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London Olympics 2012 Coverage; Texas Woman Donning The Gloves
Aired July 27, 2012 - 12:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
KYRA PHILLIPS, CNN ANCHOR: More of CNN coverage of Olympics starts right now.
(MUSIC)
FREDRICKA WHITFIELD, CNN ANCHOR: All right. Let the games begin and hello, everyone. I'm Fredricka Whitfield in Atlanta.
We're going to take straight to London where, of course, is the countdown is on for the opening ceremonies. It's a big exciting time, and millions of people are all descending on London, and watching from around the world.
Our Becky Anderson is there in what has kind of been called the fun zone tor fan zone, and it is a fun zone, too. And you can see the folks poured out there.
So, Becky, give us a preview of what is happening with the countdown being on at least for the U.S. and other parts of the world to get a chance to see the opening ceremonies.
BECKY ANDERSON, CNN CORRESPONDENT: That's right. We are what for hours away and counting now. You can really feel the buzz in London. I'm at Hyde Park, and one of the big zones and one of the four acts that will connect into the opening ceremony which is at the Olympic park of course in the east side of London.
We've got Duran Duran, and Stereophonics, Snow Patroller and aptly named Scot Paolo Nutini are playing here at the stage tonight. They'll be playing sort of the intervals of what is going to be this absolute extravaganza at the Olympic stadium, quite remarkable to think of what has gone on into the planning for this. They have been practicing for months and months.
Danny Boyle, of course, the director of "Slumdog Millionaire," the Oscar-winning director has been organizing events.
And we won't tell you too much about that, because a lot of it is under wraps. I'm sure when you have Piers up, he's down at the Olympic Park. He'll possibly give us more of a sense of what is going on.
But, yes, here at the center of London, as it were, at Hyde Park, we got tens of thousands of people already pulling in. It rained a little bit this morning, but the weather is cheering up and you know it is a bit inclement of late, but the weather has been a lot better, Fredricka.
We have had the Olympic torch relay through London over the last couple of days, and I think that I spoke to you early this week about it and the sun shown and it is marvelous.
WHITFIELD: I know, it has spoiled everybody. And for those who are about to descend on London, they are believing sunny skies and I packed all of the rain gear. And now here the rain is coming back.
But it is quintessential London and it is not going to dampen the spirits of the athletes. They know what to expect. They have been training for all climates that could descend upon London as well. So there in Hyde Park, and Hyde Park has become multipurpose, hasn't it? You have a fan zone there, and concerts taking place.
And I understand throughout the park, there are big screens so that if you don't have tickets to any of the events, you will get a chance to watch it, right?
ANDERSON: That is right. That is right.
Let me describe how Duran Duran -- you know who they are --
WHITFIELD: Yes, huge.
ANDERSON: -- and this enormous British band of the 1980s, were slightly disappointed they weren't playing at the opening ceremony and they have described it like this, this is the headman hill of the Olympics as it were. If you haven't gotten a ticket to the opening ceremony, and let me tell you that the tickets were around $3,000 per person.
WHITFIELD: No!
ANDERSON: And there are actually some left as a result of that. If you haven't gotten a ticket, this is one of the places in London and around the country that you can come and watch the ceremony.
So that the idea is that the four big bands tonight here will connect in with the ceremony.
The ceremony, I'll give you a little bit of information. The ceremony has got four parts and it will be quintessentially English, a lot of fields and animals and nurses and various things. And what will happen is, but as that breaks across the four parts, the bands will play in these big areas around the country.
Don't forget this is London 2012, but a national event. And the torch relay very much personified that. Lots of people complaining when we first got this event back in 2005 that it was all about London, and most of the events are here in London. There are a few stadia elsewhere.
So, the idea of a torch relay where it said it went from London to (INAUDIBLE) 8,000 miles around the country, 13 million people hit the streets to see it. And today I was down at Henry VIII spectacular seat down at the Hampton Court Palace where the torch was taken on to the Gloriana that barge, you'll remember, that was rained on in the diamond jubilee, and taken up to the park on a big cauldron, it's very much about getting the whole nation involved, and the torch relay was all that.
But now, tonight, the focus is back here, back here in Central Park and to the east of London in Stratford and the old area so rundown until we got the Olympics and completely rejuvenated and all of the grumbling and the mumbling about it.
WHITFIELD: Yes, and there's a lot of that, wasn't there?
ANDERSON: And the austere times, oh let me tell you. And you know the cabbies are still doing it here. And they are moaning a little bit, but even they have smiles on their faces, because the traffic is moving. And listen, the people are moving around, and there is a real sense now of anticipation.
