Olympics

We asked, you answered: The Olympics, Paris edition
The Olympics could have been in Boston this year. But it wasn't meant to be. We asked Cog's readers, contributors and our colleagues at WBUR to tell us about their...

'I Healed A Broken Soul': Billy Mills' Unexpected 1964 Olympic Win
For Billy Mills, who lost both his parents and faced racism growing up, the Olympic 10,000 meter race was about much more than a medal.

The Economic Cost Of Postponing The Tokyo Olympics
The 2020 Tokyo Games have been postponed to 2021. The decision comes at a difficult time for the Japanese and Tokyo economies.

How A 37-Year-Old Marathoner Unexpectedly Qualified For The 2000 Olympics
Chris Clark, a 37-year-old mother of two, had her sights set on a top-20 — maybe top-10 — finish at the 2000 Olympic Trials Marathon.

A Rugby Newcomer Pursues Her Olympic Dream
Kristi Kirshe was a four-sport athlete. But her rapid progress in a recently-adopted fifth sport may be the key to her Olympic dream.
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In 'The Suspect' Richard Jewell's Innocence Is Reconsidered, Over 20 Years After The 1996 Olympics
Richard Jewell was front page news after suspicion he had planted a bomb at the 1996 Olympics in Atlanta. A new book and movie unpack his ordeal and innocence.

Fall And Crawl: An Olympic Trials Qualifier's Lesson For Running ... And Life
Hayley Sutter set a big, scary goal to qualify for the 2020 Olympic trials. She had to crawl across the finish line to make it.

How Skating Helped Save Scott Hamilton
Scott Hamilton grew up going in and out of hospitals. Then he found skating. "It was the first-ever taste of self-esteem," he says.

Will New Olympic Abuse Prevention Policy Make Athletes Safer?
New guidelines to protect young athletes from abusive coaches will soon go into place. Critics say the plan is flawed.

How A First-Time Olympian Got A Second Chance At Glory
Nigeria's Blessing Okagbare fell one centimeter short of a spot in the 2008 Olympic long jump final. But then, something unexpected happened.

The U.S. Hockey Goalie Who Stood Up To Hitler At The 1936 Olympics
Jesse Owens' performance in the 1936 Summer Olympics is legendary. But six months earlier, another American athlete defied Hitler at the 1936 Winter Games.

How Olympic Champion Wyomia Tyus Found Her Voice At The ’68 Games
Most people know the story of Tommie Smith and John Carlos raising their fists at the 1968 Olympics. But Wyomia Tyus made a stand at those Games, too. And far...

'The Arm': A Story Of Anti-Soviet Protest From The 1980 Olympics
The 1980 Olympics in Moscow were seen as a show of friendship and respect among communist nations. But in front of an unruly Russian crowd, Polish pole vaulter Władysław Kozakiewicz...

Life Inside 'The Kevin Show': An Olympic Sailor's Mental Illness
Kevin Hall grew up living, breathing and dreaming about sailing. But on his journey to the pinnacle of the sport, he became convinced that he had somehow become the star...

Jennie Bender: Life On The Edge Of Olympic Qualification
Not every athlete who goes to the Olympic Games gets a chance to compete. Some are alternates. And it’s often those athletes on the bubble who have the toughest stories.

The U.S. Hockey Goalie Who Stood Up To Hitler At The 1936 Olympics
Jesse Owens' performance in the 1936 Summer Olympics is legendary. But six months earlier, another American athlete defied Hitler at the 1936 Winter Games.

'A Total Failure' — North Korea's Attempt To Rival The '88 Olympics
After South Korea landed the 1988 Summer Olympics, North Korean leaders decided to host their own major international event. The 1989 World Festival of Youth and Students was devastating for...

Curling Stones Sliding To Pyeongchang All The Way From Scotland
Olympic curling is one of the most watched sports in the Winter Games, with athletes coming from all over the world. But all the stones that are used in Pyeongchang...

Steven Holcomb Inspires Film About Olympians And Mental Health
After the death of former U.S. bobsledder Steven Holcomb, independent filmmaker Brett Rapkin started looking at depression among Olympic athletes. "There’s no doubt that Olympic athletes need more help," Rapkin...

After Fleeing Nazi Germany, Young Skier Earned Spot On Team USA
In 1940, Imogene Fish and her family fled Germany for the United States. Twelve years after their arrival, Team USA chose Imogene to represent the country at the '52 Olympics...