Page 170 - Floor Exercise News Today

Most decorated olympian is here at these games. she is retired russian gymnast larisa latynina and when we went back in the archives we found this. its a time capsule from her early days on the balance beam in 1958. while its never easy to balance on a four-inch plank and we so admire those who do, like gabby douglas, look at how much the sport has changed. and then there is this guy. imagine doing something youve never tried and have no experience in, then imagine doing it at the olympics. this...

The pool. >> my biggest goal is to be a role model, a really, really good role model. >> reporter: role model? check. >> i think its amazing. >> she is probably actually one of my idols. >> reporter: would you like to be like missy when you grow up? >> i would quite like to, yes. >> reporter: less than 24 hours after gabby douglas won the all-around gymnastics gold, the first african-american ever, her name and face are on a cereal box. >> never give up. always keep fighting. >> reporter: just 1...

Gymnastics champion is about to get very rich, very fast. she got a look at her first kelloggs corn flakes box today and other american brands are clamoring to ride the gabby-licious vapor trail. >> at this moment, i would predict she earns in the mid eight-figure range in endorsement income over the next four or five years. >> reporter: thats over $10 million. not bad. and judoka made history today, not because she lost her first judo match in 82 seconds but she became the first woman to ever c...

Sample and try one on too. but lately shes been coming in with less gray than usual. whats she up to? [ female announcer ] root touch-up by nicen easy has the most shade choices, designed to match even salon color in just 10 minutes. with root touch-up, >> gabby douglas made history when she struck olympic gold in june noin gymnastics. we sent a reporter to the town where she was born. >> this is the place where her olympic hopes took off, excalibur gymnastics in her home town of virginia beach ...

Veterans five hours per day, five days per week, now dreams of her own olympic moments. >> how does that make you feel about your own gymnastics? >> it is very inspiring. and it makes me want to push myself harder. >> yesterday the young gymnast watch together as she gave a gold medal performance. >> it is weird to see her as an olympian and that is what people know her as i still see her as daddy, my friend. >> her friend, the olympic champion. >> it means a much, all the hard work and dedicati...

William and kate just being kids and celebrating a british gold medal in bike racing at the velodrome today. they attend a lot of events here with brother harry and the brits are on a big medal run as our host country. about their womens olympic team, the bbc said today, quote, on a horse, on a boat, on a bike, in the pool, in their pajamas, they continue to enjoy their golden moment. that pajama reference had to do with the silver medal in judo today. and now about those american women. tonig...

Olympic history made tonight when 16-year-old gabby douglas won the gold for the best all-around gymnast. the first african-american to win the title, her second gold medal of the games. >> im going to seize the moment. it goes by so fast. >> reporter: tonight the little dynamo with the mile wide smile is flying high and shes not done yet. she has two more events next week. and, brian, back to swimming, the phenom that is phelps isnt done yet either. he still has two more chances at gold here in...

Medal. >> i was saying thank you for you guys making this possible. >> reporter: tonight round two. the 200-meter individual medley. a race phelps owned at the 2004 and 2008 olympics. but a race lochte now holds the world record in. >> i think theres a lot more riding on this now. this is really kind of the end of the match race and i think its going to go down to the wire. >> reporter: thats exactly what happened. in an electrifying finish the master michael phelps once again proved to the worl...

Home? >> zero. >> reporter: at last years visa championship, she fell off the balance beam three times. feeling the pressure to succeed, in january she wanted to quit. >> im like oh, i miss my mom and my family. i even miss my dog. >> i said, if you think youre going to have regrets then dont do it. >> reporter: gabby not only decided to stay in iowa, she roared back in competition. scoring an upset to win the u.s. gymnastics trials. and in london, both families have been in the stands celebrati...

Competition, the first african american woman to win the event. and michael phelps added to his legacy. just what you thought his story couldnt get any better, it did. bill weir leading our coverage again tonight from london. >> reporter: the greatest two hours of gabby douglas life began with a vault. and it was better than anyone could have hoped. it put her at the top of the leader board, where she stayed through the flying squirrel playground on the uneven bars and through the balance beam, ...