WHITFIELD: Oh, that's cool. OK. All of the frowns are now upside down and smiley faces everywhere. Becky, thanks so much, from fan zone there.
Let's move on to our Piers Morgan and Zain Verjee, who are -- I understand, you are right at the Olympic Park, right? Oh, there we go. We can see the stadium behind you.
Are the people as excited and is the electricity moving through the area there like it is in the fan zone, Piers?
PIERS MORGAN, CNN HOST: Can't you tell by any expressions --
WHITFIELD: Yes, you look excited.
MORGAN: -- this is the most exciting thing of all time?
WHITFIELD: Yes, I am happy to see it.
MORGAN: I don't know what Mitt Romney has to say about this, but we are having a blast here, and more reserved here in Great Britain. Well, actually it is a great time and building suspense with four hours away from the big opening ceremony, and it's going to be an absolutely extraordinary. It's going to have Paul McCartney, the queen, David Beckham, Michelle Obama, and a lot of farm animals, actually recreating an English countryside scene with cows, chickens and sheep.
And if that is not British -- I mean, never mind Beijing -- that is what it is about, farm yard animals and David Beckham.
Let me bring in Zain here. I mean, you can feel it, can you, Zain?
ZAIN VERJEE, CNN INTERNATIONAL ANCHOR: Twelve horses, 30 sheep, 20 cows and two geese --
MORGAN: Fantastic.
And the best headline I've so far is the "The Sun", the biggest selling tabloid, "Bond, Becks, Beatles, the Baked Beans, Brilliant." I can imagine all Americans going, what's on earth bean is going to do this? The baked bean is the queen. It is Cockney slang for the queen.
And we are in the east of London where Cockneys live and reside and this is their affectionate term for her majority.
So, we're going to have apparently James Bond coming in on some contraption and David Beckham marching up the celebrities and Paul McCartney singing "Hey Jude", and it is going to be great, right, Zain?
VERJEE: It really is and it's secrecy and sheep.
MORGAN: Yes.
VERJEE: That pretty much sums its up.
One of the things that they want to do with the opening ceremonies is to built it around the whole theme of William Shakespeare and the "Tempest."
MORGAN: You are an expert of this. You have been reciting Shakespeare all day, and come only you want to show off. Give me a little bit of the Tempest.
VERJEE: Well, you know, this is Caliban. He's the guy who is on the ship before the island and "Ye, be not afraid, the isle of noises, sounds and sweets airs, delight and not hurt.
MORGAN: This is fantastic. You should be out there.
VERJEE: I do, too. I cried but to dream.
The idea is that this is magical. It's fantastical, just like "The Tempest" is.
So, you know, what they want to do is create Alice in Wonderful, Peter Pan, Lord Mortimer and it is going to be few Mary Poppins selling --
MORGAN: I thought they made a very clever decision. They decided they couldn't compete with the kind of extravaganza of Beijing because who could? But what we can do is going to be quintessential British production.
And I am told that there's going to be an Edwardian cricket scene in there tonight. Can you believe that? I am so excited about that.
VERJEE: I have always wanted to see an Edwardian cricket scene.
MORGAN: Finally watch some cricket.
VERJEE: Because you have to. So they will recreate the agricultural era, the industrial era and the steel workers and the good old NHS is going to be there, too. And hospital beds will be wheeled out.
MORGAN: Free health care for all in Great Britain is another great attributes.
VERJEE: And people of social media, people on Twitter and Facebook.
MORGAN: And the most talked about story remains Mitt Romney and the papers here just about summing up his bad day. This one, I think it is the best, "Who invited party pooper Romney?" That's the question of all Britain asking.
VERJEE: I like this one, "Mitt the Twit."
MORGAN: He is having it, isn't he? But I feel sorry for him, because all he was saying what everyone in Britain has been saying this the last month and moaning away, but the moment an American politician moaned we decided to turn on him. Classic British reaction.
Let's take a break. When we'll be back, eight gold medals last Olympics. I talk to Michael Phillips about what may very well be his last Olympics. That's on Monday. I've got a clip from that.
Also, I talk to his mother about one of the chief rivals for the gold. It should be interesting.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
MORGAN: Hours before the official start of the Summer Olympic Games here in London and we have two records. Those by archery superpower South Korea. I didn't know they're good at archery. Let's hope they have the right flags at the end of it.
Its male athletes set world best at the individual and team qualification competition, star Olympian Im Dong-Hyun broke a record. The 28-year-old is competing in the game despite being legally blind. Quite extraordinary. The U.S. mens team finished the day in fourth place, behind France and China which that is not going to be going down very well back home in America. I should think.
