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OlympicsThe Olympic Games are a multisport competition held every four years, where athletes from around the world compete at the highest level in their disciplines. The first written mention of the Olympics dates back to 776 BCE in the Peloponnesus region of Greece. The Games then became a staple of Greek life for almost 12 centuries. The Olympics were revived 1,500 years later when Pierre de Coubertin, considered the father of the modern Olympic movement, established the International Olympic Committee in 1894, with the first modern Games in Athens two years later. Since 1994, the Olympics have alternated every two years between the Summer Games, which include over 300 medal events in 32 sports, and the Winter Games, which include over 100 medal events in 16 sports. Millions of tickets are sold to watch the 16-day event in person, and billions view it on TV and online. Hosting the Olympics was once an honor; however, cost overruns, scandals, and local opposition have led to fewer bids in recent years. Explore Olympics

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One halfpipe skier qualified for the Olympics via loopholesFreestyle skier Elizabeth Swaney reached the 2018 Winter Olympics by completing safe, trick-free halfpipe runs and accumulating ranking points in low-participation events. The story, told humorously in this brief video, highlights how qualification systems can reward persistence and rule optimization over peak athletic performance. Half as Interesting Ski mountaineering—or 'skimo'—debuted at the 2026 Winter OlympicsThe sport involves skiing both uphill and downhill, with sections where the skis are strapped to the athlete's back. Skiers start at the bottom with a carpet-like layer on their skis to help ascend, remove them for the final climb, and then step back into normal skis for a slalom-like descent. CNET The top 10 most unbreakable Winter Olympics recordsSome athletes and teams dominate a sport or an era. This video compiles the records least likely to be surpassed (and excludes those that are impossible due to rule changes). From the Dutch sweep of four podiums in speed skating to Eric Heiden's five individual gold medals at Lake Placed in 1980, watch this list of the Games' most enduring feats. WatchMojo 100 storylines to watch at the 2026 Milan Cortina OlympicsNBC compiled 100 storylines to watch at the Milan Cortina Winter Games—spanning medal races, comeback bids, historic firsts, and geopolitical questions—to help fans track what could define the 2026 Olympics Winter Games. NBC Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe dressed as Mario at the Olympics In a 2016 ceremony at that year’s Summer Games in Rio, Abe dressed as Super Mario to celebrate his country hosting the 2020 Olympics. It was a logical move: The character is one of the most recognizable characters in the world and someone who’s now associated with Japanese culture. Djon⭐Snowboarding was first included in the Olympics in 1998Snowboarding entered the Winter Olympics in 1998 in Nagano, Japan, featuring giant slalom and halfpipe events—a move influenced by the sport’s rapid growth and mainstream exposure through competitions like the X Games. Olympics The US lacked a national anthem for the first 8 OlympicsAlthough songs like “The Star-Spangled Banner” and “America the Beautiful” were informal anthems, the country did not have an official national anthem. That changed in 1931, when President Herbert Hoover signed a bill into law designating the song as the national anthem. The Saturday Evening Post The 1992 Olympics changed BarcelonaBarcelona wasn’t always a global tourist hotspot. Before hosting the 1992 Olympics, the city’s coastline was blocked by factories, green spaces were scarce, and tourism was minimal. But after securing the Olympic games, everything changed. 1440 The evolution of the Olympics from ancient Greece to the modern worldThe Olympic Games have evolved from a sacred footrace in 776 BCE honoring Zeus to a global celebration of athletic excellence and unity. Ancient Greek city-states set aside their conflicts under a sacred truce for events like wrestling and chariot racing. Though the Games ended in 393 CE, Pierre de Coubertin revived them in 1896, adding modern elements like the torch relay and the inclusion of women. Watch 1440's breakdown of the historic event here. 1440 The inclusion of NBA stars in the '92 Olympics changed basketball's global standingThe Olympics finally permitted professional basketball players to play in 1992 Summer Games and the NBA produced one of the greatest basketball teams ever assembled: The Dream Team. Billions worldwide watched Jordan, Bird, and Magic dominate to win gold, inspiring future Hall of Famers and increasing the NBA's viewership. USA TODAY The number of cities bidding to host the Olympics has dropped in recent decadesHosting the Olympics was once an honor and a way