Let's Catch Up: U.S. Women Rowers Prevail, And NBC's Water Polo Coverage

By Bill Chappell

Published August 2, 2012 at 8:01 AM CDT

The U.S. team races to their second straight gold medal in the women's eight rowing event at the London 2012 Olympic Games, at Eton Dorney Rowing Centre in Eton, west of London.

Good morning. Here's a rundown of the news that's catching our eye this morning, from the London Olympics:

-- The women's eight rowing competition was won by the U.S. team, in an encore of their gold-medal performance in Beijing 2008. The team, which led from the start and stayed ahead of silver medalists Canada at the end, consists of Mary Whipple (coxswain), Caryn Davies, Caroline Lind, Eleanor Logan, Meghan Musnicki, Taylor Ritzel, Esther Lofgren, Susan Francia and Erin Cafaro.

-- American judoka Kayla Harrison has made it into the Olympic semifinal round. Next up: a bout with the top-ranked Mayra Aguiar, of Brazil. The final takes place at 11 a.m. ET.

-- As of this morning, China and the USA are tied atop the medal standings, with 30 apiece. China has 17 golds, while the U.S. has 13. South Korea and France has 12 and 13 medals, respectively. I know, I know: who cares about medals? But still.

-- NBC's coverage has ruffled the feathers of folks who want more live streaming. But one broadcast apparently got a little too live — when a Spanish water polo player's suit was tugged away, exposing part of her chest in a match with the U.S. team Wednesday.

-- Many folks have told me they had trouble understanding what the Olympic opening ceremony was all about. But I hadn't heard it called a "mass satanic ritual disguised as a celebration of Britain and sport" — until the purported deception was laid bare by former soccer goalie David Icke, who has also done commentary for the BBC, during the 1988 Olympics. Hmm. I wonder why they didn't have him back...

-- And, perhaps inspired by those TV commercials that show Ryan Lochte swimming all the way from the U.S. to England, a British man has tried to "carry the Olympic spirit across the Atlantic." That's the word from The Daily Mail. But instead of the 3,600 miles he needed to cover, the Londoner was rescued "off the shore of France" — 300 yards off the shore, to be more precise. Just another reminder of the risks of trying to emulate what has only been simulated.