OLYMPICS

10 Fast Facts About Wilma Rudolph

Wilma Rudolph made history as a Black woman athlete at the 1960 Rome Olympics, becoming the first American woman to win three gold medals at one Olympics.

Muhammad Ali makes a prediction about how long a fight will last.

The Greatest 10 Facts About Muhammad Ali

Legendary boxer Muhammad Ali once saved a man's life, fought tooth decay, and tussled with an NHL enforcer.

Jesse Owens (right) smokes competitors in the 200-meter sprint at the Berlin Summer Games, setting a new Olympic record.

12 Fascinating Facts About Jesse Owens

Owens’s triumph at the 1936 Summer Olympics defied racist ideology and inspired generations of athletes.

NFL running back Bo Jackson moonlighting as a member of the Kansas City Royals.

11 of the Most Memorable Multi-Sport Athletes in History

The Minnesota Vikings once drafted Dave Winfield … who hadn’t played football since childhood.

How Geena Davis's Archery Obsession Nearly Landed Her a Spot on the 2000 Olympic Team

While Geena Davis might be best known for her films, there’s one role she narrowly missed out on: Olympic archer.

Not all Olympians get medals—but they all get condoms.

The Stimulating History of Free Condoms at the Olympics

Birds do it, bees do it, even Olympic athletes performing near-superhuman feats do it—so Olympic organizers like to make sure they do it safely.

Team USA's Nathan Chen during his gold medal-winning free skate at the 2022 Beijing Winter Olympics.

Do Olympic Figure Skaters Have to License the Music They Skate To?

Nathan Chen won gold against a backdrop of Elton John songs. But who shelled out for the music license?

Sweden's Oskar Eriksson delivers the stone during a mixed doubles match against Norway at the 2022 Beijing Olympics.

What Are Those Red and Green Lights on Curling Stones?

Olympic curling stones are pretty self-policing—here's what those green and red lights can tell you.

Mabel Fairbanks performs a figure skating move.

Remembering Mabel Fairbanks, the Black Figure Skating Pioneer Who Never Got to Compete

Racism shut her out of competitive figure skating, but Mabel Fairbanks made her mark on the sport anyway.

U.S. freeskier Alexander Hall in the big air final at the Beijing 2022 Winter Olympics.

Why Do Some Olympic Freeskiers Compete Without Ski Poles?

Freeskiers have been making their own rules since the inception of their sport. Here’s the skinny on why some choose to forgo the poles.

Netherlands' Suzanne Schulting and China's Qu Chunyu during a 500-meter short-track quarter-final at the 2022 Beijing Olympics.

Why Do Speed Skaters Wear Glasses?

Skiers and snowboarders have to contend with sun and snow—speed skaters don’t. So what are their glasses for?

U.S. biathlete Jake Brown at the 2022 Beijing Olympics.

Why Do Olympic Skiers Wear Tape on Their Faces?

It’s kinesiology tape, usually used to relieve muscle pain. But Olympic athletes co-opted it for another purpose.

Russia's Alina Zagitova, gold medalist at the 2018 Winter Olympics in PyeongChang, South Korea.

Why Don’t Figure Skaters Get Dizzy?

Figure skaters have the same neurological processes that cause dizziness in the rest of us. Here’s how they counteract them.

"Sweepers" clear the ice after Yuzuru Hanyu's short program at the 2018 Winter Olympics in PyeongChang, South Korea.

Why Do People Throw Stuffed Animals at Figure Skaters?

Japan’s Yuzuru Hanyu probably has enough plush Winnie the Poohs to open a store. But he’s not the only skater who gets stuffed animals—here’s why.

Maame Biney will represent Team USA in the 2022 Olympic Games.

10 Trailblazing Black Athletes Who Made Winter Olympics History

Here are 10 trailblazing Black athletes who, despite the odds, made history at the Winter Olympic Games.

Norway's Martinsen Marielle Elisabeth Mathisen mid-play during the 2018 World Cup final against Greece.

Women’s Beach Handball Players No Longer Have to Compete in Bikini-Style Bottoms

Months after the Norwegian women’s beach handball team protested the bikini mandate, the International Handball Federation has updated its rules.

Maria Andrejczyk gave up her silver medal for a good cause.

Polish Olympian Maria Andrejczyk Sold Her Silver Medal for the Best Possible Reason

Maria Andrejczyk earned her first-ever Olympic medal this summer after battling back from bone cancer. She immediately sold it in order to help an 8-month-old in need.

Japanese equestrian Koki Saito competes at the Tokyo Olympics.

Unexpected Hurdle: A Sumo Wrestler Statue Seems to Be Spooking Horses at the Olympics

When Olympic equestrians pictured going for the gold, they probably didn’t expect a sumo wrestler’s ample backside to get in the way.

Libero Justine Wong-Orantes and the rest of the U.S. women's team celebrate following a win against Italy at the Tokyo 2020 Olympics.

Why Does One Volleyball Player Wear a Different Color Than Their Teammates?

Volleyball doesn’t have goalkeepers, but it does have liberos—and the rules are a little different for them.

Elaine Thompson-Herah (third from left) on her way to a gold medal in the women's 100-meter dash at Tokyo 2020 Olympics.

Are There Lane Advantages in Olympic Track Races?

It’s especially impressive if an Olympic runner wins a gold medal from lane 8 or lane 1. But is it really about the lane?

Alessandra Perilli with her bronze medal after the trap-shooting finals on July 29, 2021.

San Marino, a European Microstate, Just Became the Smallest Country Ever to Win an Olympic Medal

Thanks to shooter Alessandra Perilli, San Marino knocked Liechtenstein off a very specific—and very tiny—Olympic throne.

China's Xie Siyi and Wang Zongyuan in the men's synchronized 3-meter springboard diving final at the Tokyo Olympics.

Why Do They Spray Water in the Olympic Diving Pool Between Dives?

When Tom Daley heads to the showers post-dive, the diving pool gets a little shower of its own. Here’s why.

Charles Downing Lay, the Man Who Won an Olympic Medal for Town Planning

Renowned landscape architect Charles Downing Lay beat the odds to become a champion town planner at the 1936 Games in Berlin.

LeBron James's most recent Olympics appearance at the 2012 London Games.

Why Do So Many NBA Stars Skip the Olympics?

LeBron James’s last Olympic basketball appearance was back in 2012. But he and his fellow NBA players have good reasons for skipping the Games.