U.S. first lady Michelle Obama has visited U.S. Olympic athletes in London ahead of the Games' opening ceremony, telling them they are an inspiration to Americans.
Mrs. Obama spoke at a breakfast for the athletes, shaking hands and sharing hugs with many of them. She told the athletes their country is proud of them and rooting for them.
The first lady is scheduled to attend the opening ceremony later Friday, after a visit with schoolchildren and a reception hosted by Queen Elizabeth.
Also in London for the ceremony is U.S. presidential candidate Mitt Romney, who tried to backtrack Thursday from comments he made that seemed to question Britain's ability to host the Olympic Games.
NBC News aired an interview with the presumptive Republican nominee Wednesday in which he said that last-minute concerns about London's security staffing for the games were "disconcerting."
But after meeting with top British officials, including Prime Minister David Cameron Thursday, Romney said he expects the games to be "highly successful."
Romney next travels to Israel and Poland on a tour aimed at boosting his foreign policy credentials.
Some information for this report was provided by AP, AFP and Reuters.