Skip to main content

Subscribe to Smithsonian magazine and get a FREE tote.

Olympics

Brazilian Olympic surfer Gabriel Medina pops up after riding a barrel wave at Teahupo'o during the Summer Games on Monday. The photo by Jérôme Brouillet has gone viral.

Trending Today

The Story Behind This Breathtaking Viral Photo of an Olympic Surfer

Jérôme Brouillet, a photojournalist with the Agence France-Presse (AFP), captured an iconic moment when Brazilian surfer Gabriel Medina celebrated after setting an Olympic record

Athletes like Canada's Sanoa Dempfle-Olin traveled to Tahiti for this year's Olympics.

The Paris Olympics

Why Are the Olympic Surfing Events Being Held in Tahiti?

The tiny village of Teahupo’o, known for its monstrous, barrel-shaped waves, will host 48 athletes from 21 countries during the Summer Games

Crews even used purple glue while adhering the vulcanized rubber track to its asphalt base.

Why Is the Paris Olympics Running Track Purple?

The track incorporates recycled mussel and clam shells in a bid to help make the Summer Games the most sustainable yet

Formerly a royal residence, the Louvre Palace is now home to one of the world’s most famous museums.  

Smithsonian Photo Contest Galleries

See 15 Picturesque Views of Paris

France’s charming capital city welcomes the 2024 Summer Olympic Games

Bridge, Glenn Kaino, fiberglass, steel, wire and gold paint, 2013-2014

The Paris Olympics

Tommie Smith’s Raised Fist at the 1968 Olympics Inspired a Massive Golden Sculpture That Signifies the Art of His Protest

At the Smithsonian American Art Museum, an installation by artist Glenn Kaino made in collaboration with Smith reclaims the Olympian’s iconic gesture

Technological advances have changed Olympic sports—including fencing, sprinting, distance running and pole vaulting.

From Sleek Swimsuits to Specialized Running Shoes, These Five Innovations Transformed the Olympics

Technology has advanced sports including fencing and pole vaulting

None

There's More to That

How to Sweat Like an Olympian

This summer, don’t be embarrassed by those pit stains or your drenched workout clothes. Our expert on the science of sweat says perspiration is what makes humans faster, higher and stronger

The torch from the 2024 Summer Games in Paris was sold along with a torchbearer's uniform.

The Paris Olympics

2024 Olympics Torch and Torchbearer’s Uniform Sell at Auction

The sale’s big-ticket item, a torch from the 1960 Winter Games, did not end up selling

Women archers compete at the 1908 London Olympics.

The Paris Olympics

From Corsets to Singlets, the Olympics Have Driven the Evolution of Women’s Sportswear

The bold choices of female athletes like Serena Williams have pushed brands, including Nike and Speedo, to produce better gear

Of these featured individuals, Benjamin Spock, Johnny Weissmuller and Harold Sakata medaled at the Olympics.

The Paris Olympics

Ten Surprising Public Figures Who Dreamed of Olympic Gold

The list includes European royals, Darth Vader’s stunt double and an American World War II general

The mayor of Paris, Anne Hidalgo, took a brief swim in the Seine River wearing a wetsuit and goggles on July 17.

The Paris Olympics

Paris Mayor Takes a Dip in the Seine Ahead of the Summer Olympics

The city spent $1.5 billion to improve water quality in the river, where several Olympic events are scheduled to take place

The baba au rhum is forgiving and achievable for the average home cook.

The Paris Olympics

The Boozy History of Baba au Rhum

The French are known for their pastries, but few desserts garner as much attention as this dried-out cake resuscitated with rum

From the real reason behind the Games' collapse to a breakdown of who was eligible to compete, here's what you need to know about the ancient Olympics.

The Paris Olympics

Nine Things You Didn’t Know About the Ancient Olympic Games

With an intensive athletes’ boot camp and the threat of execution for unwelcome spectators, the Greek sporting event was a serious affair

Olympic rings are seen on the Eiffel Tower near the restored statue of "Cavalier Arabe" on the Pont d'Iéna bridge in Paris on July 4, 2024, ahead of the upcoming Paris 2024 Olympic Games. 

The Paris Olympics

The Paris Summer Olympics: Smithsonian’s Guide to the Games

Prepare yourself for the Paris Olympics with this comprehensive guide to the history, science, arts and thrills of the worldwide celebration

Dancers; The Tango by Hugo Scheiber

The Paris Olympics

The First Tango in Paris Made a Stir Worth Remembering

As breaking makes its debut at this summer’s Olympics, take a look back more than a century when another dance rocked the City of Lights

Attendants assist Thomas Hicks, an American runner who consumed strychnine, egg whites and brandy during the race.

The Paris Olympics

How the 1904 Marathon Became One of the Weirdest Olympic Events of All Time

Athletes drank poison, dodged traffic, stole peaches and even hitchhiked during the 24.85-mile race in St. Louis

More than just a place to eat, many French country bistros offer lodgings and sell local produce. But the transactions of greatest value are the social ones, in which locals come together over a meal or a drink to discuss everything from pressing politics to idle gossip. 

The Paris Olympics

Will the Bistro Save France’s Rural Villages?

Because these social hubs are the glue holding communities together, a growing movement seeks to protect them on UNESCO’s Intangible Cultural Heritage list

The Phrygian cap derives its name from the ancient region of Phrygia, in what is now Turkey. Also known as a liberty cap, it inspired revolutionaries in both the Colonies and France.

The Paris Olympics

The Paris Games’ Mascot, the Olympic Phryge, Boasts a Little-Known Revolutionary Past

The Phrygian cap, also known as the liberty cap, emerged as a potent symbol in 18th-century America and France

Lego enthusiasts can now build their own Notre-Dame Cathedral, complete with rose windows and the iconic spire.

The Paris Olympics

Builders Haven’t Finished Reconstructing Notre-Dame Cathedral—But Lego Fans Can

Lego is selling a 4,383-piece model of the historic structure ahead of the upcoming Paris Olympics

Venus Williams is getting her own Barbie doll for a new Mattel campaign to celebrate women in sports. 

The Paris Olympics

Tennis Icon Venus Williams Scores Her Own Barbie Doll

The plastic (and fantastic) version of Williams is one of nine new Mattel dolls celebrating female athletes

Page 2 of 10