will also shoot for individual gold on several different apparatus.

Enough for my double bogeys -- let's move on! And with Rebecca Soni, it's not just about cereal, it's about medals. On Monday, she captured silver for the second straight Olympics in the 100 meter breaststroke.

She finished the race with a vengeance, but needed five more meters to hit the wall first. 

She won't have the same problem in the 200 meter breaststoke. She's the defending gold medalist in that event and I expect her to repeat. She sounded confident about the 200 when we talked yesterday at the Aquatics Centre.

 The Queen took center stage at the Opening Ceremony. But yesterday, I caught up with "The King," Lebron James. The Miami Heat and Team USA star hoopster said, "it's the name on the front of the uniform, not the name on the back, that counts." That's the attitude Coach K's troops have displayed thus far in this tournament. 

Lebron had 8 assists and took only 6 shots in the U-S victory over France. His unselfishness is contagious. Everyone on this team would rather get an assist than score on an alley-oop. Watch for my feature on Team USA's dynamite chemistry on Olympic Zone with David Ushery, Tuesday night at 7:30 pm on NBC 4.

Of all the interviews I have conducted in London, none rival the one I did with Holley Mangold. The sister of Jets star center Nick Mangold is a 350 pound weightlifter. She's also a 350-pound character. 

I have to share some of her quips with you: "going up the stairs, I run out of breath."   

"I don't look like an athlete. I trip walking across the floor."

"You don't go to the Olympics saying I really want to finish 8th."

 Sitting on Holley's lap for a photo, I felt like a kid on Santa's lap.

But Holley -- all I want for Christmas is for you to win a medal. I'll remember this feature for a while. As Holley says, "nobody remembers the skinny girl's name."

Well that's it for the Beck Blog. I have to go find a fact checker. See you on TV or right back here real soon. Remember life is about the journey -- not just about the results.

 ______________________________________________________________________________

Sunday, July 29

Sorry, folks - been running around London, chasing our local athletes. Eating is not a priority and sleeping is out of the question. But this is what it's all about - a wonderful and exhausting marathon!

Speaking of the Olympic Marathon, that event is on the final day of competition.  I'll be rooting hard for my buddy Meb Keflezighi, who won silver in Athens in 2004.

Let's shout together for Lia Neal. The 17-year-old Brooklyn native won a bronze medal Saturday night as part of the women's 4 X 100 Freestyle Relay Team.

Neal, who is a Swim for the Future Scholarship recipient at Asphalt Green in Manhattan, met the "future" early and found out it's nothing to fear.

I interviewed her after she hit the medal stand at the Aquatics Centre in Olympic Park and I could not help but smile with her.

What a showing by only the second African-American woman in history to qualify for the U.S. team.

Hey, I made it over to men's basketball practice on Saturday afternoon. And what I found among the multi-million dollar stars were the following things: humility, unselfishness and class.

Say what? Yes, believe it or not this team embodies everything that is right about the game Dr. James Naismith invented in the Springfield YMCA in 1891. Give credit to the Chairman of USA Basketball, Jerry Colangelo and Head Coach Mike Krzyzewski, for setting the tone.

I asked Carmelo Anthony and Tyson Chandler if they can bring that same winning attitude back to New York for the Knicks -- and the both said emphatically, "that's the whole purpose and the plan."

So superstar Ryan Lochte beat Michael Phelps in round 1 of their epic duel. But remember there's a rematch on the horizon. Don't count out the old guard yet. Michael Phelps is very proud. Their next head-to-head encounter is in the 200-meter individual medley. Phelps edged Lochte in the U.S. Olympic Trials. I think he does it again here in London on Thursday night.

By the way, Lochte who will be 28 next week, is actually older than Phelps.

Finally, I have to give props to my cameraman, Eddie Alonzo who I have worked like a mule here in London. He has been amazing in every way. And I had to laugh last night when his six year old son, Ryan called him to say hello.

Here's Ryan's quote - one for the ages as I like to say: "Dad, you can't be that tired.
How hard is it to take pictures all day?"

See you all on the airwaves. By the way, I start live on Today in New York on Monday morning with the dynamic team of Darlene, Michael, Chris and Lauren.
 

