Olympics 2016

Ryan Lochte's Sponsorship Woes

The Olympic swimmer lost his deals with four companies in a single day because of his “over-exaggerated” Rio story.

• Krishnadev Calamur
• August 22, 2016

The Largest Country Without Medals in Rio

Pakistan just had its worst Olympics ever. Why?

• Uri Friedman
• August 22, 2016

The Rio Olympics: A Crib Sheet

From Michael Phelps and Katie Ledecky to Simone Biles and Usain Bolt, follow the 2016 games with our handy cheat sheet.

• The Editors
• August 20, 2016

Why Hyper-Masculine Women Are Scary, but Fish-Like Men Aren't

Most elite athletes are unusual in some way. So why does Caster Semenya alarm spectators more than Michael Phelps?

• Olga Khazan
• August 20, 2016

Immigrant Runners Are Winning More Than Olympic Medals

The successes of foreign-born athletes like Mo Farah and Bernard Lagat offer a rejoinder to nationalistic sentiment in the U.S. and Britain.

• Ben Geman
• August 20, 2016

A Brief History of Cheating at the Olympics

Deception at the games is as old as the competition itself.

• J. Weston Phippen
• August 19, 2016

Why Isn’t There a U.S. Synchronized Swimming Team in Rio?

Americans once completely dominated the sport—but that hasn’t been the case since last century.

• Vicki Valosik
• August 19, 2016

What Happened to the U.S. Olympic Swimmers in Rio?

The last of the four swimmers involved in a bizarre tale of robbery at gunpoint has paid $10,800 to resolve the case, for which Ryan Lochte and the U.S. Olympic Committee have apologized.   

• Krishnadev Calamur
• August 19, 2016

The Continuing Saga of the U.S. Swimmers in Rio

Jack Conger and Gunnar Bentz were taken off a U.S.-bound flight over what Brazilian authorities say are inconsistencies in their accounts of being robbed at gunpoint.

• Krishnadev Calamur
• August 18, 2016

The Dark Side of Going for Gold

After the Olympics, both winners and losers are prone to emotional crashes.

• John Florio and Ouisie Shapiro
• August 18, 2016

Why a Brazilian Judge Wants Ryan Lochte's Passport Seized

She says his account, and that of his teammates, of being robbed in Rio has inconsistencies.

• Krishnadev Calamur
• August 17, 2016

The Saddest Olympic Celebration

What do you do when you’re competing for a country that might disappear? You dance.

• Uri Friedman
• August 17, 2016

The Olympic Guide to Ladybragging

The women athletes of Rio have been crushing it—not just in the arena, but on social media.

• Megan Garber
• August 15, 2016

How China’s ‘Century of Humiliation’ Haunts Its Quest for Olympic Glory

China’s painful history with imperialism and the West highlights a powerful, enduring aspect of its national psychology at the Olympic Games.

• Eric Fish
• August 13, 2016

The Unsporting Spirit

Judoka Islam El Shahaby may face punishment for refusing to shake the hand of his Israeli opponent after a match the Egyptian lost.

• Adam Chandler
• August 12, 2016

The Olympic Quote (That Should Be) Heard ‘Round the World

Simone Biles is not the next Michael Phelps. She is not the next Usain Bolt. She is ‘the first Simone Biles.’

• Megan Garber
• August 12, 2016