to bring people and prestige to a city. But in 2017, only two nations bid to host the 2024 Summer Olympic Games. This video walks through how every Olympics since 1960 has run over budget, and how the era of building dozens of new venues for the Games contributed to high cost overruns and corruption. Search Party Major scandals have undermined the reputation of the OlympicsWith billions in public money in play and the high stakes of winning gold for one's country, the Olympics have had their fair share of scandals. This Global Investigative Journalism Network list highlights eight groundbreaking investigations by journalists about the Olympics. It includes the 2014 Russian doping scandal, venue corruption in Rio, and the decadeslong cycle of sexual abuse by an Olympic doctor. Global Investigative Journalism Network Watch archival footage of Jesse Owens in the 1936 Berlin OlympicsThe 1936 Berlin Games were the first Olympics to be shown live on television (though not broadcast). The Germans used a closed circuit television network to bring the Games to 25 viewing halls in black and white. View footage of American Olympic hero Jesse Owens winning his four gold medals, and his historic interaction with German long jumper Luz Long in Nazi Germany. 805Bruin The marathon was not an event in the ancient form of the OlympicsThe ancient Olympics started with just one footrace, a roughly 3-mile jaunt dubbed the "dolichos." Over the centuries, it blossomed into multiple running events, field events, combat sports, and equestrian events—all performed in the nude. This list showcases eight more lesser-known facts about the ancient Games. Smithsonian An illustrated guide to the ancient Greek version of the OlympicsGo back to the original time and place of the athletic contest with this illustrated guide to the Games. For 1,200 years, the ancient Greeks would gather every four years for the Games in Elis, months after heralds had spread the word of the event to the region's many peninsulas, with its greatest athletes competing for honor. Reuters The Olympics were just one of four Panhellenic Games in ancient GreeceWithin every "Olympiad" (or four-year period), different Games were held each year in Greece—it was not just the single Olympics every four years. The Hellenic Museum in Australia explores each of the Panhellenic Games: the Isthmian Games, the Nemean Games, the Pythian Games, and the Olympic Games. Each section explores the history, which god was worshiped, and what winners received. Hellenic Museum See artifacts from the ancient Olympics at the MetFor nearly a millennium, the ancient Greeks gathered every four years to participate in or watch sports, from footraces to a type of mixed martial art. These events—in some cases known as the Olympics—provided the basis for the modern event, which began in 1896 in Athens. The Metropolitan Museum of Art A visual guide to the athletic events the Olympics left behindThe series of competitions in today's version of the Olympic Games are the survivors of years of experimentation. This illustrated guide details some of the sports and creative competitions that didn't make the cut. Some sports were dropped due to their lack of visual appeal, while others were simply too specific, like the swim limited to sailors of the Royal Greek Navy. Reuters Watch the Space Olympics from the International Space StationFrom "synchronized space swimming" to "weightless sharpshooting," crew members in 2021 competed in microgravity versions of events from the summer Games. The "lack-of-floor routine" featured mid-air gymnastics as astronauts floated through space station modules. Gizmodo A fast explainer on every Winter Olympic sportSlalom, luge, skimo: The 16 sports at the Winter Olympics aren't the most familiar to everyday audiences. They can be divided into three categories: track, indoor, and outdoor. This video breaks down each sport's rules and quirks and the variations of its events in less than eight minutes. Tifo Sports by The Athletic Winter Olympic sports highlight various laws and principles of physicsFigure skaters leverage the conservation of angular momentum during spins by tightening their bodies, and the skintight suits used in ski jumping help reduce drag. Centripetal force allows speedskaters to make tight turns, while friction on skis helps ski mountaineers climb slopes. No action can violate the conservation of energy. The Conversation The 2026 Milan-Cortina Games are the most geographically spread out everAs part of the planning committee's efforts to reduce costs and minimize infrastructure impact, existing ski resorts, rinks, and stadiums were used for the Winter Olympics in northern Italy. This inherently spreads events out, with venues scattered over a roughly 8,500-square-mile area of the country. See a map of the venues here. WBUR An exploration of what makes Olympic curling so difficult and strangeThe sport is often maligned for its oddity, but