Thursday, July 25

It's always great to start your day with Today -- as in The Today Show! That's where it all began for yours truly on Thursday, under spectacular skies in London.

The setting for Matt, Savannah, Al and Natalie was the Tower of London, home of the UK's "crown jewels." Yes, I know my wife would kill to grab just a few of them.

My focus was on the gymnast from New York City, John Orozco. The 19-year-old sensation has wonderful child-like enthusiasm -- although he's a "man" when he gets in heated competition. The 2012 U.S. National Champion in the All-Arounds is gunning for a medal here in London -- or maybe two.

I love the fact his mom used to drive him 20 miles everyday from Da' Bronx (similar to Da' Bears) to Chappaqua to hit the floor for practice. His entire family has been instrumental in John's success and it's great that they will all be here in England to cheer him on. Rightfully so. John is an awesome kid -- and he's a dead ringer for Ahmad Bradshaw of the New York Giants!

Just because the truth lives here, I've got to come clean. I took a wicked spill at The Today Show. Yes, this old f-rt (it rhymes with smart) tripped over a giant light stand and injured his knee, groin, hamstring and shoulder. What an idiot. Ice helped soften the blow but I have already been scratched from the Decathlon. And my ego is bruised as well. 

My cameraman Eddie said to me as I was lying on the ground, "Let it be, Bruce for a few minutes." Say what?

However, that does lead me nicely to Friday's Opening Ceremony. Tonight as I headed to my live location for News 4 New York at 5, I heard Sir Paul McCartney singing "Let It Be." It was unbelievable. I had goosebumps everywhere. Paul performing in England? You can't be serious? And yes, every song he sang in the rehearsal in Olympic Stadium was brilliant.

I also interviewed shooter Matt Emmons from Brown Mills, New Jersey. He's the guy who shot a bull's-eye in 2004 -- but at the wrong target. He owns a gold and a silver medal, but the question is "What might have been?" He basically lost two medals on two shots. He was that close to owning four career Olympic medals.

Matt is refreshing. I like the honesty he displays. And he's looking forward to adding some hardware in London.

By the way, Matt has looked cancer in the face and beat it. His story is a powerful one. We will share it with you on NBC 4 in the days ahead.

On Friday, please catch my story at 5 on Phobay Kutu-Akoi. She's the St. John's graduate who is the flag bearer for Liberia. It's an emotional and energizing story.

Late night here in London, as usual -- so it's time to turn in. Got to get ready for the fireworks tomorrow -- and some real rock 'n roll.

Hey, where's my ice?

The Thames:

Tower Bridge:

Wednesday, July 24

I started my day with Citi at The USA House. Their "Every Step Of The Way" program includes 13 athletes. Cullen Jones leads the way. He's my buddy. He hails from Irvington, NJ, by way of the Bronx. I'm a Livingston, NJ guy.

What a guy. In the pool, he flies like a butterfly -- but blazes in the freestyle events. He is gunning for gold again. The 50-meter and 100-meter freestyle man learned to swim after almost drowning as a youth. Now he's giving back to the community and teaching minorities how to swim in USA Swimming's "Make A Splash" initiative.

Go, Cullen, go! Sorry guys, it's OK to root for a club when Team USA is your team of choice.

Next stop today -- a visit with Team USA's fencers. I missed the press conference but with the help of Pied Piper Tim Morehouse, I got the group into my own private room at the Main Press Center. This Olympic team is loaded with New Yorkers.

I loved hanging with the brainiacs of the Olympics. These men and women all go to top schools including Princeton, Columbia and Stanford. Look for a piece coming soon on NBC 4 on these academic "geeks." I say that lovingly. Oh, and speaking of lovely -- I enjoyed hanging with Nzingha Prescod and Nicole Ross.

Finally, I met the flag bearer for what will be Liberia's Olympic delegation during the Opening Ceremony. She's a 2009 St. John's graduate and is a 100-meter specialist on the track. Even with her blazing speed, I figured out a way to corral Phobay Kutu-Akoi.

She is dynamite in every way. She grew up in a country where civil wars were commonplace. Embattled as a youngster, she was forced to leave her homeland. Now 13 years later, she gets a distinguished honor in London. What a tangled web!

Phobay said her Liberian roots have shaped the athlete and person she has become.

