Olympics: 'Today' Anchors Share Their Favorite — and Least Favorite — Moments
Another Olympics, another chance for Matt Lauer and Al Roker to wear spandex. At least that’s what most of the Today anchors are hoping for as the morning show once again broadcasts from the site of the Games, this time in Rio. We sent a questionnaire to members of Today‘s team — including pregnant Savannah Guthrie, who’s staying behind to anchor from Studio 1A in New York — asking them to each name their favorite and least favorite Olympic moments, the best moment we didn’t see on TV, and their boldest prediction for Rio.
Matt Lauer
Co-anchor of NBC News’ Today
Number of Olympics I’ve covered (including Rio): 11
Favorite Olympic moment: Watching Michael Phelps win his record-setting eighth gold medal in Beijing from a great seat in the Aquatics Center.
Least favorite Olympic moment: Getting cocky after a great run with Al in the two-man luge on the track in Sochi … trying a second run and crashing badly!
Best Olympic moment you didn’t see on TV: The feeling of watching Muhammad Ali light the cauldron in Atlanta from inside the stadium.
My boldest prediction for Rio: That Katie Ledecky will rule the pool!
Savannah Guthrie
Co-anchor of NBC News’ Today
Number of Olympics I’ve covered (including Rio): 3
Favorite Olympic moment: I loved watching the USA-Russia men’s hockey game in Sochi. The whole Today gang was there to watch — it got so tense during the shootout I don’t think Matt sat down once!
Least favorite Olympic moment: Missing out on drinking vodka with everybody during the Sochi Olympics because I was secretly pregnant. (Yes, I’m pregnant every Olympics!)
Best Olympic moment you didn’t see on TV: Meeting Mary Carillo at Wimbledon. I love tennis so much, even meeting the commentators is thrilling. Also, I got to see Serena Williams win gold for Team USA!
My boldest prediction for Rio: Matt and Al will wear spandex.
Al Roker
Co-anchor and weather and feature anchor of NBC News’ Today
Number of Olympics I’ve covered (including Rio): 9
Favorite Olympic moment: Muhammad Ali lighting the Olympic torch in 1996.
Least favorite Olympic moment: Watching the aftermath of the 1972 Munich games.
Best moment you didn’t see on TV: My 54th birthday at the 2008 Beijing Olympics. We had an amazing karaoke night. Many folks are still hoping no cellphone video turns up.
My boldest prediction for Rio: Matt and I will do something ridiculous, wearing something really stupid.
Hoda Kotb
Co-host of the fourth hour of NBC News’ Today
Number of Olympics I’ve covered (including Rio): 5 (Athens, Torino, Beijing, London, and Rio)
Favorite Olympic moment: Back in 1992, at the Barcelona Olympics, Derek Redmond was running the 400m, and he tore a muscle. Clearly he wasn’t a contender for a medal. His dad ran out of the stands. Ran with him down the track so he would finish and then stopped just short of the finish line so his son could cross the finish line alone. It’s not so much the, “Did you win gold?” but there are so many Olympic moments that are about the human spirit.
Least favorite Olympic moment: Not my least favorite, but it is a big bummer. There was a guy who at first it was believed he missed his start time because his alarm didn’t go off, and then come to find out that maybe his coach gave him the wrong start time. Either way, he still missed his moment.
Best moment you didn’t see on TV: That time Matt and Al wore spandex and went down the luge. Oh, wait, we did see it on TV, but anything to bring that back up again.
My boldest prediction for Rio: Mucho caipirinhas.
Natalie Morales
West Coast anchor of NBC News’ Today
Number of Olympics I’ve covered (including Rio): 5 (Athens, Torino, London, Sochi, and Rio)
Favorite Olympic moment: My first Olympics in Athens. I went to my first Olympic event, the swimming showdown between Michael Phelps and Australia’s Ian Thorpe (the Thorpedo as he was called). The setting in the birthplace of the Olympics was spectacular, and the atmosphere charged with such excitement. From then on, I have since made many more Olympic memories, but this is one that stands out because, sitting in the stands, I felt what it means to have Olympic fever.
Least favorite Olympic moment: The Sochi bear (man in a bear costume, to be clear) apparently took too much of a liking to me, and let’s just say I will never look at stuffed bears the same!
Best moment you didn’t see on TV: Any day on set at Today right after athletes won their events and before coming on with us live. With those medals around their necks, they are just pure joy and so ready to share what they have accomplished with the world.
My boldest prediction for Rio: Rio will turn out to be a very positive and beautiful Olympics. Brazilians are extremely proud (I am half Brazilian and lived there when I was 7-10 years old), and they know how to put on a great show. I’m more than confident Rio will be an Olympics to remember.
Billy Bush
Co-host of the third hour of NBC News’ Today
Number of Olympics I’ve covered (including Rio): As a radio morning show host, I flew to Sydney in 2000 to cover the summer Games. My television coverage began in Athens in 2004, and I haven’t missed a summer or winter Games since.
Favorite Olympic moment: Watching Michael Phelps win his eighth gold medal in China was history in the making, the greatest Olympic feat ever. I was lucky to be there. The Opening Ceremony in Beijing was breathtaking. In Sochi, I took Johnny Weir fishing in waders (the rest of him was Prada and Chanel) along the pier with all the old grizzled Russian men. It’s the ultimate fish-out-of-water piece, and it was hysterical.
Least favorite Olympic moment: Watching Lindsey Vonn crash in Vancouver was terrifying. She is such a machine and goes for it. I thought she was going to be in terrible shape.
Best moment you didn’t see on TV: I went to dinner at the legendary Umberto’s restaurant in Vancouver one evening, and Wayne Gretzky invited me over to his table where he was eating with Canadian hockey royalty. He poured me a glass of wine, and we began to laugh and talk hockey. I was in heaven. The owner, Umberto Menghi, came over and asked to take a picture with both Wayne and me. Umberto asked me to send it to him in a frame, and I did weeks later. It read: “Dear Umberto, thank you for the great hospitality and food. Love, The Great One and the other one.” That was the best hangout at any Games.
My boldest prediction for Rio: After Michael Phelps finished swimming in London, he came and did an interview with me. I have known Michael a long time, and I said, “Michael, are you going to retire?” to which he said, “Yes, I am retiring.” I said, “Are you sure?” and he said “Definitely.” And then I said don’t file [the story]. The great ones never retire, like Michael Jordan and Sugar Ray Leonard, Joe Montana and Peyton Manning. I can’t wait to roll the tape back in Brazil, because it’s going to be another great Phelps show.
Today’s coverage of the 2016 Rio Olympics airs live from Copacabana Beach at 7 a.m. daily on NBC. The Opening Ceremony of the Olympics airs Friday, Aug. 5, at 7:30 p.m. on NBC.