this impassioned video argues it's one of the more impressive (and good-natured) sports in the Olympics. Sometimes labeled "chess on ice," curling at the Olympics uses 44-pound, 60-million-year-old granite stones all extracted from the same Scottish island. Cleo Abram Chris Nikic is the first person with Down syndrome to complete several marathonsIn March 2024, Chris Nikic finished the Tokyo Marathon in 5:39:41. That was the final step towards his ultimate goal of earning the Abbott World Marathon Majors Six Star Finisher distinction. It recognizes runners who have finished Tokyo, Boston, London, Berlin, Chicago and New York. Special Olympics The US Olympic hockey team upset the USSR in 1980—later dubbed the 'Miracle on Ice'At the 1980 Winter Olympics, a team of American college players defeated the heavily favored Soviet hockey team—shocking the world. The victory became a defining moment of Cold War sports rivalry and American national pride. Ryan G The US and the USSR each boycotted Olympic Games during the Cold WarThe US led a boycott of the 1980 Moscow Olympics over the Soviet invasion of Afghanistan. In retaliation, the USSR and its allies skipped the 1984 Los Angeles Games. NBC News Cold War rivalries fueled fierce competition in international sportsFrom Olympic medal counts to hockey showdowns, the US and USSR used sports to showcase ideological superiority. Athletic victories were framed as proof that each system—capitalist or communist—produced stronger, more disciplined citizens. Wilson Center Frank Shorter was the first American to win the 26.2-mile Olympic marathonThe running legend became the first American to win the 26.2-mile Olympic marathon in 1972 at 2:21:19. The televised race contributed to a nationwide running boom and helped popularize the event. Olympics The 1904 Olympic marathon was a bizarre spectacleWhen the Olympics first came to the US, the race was still a fringe event with few established rules. That led to an absurd comedy, with competitors ingesting poison, hitchhiking 11 miles of the course, and occasionally sipping brandy. Stuff You Should Know Leticia Bufoni is a world-class skateboarder from BrazilShe has won six gold medals at the X Games and represented her country at the Tokyo 2020 Olympics, the debut year of the sport in the Olympics. She’s seen as one of the most influential women in extreme sports and also performs stunts with Red Bull. Glorious Sport The first Winter X Games launched in 1997 at Big Bear Lake The inaugural Winter X Games in 1997 introduced snowboarding, skiing, and snowmobile events—helping boost winter action sports’ popularity and paving the way for snowboarding’s inclusion in the 1998 Winter Olympics. Mike's VHS Treasures The first US Olympic basketball team was made up of amateurs from company teamsIn 1936, the first year the Olympics featured basketball, the US squad featured players from two companies: an oil refinery in Kansas and Universal Pictures in Hollywood. WBUR The story of Olympian Ryan Wedding's rise and fall as drug kingpinAfter a disappointing finish representing Canada in the slalom at the 2002 Winter Olympics, Wedding turned to growing cannabis and selling cocaine. After serving prison time, he upped his game and came to control major drug routes in North America, finding himself on the FBI's 10 Most Wanted List. He was captured in Mexico City in January 2026. Toronto Life The ancient Greeks were known to take vacationsHistorians trace the vacation back to at least ancient Greece, where many people traveled to festivals and athletic events, including the Olympic Games. BBC Bitesize In 1968, two American Olympians raised their fists while the anthem playedTommie Smith won the gold medal in the 200-meter event at the 1968 Summer Olympic Games, followed closely by his teammate John Carlos, who earned the bronze. When they stood on the winner's podium while the national anthem played, the athletes raised their fists, mirroring a popular Black Power gesture. BBC News The World Cup trophy was stolen in 1966—and eventually found by a dogWhile on display at the Methodist Central Hall in Westminster, England, the Jules Rimet Trophy was stolen while a church service was being held in another room. It was eventually sniffed out a week later by Pickles, a black-and-white collie. Olympics.com FIFA was formed in 1904 and held its first tournament in 1930In 1930, the first World Cup was held in Uruguay after the Olympics refused to allow professional soccer players to play in the 1932 games. The host country made it to the final of the 13-team event, playing against Argentina. Watch this remastered film of the 1930 match with Uruguay defeating Argentina 3 to 2 in front of 68,000 screaming fans at the newly opened Estadio Centenario. YouTube See what women's tennis looked like through historyWomen playing tennis today wear athletic clothing tailored to the demands of the sport. But when tennis started in the late 1800s, women