Time for a tidbit or two on Liberia: Its delegation includes more officials than athletes and the Republic is just slightly larger than the state of Tennessee.

Final nugget

Went to do a stand-up tonight by the Tower Bridge, where the magnificent Olympic Rings hang from a steel girder. Unfortunately, the rings were undergoing maintenance. So my beautiful shot at 11 on Wednesday night was missing something. And I'm missing something right now -- sleep!

Good night, all! Let's meet again tomorrow - web style, of course. No jackets or ties required.

Tuesday, July 23

Visited Olympic Park and witnessed the marvelous transformation from contaminated land in East London to a spectacular 250-acre parkland with trees and wetland plants.

Also in the Park is Olympic Stadium, Aquatics Centre, Basketball Arena, Hockey Centre, Handball Arena, Velodrome and more.

Controversy in Olympic Park surrounds The Orbit, the tallest structure in Britain. The 115-meter skyscraper is an observation tower but it will cost fans money to "observe." Plus it's expected to close after the games -- and not re-open until 2014.

Also today, we got the skinny on Team USA's Processing Center. That's where the athletes check in and get their gear. Can I say "swag" on the web? Serena and Venus Williams were there, as were Andy Roddick and Kerri Walsh. All in all, 95,000 items (all free of charge) will be distributed to USA's best. Each athlete gets about 100 items or four bags worth of stuff. Hey, why am I wasting my time as a broadcaster? I have to hone my beach volleyball skills!

The Final Word
I ran into my old buddy Michelle Beadle today, who will be working her first Olympics on NBC. She'll be hosting shows for NBC Sports Network and reporting for Access Hollywood. I shouldn't have taken a picture with her. She puts all of us "old men" to shame. Good luck, Michelle. Knock 'em dead!

Wednesday
En garde! I go toe to toe with the "geeks" of the game -- the brilliant fencers of Team USA. They're a team filled with New Yorkers.

Plus, we'll catch up with swimmer, Cullen Jones. He's the pride of Irvington, New Jersey and his "Make A Splash" charity is "making" a difference in the lives of youngsters! 

The London Olympics were historic for American women before they even started: For the first time, women outnumbered men on the Team USA roster.

Now the ladies can boast that they outperformed the guys, too.

Of America’s world-leading haul of 102 medals as of Saturday night, 58 were won by its women, including 29 of Team USA's 41 golds.

Most of the American women say their success has a lot to do with the fact that they grew up during a time when there were many more women athletes to emulate, thanks to Title IX, the 1972 federal law that expanded educational and athletic opportunities for women and girls.

“The exposure for women in sports has never been greater,” U.S. track coach Amy Deem told the Associated Press.

But it’s not only an American development. The 2012 games are the first in which all participating countries sent at least one woman competitor. And with the addition of women’s boxing, females for the first time competed in all the sports that men did.

Many of the greatest triumphs of this year’s competition starred women: Jessica Ennis in the heptathlon, Gabby Douglas in gymnastics, swimmer Missy Franklin, 17-year-old boxer Claressa Shields, the American relay team beating a 27-year-old record in the 4x100m, judoka Kyla Harrison winning gold.

The literal and symbolic culmination of women’s impact on the London games may have been Thursday’s gold medal match in women’s soccer, when a record 80,000 people showed up at London’s Wembley stadium to watch the Americans beat Japan.

Even so, many members of that U.S. squad pointed out afterward that there is still a long way to go. The Women’s Professional Soccer league folded this year, and plans to create a new league are in doubt. That means the Olympic champions will return home without much idea of where they will continue their careers.

“If I sit and think about it, there’s a little bitterness. More than a little bitterness,” American goalkeeper Hope Solo told the AP. “It’s the times we live in, there should be opportunities for women.”

In other words, the women still expect better. And they know they deserve it.

Sneak a peek behind the scenes of the London Olympics. We're live blogging the entire games, curating the top tweets, Facebook posts, Instagram photos and more from NBC journalists on the ground in London and social media users around the world.

Using Storify, this social experience will be updated in real-time from now until the end of the Games and featured across the NBC Owned Television Stations websites and TODAY.com to tell the story of the Olympics through social media.

David Svoboda of the Czech Republic won the Olympic gold in men's modern pentathlon after matching the Olympic record in the fencing event by winning 26 of his 36 bouts.