The most decorated U.S. Olympic athlete, though, still to come, Michael Phelps. He competes tomorrow, in the 400-meter individual medley.
And I sat down with the 27-year-old swimming legend which airs Monday night. A really moving and inspiring interview. Listen to what he said about the athlete that he admires most.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
MORGAN: Who are your sporting idols?
MICHAEL PHELPS, OLYMPIC SWIMMER: Michael Jordan.
MORGAN: Why him?
PHELPS: He changed the sport of basketball in my eyes and how it, you know, on and off of the court, the guy -- I mean in my eyes made basketball what it is. And, you know what he did --
MORGAN: Have you met him?
PHELPS: No, I haven't met him.
MORGAN: What would you ask him if you were able to meet Michael Jordan?
PHELPS: Well, I have had that thought. A lot.
MORGAN: What's the thing that you are most curious about with him?
PHELPS: I mean, I think that part of me would ask him about what made him come back to the sport, what made him go to basketball and then decide to come back -- excuse me, baseball and then come back to basketball. You know, I think that one of the coolest things that I love about him was it didn't matter what he had going on off of the court or if he was sick or this or that. He never used it as an excuse and came out every single night on the court to do what he had to do to get the job done, and that is what champions do.
It doesn't matter what else is going on when you walk into the arena or whatever you excel at, and you are there to take care of the job that you have to do.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
MORGAN: Michael Phelps, and clip there from the interview I conducted with him which airs on Monday night and I commend you to watch it. It's a really inspiring conversation with probably America's greatest ever Olympian.
And the only person who could stop Michael Phelps firmly in his gold medal winning tracks is, of course, Ryan Lochte, a brilliant swimming rival.
And I've been joined by his mother, Ike Lochte.
Welcome.
IKE LOCHTE, RYAN LOCHTE'S MOM: Hi.
MORGAN: How nervous are you feeling, mother, about this?
LOCHTE: A lot. I am sure about the swimming, I know that he has done everything that he possibly could, and he has done the extra training to get to where he feels confident about himself. But as far as the mom, I'm so nervous for him.
MORGAN: And if I were in a Olympic competition, my mother would be literally hyperventilating.
LOCHTE: I probably am, but thank goodness for the P&G house.
MORGAN: And that is the Procter & Gamble house.
LOCHTE: Oh my gosh, they have been wonderful to us. And they brought in all of the families so we're able to communicate to each other.
I actually got to see Ryan as a surprise two days ago.
MORGAN: Great. How is he feeling?
LOCHTE: Wonderful. He is like fooling around and --
MORGAN: Is the pressure slightly off of Ryan? I mean, do you think that all of the pressure is on Michael Phelps, because he won eight gold medals in Beijing. He's entering seven competitions this time, and if he does not win them all, he is not as good as he used to be.
Ryan is the hot new guy on the block, and probably less pressure than Michael Phelps.
LOCHTE: I don't think that Ryan feels as though there is pressure on him. So I think that he's done everything that he needs to do, and the outcome will come at the end of the race.
MORGAN: And I know they are good friends.
LOCHTE: Yes.
MORGAN: And they have great respect for each other. But let's be honest, you are rooting for your boy to take the Phelps down, aren't you?
LOCHTE: Not to take Phelps down, but to win. It is a difference. I don't -- I don't want him to lose, but I don't want my son -- I want my son to win.
MORGAN: It's a special occasion, the opening ceremony. How do you feel about being in London and excited and a lot of enthusiasm when you go around?
LOCHTE: This is wonderful. It is the first time I have been here and I have taken in walks and traveled and I saw the parliament.
MORGAN: Do you think that Mitt Romney got out and walked around a little bit from the cavalcade he would have seen more enthusiasm on the streets?
LOCHTE: I don't know. It is so fast moving so I'm used to Florida where everybody is nice and slow, so --
MORGAN: Have you had fish and chips when you have been here with mushy peas?
LOCHTE: No, but a lot of potatoes.
MORGAN: Any good? Good as Florida potatoes?
LOCHTE: No, they are better. OK. So I'll give you that.
MORGAN: Tonight, what are you most excited about from the opening ceremony that you have heard?
LOCHTE: I want to see the Americans walk through. I want to see the other countries, but mostly the Americans. I never got to see them in 2004 when I was almost able to watch it on TV. I ended up getting hit with three hurricanes and I missed it.
MORGAN: Wow, really?
LOCHTE: Just as they were coming out. >
MORGAN: Well, that is awful.
LOCHTE: I thought that my son was going to be swimming and missing it.
MORGAN: Will you be in there tonight watching?
