Olympics
How Olympians Could Beat the Competition by Tweaking Their Genes
The next horizon in getting that extra athletic advantage may not be steroids, but gene therapy
August 06, 2012 |
By Larry Greenemeier
Who Is Your Favorite Summer Olympian?
Recall the athletes who capture our imaginations every four years and let us know who is your favorite
August 2012 |
By Channing Holman, Kat J. McAlpine, Jeanie Riess, K. Annabelle Smith and Ayesha Venkataraman
Photos: Your Favorite Summer Olympian
Recall the athletes who capture our imaginations every four years and let us know who is your favorite
August 01, 2012 |
By Channing Holman, Kat J. McAlpine, Jeanie Riess, K. Annabelle Smith and Ayesha Venkataraman
Document Deep Dive: A Peek at the Last Time London Hosted the Olympics
Records at the National Archives in London show how organizers cobbled together the 1948 "Austerity" Games
July 31, 2012 |
By Megan Gambino
Know Your Olympic Mascots
From Waldi the dachshund to Mukmuk the marmot, test your memory of the the Olympic Games' colorful representatives
July 19, 2012 |
By Jesse Rhodes
The XXX Olympics: Smithsonian's Guide to the Games
Prepare yourself for the London Olympics with this comprehensive guide to the history, science, arts and thrills of the worldwide celebration
July 16, 2012 |
By Smithsonian.com
The Little-Known History of How the Modern Olympics Got Their Start
As London gets set to host the XXXth Olympiad, acclaimed sportswriter Frank Deford connects the modern Games to their unlikely origin—in rural England
July 2012 |
By Frank Deford
Summer Olympics Look, a Poem
Poet J. Allyn Rosser's new piece on watching the Olympic Games
July 2012 |
By J. Allyn Rosser
The Top Athletes Looking for an Edge and the Scientists Trying to Stop Them
Behind the scenes there will be a high-tech, high-stakes competition between Olympic athletes who use banned substances and drug testers out to catch them
July 2012 |
By Christie Aschwanden
Frank Deford on Bloggers, the Olympics and 51 years of Sportswriting
The legendary writer for Sports Illustrated dishes on, among other things, the changing relationship between athletes and the journalists who cover them
June 27, 2012 |
By Joseph Stromberg
Spanx on Steroids: How Speedo Created the New Record-Breaking Swimsuit
After Olympic officials banned the swimsuit that caused records to fall at the 2008 games, scientists are back with a new outfit that might break even more
June 27, 2012 |
By Jim Morrison
Hybrid Sports in a League of Their Own
From underwater hockey to chess boxing, could these unheralded hybrid sports be ready for prime time?
March 2010 |
By Megan Gambino
Top 13 U.S. Winter Olympians
These athletes took home gold, but also stole our hearts. Choose your favorite winter Olympian in our poll
January 19, 2010 |
By Megan Gambino
Olympic Athletes Who Took a Stand
For 40 years, Olympians Tommie Smith and John Carlos have lived with the consequences of their fateful protest
August 2008 |
By David Davis
Blood in the Water at the 1956 Olympics
Political turmoil between Hungary and the Soviet Union spills over into an Olympic water polo match
August 01, 2008 |
By Miles Corwin
Fallen Star
When Mary Decker crashed to the ground at the Los Angeles Olympics 20 years ago this month, a young photographer was there to catch the anguish
August 2004 |
By Nadira A. Hira
No Bob Costas? Why the Ancient Olympics Were No Fun to Watch
Spectators braved all manner of discomfort—from oppressive heat to incessant badgering by vendors—to witness ancient Greece's ultimate pagan festival
August 2004 |
By Tony Perrottet
