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Norwegian and Australian players take part in a practice session ahead of the opening of the Paris Olympics at Eiffel Tower Stadium in Paris on Wednesday.
OLYMPICS
Jul 25, 2024

After joyless silence in Tokyo, Paris is ready to get the Olympic party started

No COVID-19 testing, no bubbles and no more locking out the fans. Paris marks a return to normal for an event that, like many, was brought to its knees by the pandemic.
Fireworks are set off during the closing ceremony of the 2024 Paris Olympics at Stade de France in Saint-Denis on Sunday.
OLYMPICS
Aug 12, 2024

France brings down the curtain on its Olympic party with Tom Cruise and Leon Marchand

Following a tumultuous buildup to the Games, France staged a successful and mostly problem-free Olympics.
Los Angeles 2028 organizers have recommended five "new" sports for inclusion in their edition of the Summer Games.
OLYMPICS
Oct 10, 2023

Cricket among proposed new sports for 2028 Los Angeles Games

The choice of the sports still needs approval from the International Olympic Committee.
JAPAN
Oct 11, 2023

Sapporo officially drops bid for 2030 Winter Olympics

The city's major, however, made it clear that the Hokkaido capital is still hoping to host a future Winter Olympics, perhaps as soon as 2034.
Kanoa Igarashi, who earned a silver medal at the 2020 Tokyo Olympics, is excited to get another shot at gold at this year’s Summer Games.
MORE SPORTS / Surfing
May 31, 2024

Kanoa Igarashi ready to challenge Teahupo'o in search of gold at Paris Olympics

Igarashi earned the silver medal in the inaugural Olympic surfing competition at the 2020 Tokyo Olympics.
Rafael Nadal trains at Roland Garros in Paris on Wednesday ahead of the start of the Olympic tennis tournament.
TENNIS
Jul 26, 2024

Nadal and Djokovic fighting time and new generation at Olympics

Nadal has won 14 of his 22 Grand Slam titles in Paris but at 38 time is ticking for the Spaniard, who last month suffered his earliest exit from the French Open.
Nour El-Sherbini, the top-ranked women's squash player, has won seven World Squash Championships.
OLYMPICS
Oct 17, 2023

Squash stronghold Egypt celebrates sport's inclusion in 2028 Games

Egypt dominates squash, with five players currently in the top ten in the men's world rankings as well as the top three in the women's rankings.
Kyosuke Matsuyama (right) competes against France's Erwann Le Pechoux during the men's team foil semifinals at the Tokyo Olympics in August 2021.
OLYMPICS
Jun 24, 2024

Japanese fencers heading to Paris Games with plenty of confidence

The men's national team is aiming to secure its first medal in three Olympics in the foil event, a category considered by many to be a Japanese specialty.
Olympic rings are displayed on Charles de Gaulle Airport near Paris ahead of the city hosting the 2024 Olympic Games. One way of reducing the carbon emissions of mega sporting events is to limit the attendance of spectators traveling by air.
COMMENTARY / World
Jul 10, 2024

Only locals should be allowed to attend the Olympics

The single best way of reducing the carbon emissions of an Olympics? Limiting ticket sales to locals. Evidence from the Tokyo Games shows how far-reaching the impact is.
French fans cheer on their team during an Olympic rugby sevens match on Sunday. Fans are back in force at the Games and providing a lively atmosphere for the competition after COVID-19 forced the Tokyo and Beijing Olympics to be mostly played without spectators.
OLYMPICS
Jul 29, 2024

The Olympic roar is back in Paris after two pandemic-hit Games

The sights and sounds of the Olympics have returned to normal this year, with fans able to attend the Games without restrictions for the first time since 2018.
Yuto Horigome defended his Olympic title in men's street skateboarding on Monday to continue Japan's dominant run in the event.
OLYMPICS / Skateboarding
Aug 1, 2024

Why Japan is so dominant in street skateboarding

Skateboarding has only been a part of the Olympics for two editions, but the sight of Japanese skaters on the podium in the street competition is already a familiar one.
Shigekix, whose real name is Shigeyuki Nakarai, in action during the world championships in Leuven, Belgium, in September
OLYMPICS / Breaking
Aug 7, 2024

From the Bronx to Paris: Breaking set for its Olympic close-up

B-boys and B-girls from across the globe will soon compete in Olympic dance battles that feature intricate steps, acrobatic moves and plenty of flair.
Squash officials have attempted to make the sport more accessible to viewers in a push for Olympic recognition.
OLYMPICS
Oct 3, 2023

Squash desperate to end 'very weird' Olympic exile in 2028

Squash is one of nine sports vying for a place at the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics, along with the likes of cricket, lacrosse and motorsports.
The Paris 2024 Olympic Games' opening ceremony, which will be held outside of a stadium for the first time in history, has attracted a lot of interest from Japanese fans.
JAPAN / Society
Jul 10, 2024

Japan fans shun pricey Olympics tickets even as top-tier packages sell out

Travel agencies report a noticeable drop in demand for Paris Olympics tours amid a weakening of the yen and the introduction of a new booking system.
The former chief of the World Anti-Doping Agency, Dick Pound, speaks during a news conference in Munich in 2016.
OLYMPICS
Jul 17, 2024