LOCHTE: I will, but he won't.
MORGAN: He won't be there?
LOCHTE: No, he swims tomorrow
MORGAN: I bet Michael Phelps won't be there either. He's also in training.
It's going to be exciting, isn't it?
LOCHTE: I am. I'm so looking forward to it. All of the hoopla.
MORGAN: And all the hard work. I can't imagine the dedication, because when I spoke to Michael Phelps, it's a really fascinating interview. He told me that he trained five consecutive years before Beijing, for up to eight hours a day without a single day off .
That is the kinds of dedication people I think appreciate in these athletes.
LOCHTE: I agree. I looked at the tapes of him with the strongman and I cringed when he pulled out the tie and I'd just want pull him and go, are you kidding? Stop doing that.
They do, and he had four years well, actually before Beijing and obviously he got tapered for Beijing and right back to it and he has picked up the weight lifting program.
MORGAN: Well, I wish you all of the best and I am torn, because I like Michael Phelps and he was gracious the give me interview, but I like your boy, too, and it is going to be a h hell of a swim off, as they call it.
LOCHTE: You just want to be a good race.
MORGAN: And may the best Brit win. Actually, we don't have anyone.
Best of luck to you.
LOCHTE: Thank you so much.
MORGAN: I hope Ryan makes his mom proud. Nice to meet you.
LOCHTE: Thank you so much.
MORGAN: Mitt Romney once ran Olympic in Salt Lake. What he said about this Olympic has got Londoners absolutely fuming. I sat down to talk with him. Here's what he had to say about it.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I love it. I love London!
(CHEERS)
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: We are having such a great time getting up super early and seeing the torch.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
MORGAN: Back to the Olympic stadium in London with tension and excitement mounting. There's less than four hours to go now until the big opening ceremony but all of the talk in Britain is about one man and it's not an athlete. It's Mitt Romney.
His remarks about the Olympic security and whether London is ready have not been going down well.
Listen to London's Mayor Boris Johnson rallying the Brits to the calls of Mitt Romney's outrageous comments.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
MAYOR BORIS JOHNSON, LONDON: For all of the people coming from around the world who don't know about the preparations we've done to get London ready in the last seven years. And here is a guy -- there is a guy named Mitt Romney who wants to know whether we are read. He wants to know whether we are ready.
Are we ready? Are we ready? Yes, we are.
(CHEERS)
(END VIDEO CLIP)
MORGAN: Yes, we are ready, Mitt Romney. I concur with London's mayor, and we are ready indeed. You le site will see it tonight. It's going to be an amazing ceremony.
I interviewed Mitt Romney. I didn't get a chance to show him this morning's headlines. It happened yesterday. And as you can see, it hasn't gone down very well.
And you can see the problem with a name like Mitt, it lends itself to tabloid pun geniuses in London. You have Mitt the twit. And this one, who invited party pooper Romney.
So, these comments have not gone very well. I did get a chance to him about this and he was definitely, when I spoke to him yesterday, he was in a nullifying mood.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
MORGAN: You've been slightly criticized for knocking the British enthusiasm. As if you haven't picked up much enthusiasm. You feeling it now?
(LAUGHTER)
ROMNEY: Well, I'm delighted to see the kind of support that has been around the torch for instance. I watched last night on BBC an entire program about the torch being run across Great Britain. And the kind of crowds -- I guess millions of people that turned out to see the torch. That's what you hope to see.
MORGAN: There was a poignant moment when you were asked to allow someone who was your hero to hold the torch, and you chose your wife. Tell me about that.
ROMNEY: Well, Ann had been diagnosed with MS in about 1998. And she was going downhill fast. Her right side was numb. She was having a hard time getting upstairs. We were looking at potentially seeing a wheelchair in her future.
And so as we got closer to the Olympics, and she got stronger and stronger, we were hopeful that Ann might be someone who could carry the torch into Salt Lake City.\
(END VIDEO CLIP)
MORGAN: Mitt Romney and we are re-airing the interview tonight at 9:00 p.m. Eastern.
And we have to give him credit for being accurate. What he has been saying is what the Brits have been saying about the security problems in the last month, but the problem is like going to somebody's house for dinner and saying you don't like their curtains. They may not like the curtains, but you shouldn't say so. Just bad manners.
First lady Michelle Obama had a better response about how London was handling things. She said, quote, "They know what they are doing. And we do know what we are doing." She attended a breakfast with the Olympians, telling them to try to have fun. Also come how with some gold.
She's here as the leader of the U.S. Olympic delegation.
Questions remain, as Mitt Romney suggested about security just hours before having ceremony, Olympic officials say concerns have been addressed.