were expected to play wearing long, Victorian dresses. Using historic photos, this Bustle article explores how tennis was brought to the US, what it looked like at the 1900 Olympics, and how the sport has grown since its inception. Bustle The origins of volleyball in a game called mintonetteVolleyball was invented in 1895 in Massachusetts, USA, by William G. Morgan of the YMCA. He aimed to create a less strenuous alternative to basketball, using elements from basketball, tennis, handball, and baseball. Originally called "mintonette," it was introduced at a YMCA conference and took off. Dive into the history from then until today here. Olympics Becoming an Olympic swimmer costs tens of thousands of dollarsWhen you see Olympic athletes win gold, it's the culmination of years of hard work and discipline. But it isn't all sweat equity. Before ever stepping foot on the world stage, these athletes have to pay or find funding for private coaching and lessons, club memberships, and meet fees, with estimates that it costs $25K to $40K to make it to the Olympics. Wall Street Journal See every Olympic torch used since its debut in 1936The 1936 Berlin Games were the first to use a torch relay to light the Olympic cauldron. At each subsequent Olympic Games, the host country designed a new set of torches. See what each torch looked like, the start and end date of the relay, the number of torches produced, what type of fuel was used, and view a map of the route. Olympics.Com How the Winter Games used to lookUsing archival footage from the first Winter Olympics in 1924 to the present day, this video explores 100 years of Winter Olympic competition. Watch different eras of ski jumping, figure skating, and bobsledding. See how athletes use the facilities year-round to train. And learn how swimming facilities used for the Summer Games are transformed into curling ice for the Winter Games. IOC Media French aristocrat Pierre de Coubertin revived the ancient Olympic GamesWhen Baron Pierre de Coubertin was just 11, Germans began excavations at the site of the original ancient Olympics. It was a formative moment that fueled his dream of reviving the Olympic Games to cultivate educational discipline, national spirit, and international peace. This deep dive explores the lengthy process Coubertin went through and the challenges he overcame to bring the first modern Olympics to Athens in 1894. Olympics.Com The ancient Games at Olympia ended after 1,500 years due to economic issuesThe ancient Olympics came to an end in 393 CE, and some historians point to Christian Roman emperor Theodosius I's ban on celebrating pagan festivals. This article explores an alternative theory: a bad economy. The writers cite the Theodosian Code, which makes no mention of the Olympics, and multiple records that mention the Olympics after Theodosius' death. The Conversation The modern Olympic truce originated in a real pause in ancient conflictBack in Ancient Greece, neighboring city-states were constantly at war. So when the Olympics started in 776 BCE, they needed a way to keep the peace. This video from the International Olympic Committee discusses the origins of the Olympic Truce and its reinstatement at the 1994 Games in Lillehammer. IOC Media An artist recreated Stonehenge as a bounce house in 2012Though Stonehenge is sacred to many modern druids and pagans, artist Jeremy Deller reimagined it as a giant inflatable bouncy house—touring Paris, London’s 2012 Olympics, and even Stonehenge itself. Galerie Art Concept Charting how many Olympic tickets are sold This chart compares the total number of tickets sold for Summer Olympic sporting events with the number of tickets available. The article sources the data from the International Olympic Committee website and goes back to the 1984 Games in Los Angeles. Statista The all-time list of every modern Olympic sportCurious about which sports were played at the 1894 Olympics? Want to learn the rules of Breaking? This list gives a comprehensive overview of every Olympic sport ever played, sortable by game type and specific Olympic year. Click into a sport to see a brief overview, a list of rules, and an explainer video. Olympics.com The ancient Greeks laid the foundation of Western culture, from ideas to sportsThe Latin alphabet is the most used in the world and stems from the Greek language. The greatest sporting event in the world, the Olympics, originated among the Greeks. The way many countries decide on policy is via forms of democracy, an innovation of the ancient Greeks. BBC Inside entrepreneur Bryan Johnson's race to live foreverCreated by entrepreneur Bryan Johnson in 2022, the Rejuvenation Olympics asks participants to find ways, including exercise and dietary supplements, to slow their biological aging. But some of these tactics are extreme in cost or nature—such as Johnson's regular injections of blood from his teenage son. Vox

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