olympics

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The New Single-Medal Countries (and Two That Left the List)

A few weeks ago, we gave you 21 countries that have only won a single Olympic medal. Now that the London Games are through, it's time to update our list with the countries that netted their first-ever medal this summer, and the two countries that have now moved into multiple medal territory. First-time medals... READ ON

Article

Scenes From the 1908 London Olympic Marathon

In honor of today's Olympic marathon, here's a look back at the origin of the race, plus an explanation of the whole ".2"... READ ON

List

8 Underdog Nations and Their Memorable Olympic Performances

This week, the tiny Caribbean nation of Grenada won its first Olympic medal when 19-year-old Kirani James took the gold in the 400-meter dash. With a population of 104,000, Grenada is the 17th-smallest country in the world, and now the smallest nation to win a gold medal. Here's a look back at eight other great Olympic performances from underdog nations. 1. India: 1928 Amsterdam Summer Olympics India may be the second-most populated nation in the world, but prior to London 2012, they’d only... READ ON

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A Brief History of Olympic Defectors

For some athletes, the Olympics aren’t just a competition: they’re a chance to escape oppression. Earlier this week, seven of Cameroon’s athletes disappeared from London’s Olympic Village. The week before, three runners from Sudan’s Olympic training squad filed for asylum in Britain. Here’s a look at some other Olympic defections. 1948 Summer Olympics: London Marie Provaznikova, a Czech who was President of the International Gymnastics Federation, was the first person to defect from the... READ ON

Big Question

What Happened to Starting Races With Real Pistols?

When Usain Bolt, Wallace Spearmon and the rest of the field line up for today's 200-meter race, they'll kick off the race not at the fire of a pistol, but a noise triggered by an electronic gun. Did previous Games use actual... READ ON

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6 Olympians Who Don't Keep Their Medals in a Sock Drawer

For being such rare, magical creatures, gold medals seem to get second-rate treatment once they land in the hands of Olympians. You’d be surprised how many athletes either misplace them or shove them in a sock drawer. Here are a few athletes who got a little more creative with theirs. 1. Carl Lewis: His Father's Casket Nine-time track and field gold medalist for the... READ ON

Article

Remembering Reebok's "Dan and Dave" Campaign 20 Years Later

Twenty years ago, Reebok introduced us to "Dan and Dave." Once American sports fans moved beyond their game of word association -- "Who?" -- the two men involved became part of one of the most memorable marketing campaigns in history despite a letdown of Olympic... READ ON

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4 Times Olympians Refused Their Medals

South Korean fencer Shin A-Lam provided one of the indelible images of the 2012 London Olympics when she staged an hour-long, tearful protest after losing to Germany’s Britta Heidemann in an individual epee semifinal match. Shin’s coach claimed Heidemann’s winning hit came after the final second on the clock, which was being controlled by a 15-year-old British volunteer, had elapsed. Shin was required to stay on the piste while the judges considered--and ultimately rejected--her appeal. After Shin... READ ON

Article

The Olympic Swimmer With Only One Leg

Oscar Pistorius is one of the best stories of the 2012 London Games. Yesterday, the South African double amputee advanced to the semi-finals of the men's 400-meters. He'll also compete in the 4x400-meter relay. Pistorius, who runs on specially designed carbon-fiber prosthetics called Cheetahs, is the only amputee competing in London. But he's not the... READ ON

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5 Olympians Who Sold Their Gold Medals

You wouldn’t know it with all of the hype surrounding the Olympics right now, but there are things more important than winning a gold medal. Just ask these athletes, who had good reason to sell their hard-earned precious metal. 1. Mark Wells, U.S. 1980... READ ON