U.S. doping probe puts Olympic hosting at risk, former WADA chief says

Any country wanting to stage an international sporting event must be compliant with the anti-doping code and a U.S. probe may violate those rules, Dick Pound said.
Vinesh Phogat of India (in red) wrestles Yusneylis Guzman Lopez of Cuba in the women's 50-kg semifinals on Tuesday at the Paris Olympics. Phogat was later disqualified for being 100 grams over the weight limit.
OLYMPICS
Aug 8, 2024

Disqualification costs India a medal, but its Olympic future still looks bright

Vinesh Phogat had a chance to win a first Olympic gold for Indian women. But even after he disqualification, the country's female athletes have a promising future.
Olga Kharlan celebrates after Ukraine won the Olympic women's team saber gold-medal bout against South Korea on Aug. 3.
OLYMPICS
Aug 9, 2024

Olympic medals offer Ukraine a brief respite from war

Each of Ukraine’s 10 medals so far has been hailed in the war-torn country as a symbol of resilience and defiance.
Gamers play during the first day of Europe's leading digital games fair, Gamescom, in Cologne, Germany, in August 2019
COMMENTARY / World
Oct 2, 2023

Video game competitions should be in the Olympics

Esports is already among the world’s most popular competitive activities. Last year, the global audience totaled more than 500 million people.
Armed French soldiers patrol Trocadero square near the Eiffel Tower Stadium, Champ de Mars Arena and Grand Palais Ephemere venues under construction for the Paris 2024 Olympic and Paralympic Games, in Paris on April 1.
WORLD / Society
Apr 16, 2024

Is fractious France ready for an Olympics party?

The buildup has been marred by rows that go to the heart of a bitter national debate about identity and race.
China's Olympic gold-medal winning 4 x 200 meter freestyle relay team celebrates on the podium at the Tokyo Aquatics Centre on July 29, 2021.  Zhang Yufei (third from left) is among 23 top Chinese swimmers who tested positive for a banned substance in the lead up to the Games.
OLYMPICS
Apr 20, 2024

Top Chinese swimmers tested positive for banned drug, then won Olympic gold

The episode sharply divided the anti-doping world, where China’s record has long been a flashpoint.
Simone Biles, seen after winning the U.S. championship on Sunday, brought greater awareness to the subject of mental health during the 2020 Tokyo Olympics.
OLYMPICS
Jun 6, 2024

Olympic organizers committed to protecting athletes' mental health in Paris

Research suggests that elite athletes suffer from mental health disorders in around the same proportions as the general population, experts say.
Rafael Nadal hits a return during a match at Wimbledon in July 2022.
TENNIS
Jun 14, 2024

Nadal to skip Wimbledon to focus on Olympics

The announcement came a day after Spanish tennis chiefs said the 14-time French Open champion would team up with Carlos Alcaraz at the Games.
Japanese players celebrate after winning a point against Canada during a Volleyball Nations League match on Thursday in Fukuoka.
OLYMPICS / Volleyball
Jun 14, 2024

Japan’s women’s volleyball team punches ticket for Paris

The JVA received the news from FIVA, the sport’s governing body, after it calculated the rankings points as of Thursday.
France's Sarah Leonie Cysique battles Uzbekistan's Shukurjon Aminova at the Paris Grand Slam at Accor Arena on Feb. 2.
OLYMPICS / Judo
Jul 18, 2024

How France embraced judo and became a martial arts powerhouse

The country has embraced the Japanese martial art to the point where it may be more popular in France than in Japan.
Mai Yamamoto drives to the basket during an Olympic tune-up game against New Zealand in Tokyo on July 4.
OLYMPICS / Basketball
Jul 22, 2024

Akatsuki Japan believes it can 'surprise the world' in Paris

Women's basketball team will be looking to replicate its inspiring Olympic run in Tokyo and make waves in Paris.
The world needs a smaller, more focused Olympics to ensure sustainability and relevance amid changing global conditions.
COMMENTARY / World
Jul 31, 2024

Olympics host cities don’t belong on a warming planet

The world needs a smaller, more focused Olympics to ensure sustainability and relevance amid changing global conditions.
Japanese sprinter Abdul Hakim Sani Brown checks his time after the men's 100 meters semifinals on Sunday at the Paris Olympics in Saint-Denis, France.
OLYMPICS / Athletics
Aug 5, 2024

Sani Brown ran under 10 seconds in the men's 100. But in 2024, that’s just not enough.

Sani Brown's near-miss showed the high hurdles sprinters face to compete with an ultracompetitive field.
Ami competes in the women's breaking competition at the Paris Olympics on Friday.
OLYMPICS / Breaking
Aug 11, 2024

Is breaking a sport? Even among competitors, the answer depends on who you ask.

There was not even consensus from the B-girls — though all agreed that it belongs in the Olympics.
Morinari Watanabe speaks during an interview on Wednesday in Tokyo
OLYMPICS
Sep 28, 2024

IOC presidential candidate Watanabe vows to update Olympics

Watanabe, 65, said he is seeking the IOC's top post with the believe that "there are things that must be done for children and the athletes who perform in Olympic Games."
Honorary IOC member Chiharu Igaya speaks during an interview in Tokyo on Jan. 20.
OLYMPICS
Feb 4, 2025

Honorary IOC member urges organization to address climate change

Some studies have suggested that the number of possible candidates to host a Winter Games will fall to 10 by 2040 due to the effects of global warming.

Longform

Professional cleaner Hirofumi Sakurai takes a moment to appreciate some photographs in a Gotanda apartment whose occupant died alone. 
The last cleanup: Life and death in a lonely Japan