The Czech military officer Svoboda, 27, had topped the leaderboard after fencing, but he struggled in his swimming heat and finished 17th out of the 36 athletes, making him second overall with 2,328 points. For the second and final part, the contest moved to Greenwich Park for the horse riding, running and shooting.

That's where Svoboda, the 2010 European champion, regained the lead. After the third show jumping test, he was four points ahead of Cao Zhongrong of China as they entered the final combined shoot and run event.

Svoboda briefly lost the lead again after Zhongrong was quicker to hit the five targets but regained the lead in the running part. The 20th-ranked Svoboda overtook Zhongrong on the final one-kilometer run scoring 5,928 points and beating Zhongrong by 24 points. Adam Marosi of Hungary won the bronze with 5,836 points.

The men's sport has been dominated by Russia, represented in London by world champion and top-ranked Aleksander Lesun and Andrei Moiseev. Lesun finished fourth and Moiseev placed seventh.

It was the first Olympics held under the sport's new format. The women's event is on Sunday.

The modern pentathlon celebrates 100 years at the 2012 London Games, but don’t worry if you’ve never heard of it.

The sport doesn’t enjoy much popularity outside Eastern Europe. Recent calls for its removal from the Olympics Games even led to a vote by the International Olympic Committe last month. The event sport survived that vote, but the London Games might be the last time the modern pentathlon is featured on the Olympic schedule.

The founder of the modern games, Baron Pierre de Coubertin invented the sport. He thought the Olympics needed an event that challenged the mind as well as the body. The ancient pentathlon, where athletes competed in running, long-jump, discus, javelin and wrestling, was his inspiration.

Modern pentathlon made its debut at Stockholm Games in 1912 challenging athletes in five very different events: fencing, 200m freestyle swimming, show jumping, 3km country run and pistol shooting. These events are meant to represent the duties of a 19th century cavalry officer.

Originally the sport was staged over four or five days, but in the 1996 games, the events were piled into one day to assure a more audience-friendly experience. That was the format for the last Olympic Games at Bejing 2008, but under pressure to revamp the sport further, in 2009 some features underwent a fundamental transformation.

First, the running and shooting sections were merged into a biathlon-style event, which now gurantees an exciting and unpredictable finale. And laser guns have replaced air pistols, in an effort to make the sport more accessible and kid friendly.

The changes pose a challenge for the athletes, who have no choice but to adapt.

Thirty-six men and 36 women who have qualified for the Games through a series of World Cup events competed in all five disciplines this year. Two athletes from each country are allowed to take part. The rules are the same for men and women.

In the women’s competition, reigning champion Lena Schoneborn of Germany is the favorite to win gold.

The competition starts with fencing in the Copper Box followed by swimming in the Aquatics Centre. The athletes then leave the Olympic Park for Greenwich Park, where they will compete in a show jumping course on an unfamiliar horse. Athletes receive a score for each of these elements.

The athletes’ total scores are converted into a time handicap, which determines the starting times for the combined event. The athlete with the most points from the three previous events starts first. In that event athletes complete a 3km run, including stop-offs at shooting points where they must hit five targets. 

The first pentathlete to cross the finish line takes the gold medal.

The New York Times' public editor has called his colleague's much-maligned story on track star Lolo Jones "particularly harsh, even unnecessarily so."

Arthur Brisbane weighed in with a letter to readers published Thursday, following days of controversy over Jeré Longman's recent news column.

Longman's story on the American track star — who he accused of running a "sad and cynical marketing campaign" and capitalizing on her good looks — had drawn the ire of readers, the media and Jones herself, who tearfully responded to it on the "Today" show Wednesday.

In his response emailed to readers who complained, Brisbane pointed out that the piece was published as "a point-of-view piece and not straight news coverage" and said the sports desk was aware of the negative reaction to it.

He also admitted, however, that he found the piece "quite harsh" and left him "wondering why the tone was so strong."

Longman's story was excoriated after its publication, with The Daily Beast deeming it a "misguided, over-the-top, personal attack" and a Slate writer calling it "one of the nastiest profiles I've ever seen of an athlete."

"They should be supporting our U.S. Olympic athletes and instead they just ripped me to shreds," Jones told "Today" show anchor Savannah Guthrie, fighting back tears. "The fact that they just tore me apart... is heartbreaking."