Dan Rivers takes an up close look at the security issue.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
DAN RIVERS, CNN SENIOR INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): This is the image the British government wants to portray on Olympic security, an unprecedented show of strength -- missiles around the capital, warships on the Thames, and aircraft on standby.
But there's also this: chaos as private security firm G4S struggles to train more than 10,000 guards for Olympic venues and fails miserably.
DAVID WINNICK, BRITISH MEMBER OF PARLIAMENT: It's a humiliating shambles, isn't it?
NICK BUCKLES CEO, G4S: I cannot disagree with you.
RIVERS: We caught up with some G4S recruits in East London who were equally candid about the disorganization of the company.
KALI TURNER, G4S TRAINEE: Lots of people have just given up, and they already have their accreditation and travel passes for around London, they already have their uniform, and they've just quit because G4S has just been a complete mess.
RIVERS: Many of these young recruits still don't know where they'll be working. Some are still waiting to complete their training and get their accreditation and uniforms. Most are students or long- term unemployed. Under the current security structure, these staff are not under the command of the police.
But former senior policeman Tarique Ghaffur says that's a mistake. He drew up the initial Olympic security plan before leaving the force and says multiple private security firms should have been used, overseen by the police, not Olympic organizers.
TARIQUE GHAFFUR, FORMER ASSISTANT COMMISSIONER, METROPOLITAN POLICE: I very strongly now believe that there should be one single person who, in fact -- a uniform person, who in fact should be in charge, and that should be the reference point at which everything from routine security incidents all the way through emergencies should actually go to.
RIVERS: The man who is now coordinating Olympic security says that criticism is unfair.
CHRIS ALLISON, ASSISTANT COMMISSIONER, METROPOLITAN POLICE: I totally reject what Mr. Ghaffur has said in relations to the command and control arrangements. What we're using for Games time is what we use day in, day out across the country. It's very successful. It delivers major sporting events every single day.
RIVERS: The army has stepped in to plug the gap. Thousands of extra troops have been mobilized, meaning about 17,000 are now involved securing the Games. They're being required to work closely with the police imbedded in every part of the police operation, including the London Security Control Center for the Olympics.
RIVERS (on camera): This is the Olympics security nerve center for London, with 20,000 cameras, 8,000 more than normal, and up to 300 staff who are able to monitor just about every inch of all of the Olympic venues.
RIVERS (voice-over): And if they do spot something, the men and women here have a formidable arsenal to call on. Typhoon jets at RAF Northolt to the northwest of London are on standby to intercept any aircraft trying to breach the strict air exclusion zone around the Olympic Village.
DAN BEST, RAF SNIPER: We've got a sharpshooter and a number one behind it to take the shot, if needs be.
RIVERS: That, of course, is the worst-case scenario in the air, but when it comes to securing the perimeter of the Olympic venues on the ground, the contingency plans have already been tested by the failure of G4S, and the Games haven't even begun yet.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
MORGAN: I'm joined live now by Dan Rivers.
Dan, there is no doubt that what Mitt Romney was alluding to is a burning issue of concern to all of Britain for the last month, and security has been the number one problem, because of the outsourcing to a company who just lost control of it. So he was right in what he said, wasn't he?
RIVERS: He was. I think that the problem, Piers, is that he was not specific about his criticism. He hadn't shed -- this is, you know, (inaudible) the issue. He gave the impression that the whole of London was not prepared, which of course just is not true.
What has happened since the debacle, really, the army have stepped in, the police have stepped in. There are now 18,200 troops deployed across London, much more than originally envisaged. But (inaudible) from Number 10, from the home office is it's not a problem any more. It is not ideal, but the army have stepped up to the plate and plugged the gap.
MORGAN: Well, I can confirm that I spent three or four hours on H.M.S. Ocean, which is the biggest vessel in the British Navy and they have got the air force, the army, the navy there, I think well over 1,500 service people, but they also had a whole contingent of Royal Marines armed to the teeth and ready to go.
And they had helicopters all on immediate standby alert, which will have snipers in the back, who will literally be here in a matter of a couple of minutes, and will be dealing with anything that happens. So I would say Britain is on, as you said, the greatest alert we've seen since the Second World War. We are pretty ready, I think, for any eventuality, and you never know what may happen.
But for now, Dan Rivers, thanks very much.
Set your DVR, there are going to be some interesting competitions to watch; we are about to tell you which ones and why.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
MORGAN: Welcome back to the Olympic Stadium in London. There are less than four hours to go now until the opening ceremony, star- studded extravaganza, and we have been told it is going to be quintessentially British, which brings me neatly me to Alex Thomas.
