The Bubble of a Dream
On trying, and failing, to qualify for the USA Olympic Marathon Trials.
Olympics
Simone Biles Would Like to Thank Herself
A profile of the gymnast.
Will You Still Medal in the Morning?
Sex in the Olympic Village.
The Long Shot
Can the king of ultrarunning conquer a race as short as the marathon?
44 Years. 41 Allegations. Now the Past Is Catching Up.
For more than 40 years, a former Olympian allegedly has been molesting boys and young men. Now, they’re speaking out.
Water's Edge
On Bill May, considered to be the greatest male synchronized swimmer who ever lived, and his long quest for Olympic gold.
The Olympics Are Over, but Tessa Virtue Is Just Getting Started
How do you move on from being the best?
Justin Olsen Will Get Lost
A profile of the leader of America’s bobsled team, who is competing in the Olympics months after the death of his mentor.
After the Flame
What the 2016 Summer Games left behind in Rio.
Do You Really Still Hate Ryan Lochte?
On fireworks, massages, Olympic gold, reality TV, marriage, fatherhood—and that incident in Rio.
The Rise and Fall of Gerd Bonk, the World Champion of Doping
An East German weightlifter ingested more anabolic steroids than any other athlete in recorded history. It didn’t end well.
Simone Biles Is the Best Gymnast in the World
A pre-Olympics profile of the now-gold medalist.
Can Brazil Be Saved?
Colossal corruption. Political chaos. The worst recession in its history. How a once-booming nation fell.
Michael Phelps' Final Turn
“Rio is about far more than Phelps adding to his legacy. It’s the next step toward achieving the same peace and balance on land as he’s had in the water.”
The Slow Descent of Houston McTear, the Greatest Natural Sprinter Ever
He set a world record in the 100-yard dash as a teenager. He was mentored by Muhammad Ali and a man who orchestrated the largest bank embezzlement in U.S. history. He was homeless for part of his adult life before making a comeback at age 34. Throughout it all, Houston McTear was really, really fast.
The Spirit of a Legend
In the midst of a tribal burial, Jim Thorpe’s third wife burst in to remove his body, setting in motion a decades-long battle over the Native American athlete’s final resting place.
The Longest Run
The story of the Refugee Olympic team.
Arrow Heads
Life as an Olympic-level archer.
S. Korea Covered Up Mass Abuse, Killings of 'Vagrants'
How the government cleared the streets in advance of the 1988 Olympics.
The Johnny and Tara Show Is the Main Event
Can Johnny Weir and Tara Lipinski make the casual audience care about figure skating?
The Departed
On a November morning, Olympic rower and financial advisor Harold Backer left for a bike ride and never returned. His disappearance remained a mystery – until letters began arriving at the homes of his investors.
The Best African American Figure Skater in History Is Now Bankrupt and Living in a Trailer
The unexpected evolution of Olympic medalist Debi Thomas.
The Mourning Anchor
On the talent, ego, and late father of Bryant Gumbel.
The DIY Scientist, the Olympian, and the Mutated Gene
How a woman whose muscles disappeared discovered she shared a disease with a muscle-bound Olympic medalist.
After Rehabilitation, the Best of Michael Phelps May Lie Ahead
Michael Phelps returns to his Olympic training after a 45-day stint at The Meadows.