Jones had been hoping for redemption on the 100m hurdles in London, four years after she finished seventh after clipping a hurdle despite being the favorite for gold. She came in fourth this week in the event, however.

Team USA enters the final three days of Olympic competition with a commanding lead in the medal count, well ahead of arch-rival China. The advance follows historic performances Thursday by the U.S. women’s soccer squad, 17-year-old boxer Claressa Shields and decathletes Ashton Eaton and Trey Hardee.

America has 90 total medals, 39 of them gold. China has 80 total, 37 gold. Russia is third with 56 total medals, including 12 gold, and host Great Britain is in fourth with 52 total medals, 25 gold.

Team USA hopes to add to its cache of precious metal Friday at Olympic Stadium, where the women’s 4x100m relay team hopes to win America’s first title in the event since 1996. The race starts at 3:40 p.m. ET.

Brad Walker will compete in the men's pole vault final at 2 p.m. ET, and Molly Huddle and Julie Culley will run in the women's 5,000m at 3:05 p.m. ET.

(Not an American team member, but a man who has captured the hearts of many Americans, "Blade Runner" Oscar Pistorius will run for South Africa in the men's 4 x 400 relay at 4:20 p.m. ET.)

At the Aquatic Centre, divers Nick McCrory and David Boudia, who took bronze together in the 10m synchronized, compete in the individual 10m platform at 2 p.m. ET.

Freestyle wrestler Jordan Burroughs, a two-time NCAA champion and defending world champion, is the favorite in the 74 kg weight class.

The men’s basketball team continues its march to gold with a 4 p.m. ET semifinal game against Argentina.

America’s success in London so far is largely due to its dominance in the Aquatic Centre. The 2012 games’ five top medal winners are all U.S. swimmers, led by Michael Phelps, whose record career medal haul included four golds and two silvers in London. Teenage phenom Missy Franklin is in second place, with four golds and one bronze.

The top Chinese medalist is swimmer Sun Yang, with two golds, a silver and a bronze.

The top non-swimmer on the list is another American, gymnast Aly Raisman, whose two golds and a bronze places her 12th overall.

The team results largely match projections by Colorado College economist Dan Johnson, who uses a formula that takes into account countries’ wealth, population, and whether they’ve recently hosted the games.

China which hosted the Olympics in 2008, lost the total medal count to the Americans that year, 110 to 100, but won many more gold medals – 51 to America’s 36.

Johnson’s most recent model forecasted that the United States would win the total- and gold-medal count in 2012, followed by China, then Russia, then Great Britain.

He says he makes the predictions to put the medal count in context, allowing spectators to compare nations against statistics-based presumptions.

“It’s not about the count but how well your country performed against the expectation of what they should have done,” Johnson said in an interview before the Olympics.

He relishes the anomalies, like Kazakhstan, which has just as many gold medals -- but far fewer total medals – as Australia.

“It’s very fun to say we’re number one. But we should be number one," Johnson said. "It would be embarrassing if we weren’t number one, and to put us in a count against Romania is kind of ridiculous.”

For a full local listing of events being shown all day on NBC, the NBC Sports Network, Bravo, CNBC, MSNBC, the NBC Olympic Soccer Channel, the NBC Basketball Channel and Telemundo, please see NBCOlympics.com, where you can also find listings for all livestreamed events.

The U.S. women’s soccer team won its third consecutive Olympic gold medal Thursday, beating Japan 2-1 in a frenetic nail-biter before a record crowd of 80,203 at London's Wembley Stadium.

Midfielder Carli Lloyd scored both of Team USA's goals, avenging the upset loss to Japan in last year's World Cup final.

The Americans have now won all but one Olympic championship since women's soccer was introduced in 1996.

Japan, meanwhile, won its first Olympic medal and can no longer count itself an underdog.

The Americans scored first, in the eighth minute, when Lloyd headed in a cross by Alex Morgan.

Another U.S. goal followed in the 53rd minute, when Lloyd danced through two Japanese defenders on a breakaway and rocketed the ball from the top of the penalty box into the left corner of the net.