Now, Alex, it is all about the sport, we know that, although tonight is going to be a big circus with farmyard animals and Royals and celebrities, but on the sporting front, tell me the five things you're most looking forward to seeing.
ALEX THOMAS, CNN CONTRIBUTOR: Yes, it really could be a classic Olympic Games on the sporting front, which, let's face it, all boils down to the essential appeal of the Olympics. We have picked out five things to look out for, so let's have a look at then now, starting with the men's 100 meters finally, which is always the blue ribbon event of any Games, isn't it?
But it really is mouth-watering, this time, traditionally the Americans have been the sprinting power and you have to look out for Justin Gatlin (ph), back from a drugs ban this time. He missed Beijing. Tyson Gaius (ph), but it is all about the Jamaican rivalry --
MORGAN: This is the Jamaica trio.
THOMAS: -- Usain Bolt and also Johan Blake (ph), the young upstart who won the World Chairmanships when Bolt was disqualified in the final.
MORGAN: And the big question, is Usain Bolt fit or not?
THOMAS: That's really hard to answer. He didn't turn up at a training session up in Birmingham a bit earlier this week, casting question marks, but Johan Blake (ph) missed a PR opportunity yesterday. We were going to speak to him. And he pulled out of the interview. Either he was scared of my questions --
(CROSSTALK)
THOMAS: -- but I don't believe that is the reason.
MORGAN: But that is the race you are most looking forward to.
THOMAS: But I had Ryan Lochte's mother here and --
MORGAN: That's going to be amazing. I think that the Lochte- Phelps battle throughout these games is going be intense.
THOMAS: Yes, and the swimming is one of the first events. It sets the tone for all of the events coming after it. Michael Phelps won eight gold medals four years ago. Remember Mark Spitz back in the '70s, winning seven, wearing them around his neck. Phelps set a new standard. But Lochte has ripped him to shreds at times this year.
MORGAN: Phelps told me in the interview that airs on Monday night that he would only enter events -- this was about three weeks ago, did the interview, only entered events he thought he could win, he has entered seven events. That means he thinks he can win seven.
THOMAS: Yes, and pulled out of one late on --
(CROSSTALK)
THOMAS: I mean, that's going to be a fascinating (inaudible) but other things to look forward to, the men's dream team in the basketball, of course, always great --
MORGAN: No one' s going to beat America at basketball. But if you -- America's lose to basketball with the team they've got, Lebron James, Kobe Bryant, I mean --
THOMAS: And you know, their women's team have won the last four Olympics running and only lost three times since it came into the Olympics back in the 1970s. Oscar Pistorius --
MORGAN: Yes, what a story he is.
THOMAS: -- you know the Paralympic track and field athlete to compete at the Olympic Games. Yes, Matthew Deswell (ph), the African swimmer did it in a previous games. But this is great. Anyone who meets Oscar Pistorius gets inspired.
MORGAN: Most inspiring thing I have ever seen. This guy has -- is just an extraordinary example to everyone of resilience and determination against all adversity, isn't he?
THOMAS: No, he is. And there's no doubt the scientific evidence in my mind has been proven, a court of arbitration in sport says he does not get an unfair advantage, hey, he has got no legs, you know. He's --
(CROSSTALK)
MORGAN: You think it is unfair, try it. Seriously, it's so ridiculous, isn't it?
And finally, the final one you chose, and I like this.
THOMAS: Yes, Mariela Zugunis (ph), most people wouldn't have heard of her, but she is actually going to carry the American flag in the opening ceremony, a fender who's won two Olympic gold medals, only got into Athens when Nigeria pulled out late, (inaudible) to have, you know, avoiding someone like Serena Williams and picking someone that not all Americans necessarily know.
MORGAN: Yes, it's a very nice, cool choice. It's going to be great, the sport. I think you've picked some great choices. There are many more, can't wait for it all to start. Thanks very much, Alex.
Middle of the sweat training and exhaustion, there is one woman who does the job of dozens of mothers. You're about to meet the Olympic house mother, who's with the U.S. athletes in training, to tragedy and occasionally to triumph.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
MORGAN: Welcome back to the Olympic stadium in London. Excitement mounting, less than four hours to go to the big opening ceremony and I have been joined by arguably the single most important person of the entire American team. Sherry Von Riesen, you are the housekeeper to these athletes, the American athletes.
SHERRY VON RIESEN, U.S. OLYMPIC TEAM HOUSE MOTHER: I'm the mum, as they call the over here in England. And at any given time, I have about 130 athletes that I actually live with. For the last 15 years I've lived with them.
