Mental Floss

LONDON-2012

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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

Lucas Reilly
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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

Bud Shaw


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Olympic history books are filled with stories of amazing individual performances and team achievements. But from poorly conceived competitions to spectators attacking the judges, a lot of crazy stuff has happened in the Summer Olympics. 1. Killing Animal

Orrin Konheim


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We're taking a look back at the fine art competitions that originated in ancient Greece and were revived as part of the modern Olympics from 1912 to

Scott Allen




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Over the next two weeks, we’ll be taking a look back at the fine art competitions that originated in ancient Greece and were revived as part of the modern Olympics from 1912 to

Scott Allen
Muhammad Ali with a gold medal at the 1996 Olympic Games.

To become an Olympic hero in our book, it takes more than athleticism. These athletes deserve infinite points—regardless of whether they medalled or not.

Ethan Trex