Lloyd, who had the game-winner in the gold medal match at the Beijing Olympics, lost her starting job just before the London games but won it back when Shannon Boxx was hurt in the tournament's opening game. She started every match after, and finished with four goals.

The Japanese answered in the 62nd minute, when forward Yuki Ogimi knocked in a rebound that got caught up among the American defenders.

The Japanese continued to pressure the Americans for the rest of the game, and even dominated possession with their disciplined playing style, but were repeatedly turned away by U.S. goalkeeper Hope Solo, who made several stellar saves, including a diving block of a one-on-one shot by Japanese forward Mana Iwabuchi with under 7 minutes left to play.

While the Americans were playing for vengeance, Japan was trying to prove its World Cup triumph was not a fluke. Back then, the team won while shouldering the burden of a nation recovering from an earthquake, tsunami and nuclear meltdown.

Both teams were undefeated going into the final, but the Americans were considered the favorites from the start of the tournament.

They nearly escaped elimination Monday, with a controversial last-minute 4-3 win over Canada in the semifinals.

Canada defeated France in the bronze medal match, 1-0.

The last time The Who played to a huge TV audience as part of a major sporting event – as the halftime act at Super Bowl XLIV in 2010 – the reviews ranged from lukewarm to as cruel as pinball wizard Tommy's sadistic Cousin Kevin.

The poor notices, to our ears, were overstated, even if packing a medley of five classic songs into 12 minutes didn't best represent the group – or best serve more than 100 million TV viewers.

On Sunday, Roger Daltrey and Pete Townshend will close the Olympics before an expected worldwide audience of four billion – offering the group’s surviving members a chance to prove The Who is the perfect imperfect band to send the Games out on a high note.

Sure, the reported reunion of the Spice Girls, who are expected to regroup for the closing ceremony, is grabbing much of the pre-show attention. And it's a fairly safe bet that if Robert Plant had acquiesced to just one more trip up the stairway, Led Zeppelin would have been the Games' final act. We’re guessing the Rolling Stones, whose latest possible comeback has been unfolding in slow motion, also could have scored the gig.

But The Who might be best built to take the games home – and not just because of a catalogue filled with anthemic songs that still soar on Daltrey’s preternaturally powerful voice and Townsend’s windmill-fueled power chords, even as both approach 70.

The opening ceremony, wonderfully quirky with its share of odd moments, bounced – literally, during the trampoline-filled salute to the National Health Service – from the UK’s impact on capitalism to literature to the Internet, a scattershot pastiche that underscored the country's ongoing post-British Empire search a place in the world. The show also reinforced that UK's greatest export during Queen Elizabeth II's reign has been music – brilliantly exemplified by Paul McCartney, who represented his fellow Beatles by leading the world in a sing-a-long of "Hey Jude."

The Who, however, more than any other British Invasion rock act, reflects in very personal songs their nation’s search for its identity and place. Those themes – fueled in the group’s youth by an energy born of rage and frustration, and in more recent years by a refusal to die spiritually by getting old – are at the heart of “Quadrophenia” and “Tommy,” rock-opera masterworks by a group that famously asked in song, “Who Are You?”

Daltrey told reporters last month that he and Townshend were planning “a piece of music that is a fabulous ending for the Olympics ... and just shows the great music that has come out of this country.” That’s a tantalizing thought – as is the notion of capping the Games with “We Won’t Get Fooled Again,” “Baba O’Reilly” or “Pinball Wizard,” which celebrated a sport of sorts that has yet to make it as an Olympic event.

Daltrey and Townshend, after taking the world stage, are set to embark on their first U.S. tour in four years this fall, playing “Quadrophenia” and a set of hits. But on Sunday, the group that both defied and defined Britain with “My Generation,” will have the opportunity to put on a performance for the ages.

Hester is founding director of the award-winning, multi-media NYCity News Service at the City University of New York Graduate School of Journalism. He is the former City Editor of the New York Daily News, where he started as a reporter in 1992. Follow him on Twitter.

Poor Queen Elizabeth II. The 86-year-old British monarch provided a hilarious viral image by leaping into Olympic comedy history during her opening-ceremony Bond Girl stint – only to see a photo of her in a more dour moment become a different kind of Internet meme (our favorite caption: “Let the Hunger Games begin”). 

Visit NBCNews.com for breaking news, world news, and news about the economy