MORGAN: So you know them better than anybody else. You have known Michael Phelps since he was 15 years old.
VON RIESEN: Yes.
MORGAN: What I love most of all is the -- his favorite book that you've read to him. What's it called?
VON RIESEN: "How to Train like a T-Rex."
MORGAN: "Train Like a T-Rex." Well, not if he wins everything.
VON RIESEN: Yes, he does. It -- that was his favorite book and the last time I saw him -- I have known him for 15 years -- or 15 -- since he was 15. I said, "Michael, my kids have grown. I used to read them a book. My grandkids have moved," and he looked at me and he went, "Sherry, you are going to read me my own book?" And I said, "Yes, I am."
And I sat him down -- and I have the picture -- and he has got the biggest smile, because that is his favorite book.
(CROSSTALK)
MORGAN: -- most surprising because he is the T-Rex of swimming. VON RIESEN: Yes. He is the T-Rex of swimming.
MORGAN: How do you keep somebody like him in tiptop shape? What are the sort of housekeeping rules that you abide by?
VON RIESEN: I try guilt.
(LAUGHTER)
VON RIESEN: And I'll tell you, at this age -- it does not work. Most of the athletes don't pay any attention to me. I have tried guilt, but what I love about the athletes there, they are wonderful. They are everything you read about and more. If I'm having a bad day, they sense it, and they will always come and say, "What can I do for you? What can I do for you?"
MORGAN: Do you control things like food, drink, that kind of stuff? Do you keep them hydrated? What are the sort of basic rules?
(CROSSTALK)
VON RIESEN: No, I was going to say, when anyone comes in -- like I have 130 athletes, but maybe at any time 400 will come in, visit like overnight guests. And the first thing I'll say is you are in Colorado, drink lots of water.
MORGAN: Yes.
VON RIESEN: Other than that, I don't really know them as athletes. I know more their personal life. I know what they are like outside of the gym, outside of the pool. And that's the part I talk about, because the whole world knows them as athletes.
MORGAN: I have met quite a few of them. I've interviewed them for the last two or three months. They all strike me as very confident. They're very going. They're very open to interviewing, I love to interview an athlete, because they will tell you anything you want to know.
But I was a big concerned about the sheer volume of condoms that are being administered to the athletes, including the American athletes. Are they all at it like rabbits? I mean, what goes on in these training camps?
VON RIESEN: What goes on in colleges.
(LAUGHTER)
VON RIESEN: They are athletes. They are human beings.
MORGAN: Is it good for their performance, though? The track and the field and the pole vaulting?
VON RIESEN: He is trying to get me.
You are so trying to get me. MORGAN: It just struck me. (Inaudible).
You are not going to tell me, are you?
VON RIESEN: We keep everyone in life safe. We believe in keeping athletes happy and safe.
MORGAN: Does Michael Phelps sleep like a baby still? I mean, he seems so laid back. He nearly fell asleep in my interview.
(LAUGHTER)
VON RIESEN: I can believe that.
I do know that the last day that -- when he left, I said do you want a going-away party? He says, no, he wants to just quietly leave like he came in. And what -- I brought him some cream puffs, because he loves cream puffs.
And I went -- I started to knock on the door, and I went, he's playing video games.
And you don't interrupt him. So I had Rudy Garcia Tolson (ph), who's one of my Paralympic athletes. He's very good friends with Michael. I said, "Rudy, come here. Knock on this door. I'm getting behind you."
So he knocked on the door and you hear, "Just a minute. I'm coming. I'm coming."
I went, oh, yes, we've just interrupted him.
MORGAN: Don't interrupt the T-Rex.
(CROSSTALK)
VON RIESEN: Don't interrupt the T-Rex when he's doing his video games.
MORGAN: Sherry, it's been lovely to meet you. I know you're doing an amazing job for those athletes. So I --
VON RIESEN: Can I also say one thing?
MORGAN: Yes.
VAN RIESEN: That I've been over in London. Thank you for these wonderful, wonderful games that you're putting on. And now I have many, many athlete children. I've now adopted everyone in London.
MORGAN: Oh, that's great.
VAN RIESEN: And you're my --
MORGAN: Maybe you should be adopting Mitt Romney and get him into the spirits of the games too. VAN RIESEN: Yes, I'm adopting Londoners.
MORGAN: Sherry, thank you so much for coming down.
VAN RIESEN: Thank you. Thank you.
MORGAN: And thank you for all that you do to --
VAN RIESEN: OK. Thank you.
MORGAN: Of course. I want to come and be mothered by you.
VAN RIESEN: You got it.
