A close shave…
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In foil, epee and sabre, Olympic fencers must have exceedingly rapid reactions. This academic (and fencer) is researching the sport.
Legendary Australian swimming coach and the country’s oldest Olympian, Forbes Carlile (centre).
AAP Image/Carlile Swimming
The Australian swim team hoping for medal success in Rio have a lot to thank one of the earlier pioneers of sport science: Forbes Carlile.
Will Rio pull victory out from a shaky run-up to the games?
Ivan Alvarado/Reuters
Will Brazil’s troubles in preparing for the Rio Games change the global narrative of the value of hosting the Olympics?
Make that brand sparkle again.
Sergei Ilnitsky/EPA
The doping scandal has dragged the Olympic brand through the mud – and making it shine again will be no easy task.
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More action sports will be on the Olympic bill in Tokyo with skateboarding, surfing and climbing added to the programme.
The perfect stride of Mo Farah.
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Elite athletes run differently to us mere mortals, but there’s nothing to stop you stealing a few of their techniques.
Add a hashtag, join the Olympics conversation.
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The mainstream media has knocked Brazil for the Zika virus, doping scandals and safety concerns. But citizen social media users, by revealing an alternate narrative, could even the score for Rio.
Five rings to rule them all.
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The IOC is incredibly protective of the Olympic brand. The rings, Rio 2016, and even the flame are all heavily guarded.
Hulk who?
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Dig into the details of the ancient Olympics and you find a lot of misinformation, but also a surprising amount in common with the modern games.
Partially demolished houses in the Vila Autodromo favela, with the Olympic Park in the background.
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An architect rides through the streets of Rio amidst a cacophony of drills and jackhammers. He wonders: Is it worth it? What will the legacy of all this construction be?
Athletic high.
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Athletes face as many as 640 organisational demands at a big competition – and they can all take their toll.
A bronze statue, ‘The Boxer of Quirinal.’ Sometimes ancient Greek boxers would bribe their opponents.
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When fame and glory are at stake, human nature seems to dictate that some people will cheat.
The party’s begun.
Roosevelt Cassio/Reuters
The Olympics may give Brazilians a respite from their perfect storm of recession, corruption and political dysfunction, but it won’t last long.
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New York, Berlin and Paris have all suffered some ill effects from online rental platforms – without proper regulations, Rio could follow.
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New studies show that athletes don’t need to lift heavy weights to gain power.
Rugby sevens: on the Olympic programme in Rio.
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It’s down to money, popularity and a lot of lobbying.
Heptathlete Katarina Johnson-Thompson.
REUTERS/John Silber
We’ve all heard that practice makes perfect, but that isn’t always true. Genetics, cognitive abilities and other traits influence athletic ability.
National Olympic committees may not be good at explaining what the benefits of the Games are – but the Greeks were.
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In a time when war and sports are the primary means of competition, Olympic gold has never been so valuable – or expensive.
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Results from the games can tell us a lot about how different nations approach elite women and disabled athletes.
Higher, faster, stronger.
Sergei Karpukhin/Reuters
Only a better understanding of what drives doping can improve enforcement. To do so, we must break with the perception of doping as an individual or moral problem.