Hoda Kotb bonds with Olympian Haley Batten over her daughter’s shared name

TODAY co-anchor Hoda Kotb and her two young daughters may be several time zones apart, but they still find moments to connect and share their excitement about the Olympics.

While Hoda's daughters — Haley, 7, and Hope, 5 — are holding down the homefront in New York City, Hoda is in Paris for the 2024 Olympic Games, rubbing elbows with Tom Cruise, picnicking with culinary legend Ina Garten and hanging out with fellow Olympics commentator Snoop Dogg.

Earlier today, Hoda interviewed several U.S. Olympic medalists: synchronized springboard divers Kassidy Cook and Sarah Bacon and mountain biker Haley Batten.

Even with a broken wheel, Batten managed to score a silver medal for Team U.S.A. in the country's best-ever finish.

"Something special just came within me on those last few laps," Batten told Hoda, Savannah Guthrie, Al Roker and Craig Melvin. "It was like I fully leaned into the pain, I couldn't even feel it, and I just wanted that silver so, so bad."

Hoda shared with Batten that she had a very big fan in one special 7-year-old girl.

"My daughter Haley was so happy that someone named Haley won," said Hoda. "She was like, 'Mommy, Mommy! Haley won!' I go, 'Yes, she did!'"

Since it can be difficult for children when their parents are on an extended work trip, Hoda set up a home command center with two analog clocks that are side by side. One is labeled "USA" and the other is labeled "Paris," and the times have been set for Eastern Standard Time and Central European Summer Time.

We can assume they're on the wall in her home so that her daughters will always know what time it is for their mother.

Underneath the clocks is a large sheet of paper labeled with each day of Hoda's Olympic schedule. A few of the competitions — gymnastics, swimming and surfing — are underlined, so it seems the family is especially excited for those.

The spot for Saturday, Aug. 3 features small smiley faces next to "Sha'Carri" (track star Sha'Carri Richardson) and "Simone" (gymnast Simone Biles).

Aug. 5 is labeled "Gymnastics! Big day!" But an even bigger day is Wednesday, Aug. 7, which is labeled as "Mama home," with a big smiley face. The following day is "Everyone comes" and then Friday, Aug. 9 is "Mama b-day."

Who is "everyone"? How is Hoda celebrating her big day with family? We'll have to keep watching to find out!

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This article was originally published on TODAY.com