MORGAN: We'll be back with more after the break.
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MORGAN: Welcome back to the Olympic Stadium in London. And excitement really building up here. I wish Mitt Romney could feel this. I wish he'd stuck around and been with me for today, because he would have really got into this, I think. Throughout this hour we're going to be bringing you the sights and sounds as Britain welcomes the whole world to London and the great Olympic Stadium.
Big Ben rang in the day. The famous clock chimed more than 40 times.
And people across the country joined in by ringing bells for three minutes. A new Big Ben record. The Olympic torch set off on the final leg of its journey towards the Olympic Stadium. The torch was carried down The Thames on the royal barge Gloriana by the Tower Bridge. And the flame is now out of public view until the opening ceremony. And everyone wants to know who's going to light it. Is it going to be the queen? Will it be Sir Roger Bannister, the first man to break the four-minute mile? Will it be Daley Thompson, our Great British decathlete? Or my probable favorite, I'm not going to say. Leave it a surprise.
For the first time ever, women will be in the boxing ring for this Olympics. And we have here the story of one American who fought virtually every day of her life to be here right now.
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MORGAN: Welcome back to the Olympic Stadium here in London. We're just three and a bit hours away from the opening ceremonies. My apologies to any of you, as Mike Kearnan (ph) has tweeted me to say, is that the Olympic Stadium behind you, Piers, I can hardly see past your giant head. It is. And my head is not that giant.
Anyway, female boxers will be stepping into the Olympic ring for the first time. At just 12-year-olds, Marlen Esparza was a self- confessed (ph) troublemaker. The girl from Texas is now poised to become a national star. Soledad O'Brien takes up her story.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
MARLEN ESPARZA, TEAM USA BOXER: When you beat somebody in the ring, you are not just beating them up or something. You're like beating the entire symbolism of them. You're beating who they are.
SOLEDAD O'BRIEN, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Marlen Esparza's early mornings always start with math. How much to eat. How far to run. How many pounds, sprints, crunches. How many endless hours of training will it take to win?
O'BRIEN (on camera): Why are you here every day?
ESPARZA: I want to win. This is my life and this is what I do. Like, and I can honestly say, like, this is who I am. Like right here you're with me. You see, this is what I do.
O'BRIEN (voice-over): Esparza trains in a gym along a lonely stretch of Houston's I-10. Coach Rudy Silva took charge of her life when she was just 12. She's now 22.
O'BRIEN (on camera): Is she allowed to have a boyfriend?
RUDY SILVA, COACH: No.
O'BRIEN: Is she allowed to party on the weekends?
SILVA: No.
O'BRIEN: Is she allowed to take a few days off and just not train when she's worn out?
SILVA: No.
O'BRIEN: That's a lot of nos.
SILVA: Yes.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Marlen Esparza!
O'BRIEN (voice-over): Esparza won the first of seven national championships by age 16. She dreamed of fighting at the Olympics, even though boxing was the only sport that didn't allow women.
O'BRIEN (on camera): The Olympics was a goal? A big goal?
ESPARZA: Yes. Yes, it's huge. It's probably I honestly, truly feel like if I go to the Olympics and medal, that I could probably be totally happy for the rest of my life. Yes, like completely happy.
O'BRIEN (voice-over): Now the Olympic glass ceiling has been shattered. Women will be boxing at the London games for the first time in history. Sponsors have lined up behind Marlen -- Nike, Cover Girl, Coca-Cola. And her community is excited to have a Latina star.
ESPARZA: The Mexicans are totally going to love it. They're going to freak when it happens. O'BRIEN: Esparza was the first American female boxer to qualify for the games. Her dream of going to the Olympics is now just around the corner.
ESPARZA: I think like the atmosphere and the energy is just going to be like something I've never felt. And I think that's one of the main things that I'm kind of looking forward to. I think that's really going to put me over the top and ready to compete.
O'BRIEN (on camera): Marlen arrived in London this week, just as she's appearing all over the United States in Olympic advertising for McDonald's, for Cover Girl and Coca-Cola ads. A long way for a working class girl from Texas, whose Olympic journey comes to fruition on Sunday, August 5th in London.
Soledad O'Brien, CNN in New York.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
MORGAN: What a fantastically inspiring story, Soledad O'Brien. We'll bring you Marlen Esparza's story as she attempts to make her Olympic dreams a reality. CNN's "Latino In America In Her Corner" Saturday night at 11:00 Eastern.
Now there's been some talk about the clothes the athletes are wearing in this Olympics and then there's the clothes that people aren't wearing. We'll explain this picture and what it has to do with the Olympic games after this break.
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