London closes out the Olympics with a bang

2012 Olympic Games - Closing Ceremony

Anthony Faiola

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.

U.S. women take a stand ... again and again

Jenkins: A flood that began as a trickle

For some countries, one medal is golden

U.S. men’s hoops pride restored with gold medal

LiveOlympics coverage

Uganda’s long-distance surprise

Rick Maese

Stephen Kiprotich wins marathon to give Uganda second gold medal in its history.

Boudia dives into the history books

Sally Jenkins

OPINION | American David Boudia looks like a beautiful gull plunging into the water as he wins gold on 10-meter platform.

Platform diving photo gallery

For U.S. women, high-fives all around

Liz Clarke

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

Amy Shipley

Jamaican men set world record in 4x100 relay, leaving U.S. in second. American women win 4x400 with ease.

U.S. women smash record in 4x100 relay

Mexico stuns Brazil to claim soccer title

Rick Maese

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

Barry Svrluga

After winning first set, Americans can’t handle Brazil in women’s volleyball gold medal game.

Can America enjoy its No. 1 moment?

Mike Wise

OPINION | How to celebrate winning the medal count at the Olympics, and how not to.

Pros and cons to professionals

Barry Svrluga and Rick Maese

With each sport having different rules concerning amateurism, Olympians return to varied lifestyles.

Runner without a country

Rick Maese

After fleeing Sudan as a child, the Olympian will run Sunday’s marathon unaffiliated with any nation.

Graphic: the London marathon course

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

WASHINGTON, DC December, 14: Runner Matt Centrowitz Jr., Olympic hopeful in the 1500 meters, works out at American University on December 11, 2011 in Washington, DC (Photo by Jonathan Newton/The Washington Post)

‘Faster, Higher, Stronger.’

A closer examination of the first word in the Olympic motto.

Best of the 2012 Olympic Games

The myth of the modern sports hero

Mike Wise

COLUMN | The Pistorius tragedy is only the latest reminder of the dangers of athletic hero worship.

Pistorius family refutes murder charge

Bolt has quite a golden moment

Mike Wise

OPINION | Is the Jamaican sprinter the greatest of all time? The answer is yes.

U.S. women win soccer gold

Barry Svrluga

The Americans’ togetherness and team play was on display in 2-1 victory over Japan.

Spotlight’s shine depends on view

Anthony Faiola

From handball to fencing to rowing, countries have their own Olympic crazes, viewing the Games differently than Americans.

Shields goes from Flint to gold

Rick Maese

17-year-old Claressa Shields becomes the first American woman to winning a boxing gold medal at the Olympics.

Greatest ever? Try Thorpe

Sally Jenkins

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

Mike Wise

OPINION | Forty years ago, long before the Dream Team and LeBron, something happened on the Olympic basketball floor that still resonates: USA vs. USSR.