London closes out the Olympics with a bang
(Lars Baron / GETTY IMAGES)
The 2012 Games ended with a blowout of British pop, wrapping up a little more than two weeks in which home-country athletes and women from all countries stood out.
Uganda’s long-distance surprise
Stephen Kiprotich wins marathon to give Uganda second gold medal in its history.
Boudia dives into the history books
OPINION | American David Boudia looks like a beautiful gull plunging into the water as he wins gold on 10-meter platform.
For U.S. women, high-fives all around
Candace Parker keys a 19-0 run as the U.S. women’s basketball team wins its fifth straight gold medal.
Bolt carries baton to third gold
Jamaican men set world record in 4x100 relay, leaving U.S. in second. American women win 4x400 with ease.
Mexico stuns Brazil to claim soccer title
After setting the tone early by scoring in the game’s opening 30 seconds, Mexico holds off a late charge by Brazil to win its first Olympic soccer medal.
Brazil rallies to top U.S. in volleyball
After winning first set, Americans can’t handle Brazil in women’s volleyball gold medal game.
Can America enjoy its No. 1 moment?
OPINION | How to celebrate winning the medal count at the Olympics, and how not to.
Pros and cons to professionals
With each sport having different rules concerning amateurism, Olympians return to varied lifestyles.
Runner without a country
After fleeing Sudan as a child, the Olympian will run Sunday’s marathon unaffiliated with any nation.
London Eyes
Join our Washington Post reporters in London and use Socialcam to share the sights and sounds of the Olympics.
Understanding the Olympic Games
Olympians by age, country, sport, sex
Explore a Washington Post breakdown of all Summer Olympics athletes who have competed since the first modern Games in 1896. See the expansive range in age of the competitors, and when men and women first competed in each sport.
Gymnastics scoring: A new perfect
An olympic gymnast’s score is composed of two parts, difficulty and execution. A 10 is no longer perfect -- gymnasts are now looking for high-15s and 16s.
Swimming: Dressed for a record?
Swimsuit technology allowed human torpedos in rubber suits to set new world marks almost hourly in Beijing. Since the suits were banned, only one of those records has been broken in an individual event of 400 meters or less. What will happen in London?
Keeping time on the Olympic track
MOTION GRAPHIC | Official timing company Omega uses an army of technicians and ultra-precise equipment to determine exactly how speedy the world’s runners are.
Keeping time at the Olympic pool
Churning water adds difficulty to timekeeping, so Omega’s system is designed to determine who reaches the wall first.
1948: Too much heat, too much rain
London in the spring and summer of 1948 was similar to this year: extremely wet. When the Games arrived, heat and rain would each play a part in the events.
Profiles in Speed
‘Faster, Higher, Stronger.’
A closer examination of the first word in the Olympic motto.
BMX: Where everyone has mettle
Those on the medal podium at the BMX competition are as much survivors as medalists in one of the Olympic’s most perilous events.
Bolt has quite a golden moment
OPINION | Is the Jamaican sprinter the greatest of all time? The answer is yes.
U.S. women win soccer gold
The Americans’ togetherness and team play was on display in 2-1 victory over Japan.
Spotlight’s shine depends on view
From handball to fencing to rowing, countries have their own Olympic crazes, viewing the Games differently than Americans.
Shields goes from Flint to gold
17-year-old Claressa Shields becomes the first American woman to winning a boxing gold medal at the Olympics.
Greatest ever? Try Thorpe
OPINION | Usain Bolt is getting a lot of attention for his tremendous feats at the Olympics. But there’s more to greatness than sprinting.
The Cold War, on the court
OPINION | Forty years ago, long before the Dream Team and LeBron, something happened on the Olympic basketball floor that still resonates: USA vs. USSR.
Olympic anti-China conspiracy afoot?
Conspiracy theories reflect an increasingly common line among Chinese leaders that Western powers are trying to contain China.
Galleries
First the World Cup, then the Olympics
In Rio de Janeiro, major construction projects are underway in preparation for the 2014 World Cup and the 2016 Summer Olympics.
U.S. men win gold in Olympic basketball
In a close game, the Americans beat Spain 107-100 on the final day of the Olympic games
Famous faces at the Olympics
The 2012 Olympics are attracting a bevy of celebrities, including British royalty and U.S. political figures.
PHOTOS | American Boudia wins diving gold
Platform diver David Boudia upsets the reigning world champion
Women’s basketball, men’s soccer, men’s 4x100 relay highlight Day 15 at the Olympics
All the best action from Saturday in London.
Men’s basketball, women’s 4x100 relay world record headline Day 14 of London Olympics
All the best action from Friday at the Games.
Recent videos
U.S. women’s gymnastics team lights up Empire State Building
The gold medal-winning U.S. women's Olympic gymnastics team took a tour of the Empire State Building Tuesday.
Michelle Obama jokes about Olympic moment on Jay Leno
Michelle Obama jokes about Olympic moment on Jay Leno
Athletes leave London after Olympics
Athletes were bidding London farewell Monday after the 2012 Olympics wrapped up, most with happy memories. But a doping decision stripped a gold medal from a Belarus shot putter.
59 Seconds: Monday, August 13, 2012
VIDEO | The Post’s Katherine Boyle offers news in less than a minute on campaign 2012, Paul Ryan, Sarah Palin, Olympic medal count and cuts at Motorola. All here on weekdays from noon to 2 p.m.
London Olympics close with a British pop-music party
London Olympics close with a British pop-music party
London Olympics in two minutes
VIDEO | The Washington Post looks back at some of the best moments from the 2012 Summer Games.
U.S. men’s basketball wins gold, beats Spain 107-100
This was no Dream Team. This was reality. The Americans led Spain by only one point after three quarters, a back-and-forth, impossible-to-turn-away-from game that almost anyone would hope for in an Olympic final.
South Sudan’s Guor Marial runs under the Olympic flag
A man from the new nation of South Sudan will take his place in London 2012's marathon Sunday, running under IOC auspices. Guor Marial says he feels the weight of his country on his shoulders.
Usain Bolt wins gold in 200-meter final
Jamaican Usain Bolt blew away the field in the 200-meter final, becoming the only man with two Olympic titles in the event. But American women were on the march all over the London Games.Profiles in Speed
Sports at a Glance
The Post Most: SportsMost-viewed stories, videos and galleries int he past two hours
