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Tokyo Summer OlympicsTokyo Summer Olympics

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Olympic magic cut through the pandemic gloom, but the Tokyo Games’ legacy is complex

The International Olympic Committee will walk away with its broadcast revenue intact. The Japanese taxpayers will be left footing a multibillion-dollar bill without having been invited to the party.
By Simon Denyer and Michelle Ye Hee Lee 

It’s unforgivable to hold the Olympics in Beijing

The Olympics are a prize to China. Take it away.
By Sally Jenkins

Fewer and fewer cities want to host the Olympics. That should tell the IOC something.

It’s time to fix the Olympics.
By Barry Svrluga

Sunisa Lee is about to try a new thing for an all-around champ: College gymnastics

Gymnast will go from winning a gold medal in Tokyo to a dorm room at Auburn.
By Emily Giambalvo

‘Pops, I didn’t do it’: The heartbreak of Richard Torrez Jr. over the gold medal he didn’t win

USA Boxing caps successful Olympics despite two fighters losing decisions in the finals.
By Les Carpenter

Dawn Staley and Sue Bird make sure their final USA Basketball moment is golden

After the United States beat Japan, 90-75, the U.S. women’s coach announced she is stepping down.
By Ava Wallace

Medals

Number of gold, silver, and bronze medals earned by each participating country
RankCountryGold Medals ReceivedSilver Medals ReceivedBronze Medals ReceivedTotal Medals Received
1United States394133113
2China38321888
3Russian O.C.20282371
4Britain22212265
5Japan27141758

U.S. women’s volleyball team lays down its burdens, picks up a gold medal

By Dave Sheinin

The heat withered the Olympic marathon field. And then there was Eliud Kipchoge.

By Chuck Culpepper
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On the final day of Olympic track, the U.S. men finally get their gold

By Roman Stubbs

Team USA baseball, a ragtag, charming bunch, comes up just short in quest for gold

By Dave Sheinin
Analysis

For USA Basketball, an arduous journey to a familiar destination

By Ben Golliver

U.S. women’s water polo wins gold again. Just getting to Tokyo was an ordeal.

By Ava Wallace

The Russian Tank beat Captain America in the Olympics’ most-anticipated wrestling match

A golden farewell to swimming’s greatest underwater dancing queen

British diver Tom Daley says sports has ‘a lot further to go’ on LGBTQ acceptance

Perspectives

Tokyo Olympics’ lasting lesson: Sometimes, it’s better to let go than push through

Opinion by Barry Svrluga

Competitor No. 392 won a bronze medal on beam. Simone Biles won the Tokyo Olympics.

Opinion by Barry Svrluga

USA Basketball faced a lot of questions at these Olympics. Its answer? Kevin Durant.

Opinion by Barry Svrluga

Simone Biles was abandoned by American Olympic officials, and the torment hasn’t stopped

Opinion by Sally Jenkins

This USWNT core group has been one for the ages. It’s time to pass the baton.

Opinion by Barry Svrluga

Simone Biles and the price of being a GOAT

By Barry Svrluga

Late at night, on a bridge in Tokyo Bay, the Olympic flame burns alone

Opinion by Les Carpenter

This is what peak performance looks like. Who cares how it’s clothed?

Opinion by Sally Jenkins
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Editors’ Picks
(Artur Galocha/The Washington Post)

Medal or nothing: U.S. men’s sprinters have a handoff problem

The problem for the U.S. 4x100 men's relay team: Handoffs, handoffs, handoffs. Here's why passing a baton is so hard.
By Bonnie Berkowitz and Artur Galocha 
(Washington Post illustration; AP; Getty)

Life after gold

How winning trained these Olympians to face the unexpected.
By Ashleigh Joplin, Whitney Shefte, David Bruns and Reem Akkad 
(Maja Hitij/Getty Images)

The Tokyo Olympics: 1964 celebrations and 2021 struggles

The 1964 Tokyo Olympics was an emotional celebration of Japan's triumphant post-war return to the global stage. This year, the postponed Tokyo Olympics looks and feels nothing like those Games — or any other Olympics of the past.
By Michelle Ye Hee Lee
(Jeff Roberson/AP)

U.S. athletes to watch at the Tokyo Olympics

Get to know Simone Biles, Christen Press and other U.S. athletes who will star at the Tokyo Olympics.
By Rick Maese, Emily Giambalvo, Roman Stubbs, Ava Wallace and Adam Kilgore 
More Olympics News
(Julian Finney/Getty Images)

With 1.3 billion people and 35 medals ever, India remains an Olympic mystery

By Chuck Culpepper

U.S. women’s water polo wins gold again. Just getting to Tokyo was an ordeal.

By Ava Wallace

The 2022 Winter Olympics are less than six months away. Here’s what to know.

By Matt Bonesteel

British diver Tom Daley says sports has ‘a lot further to go’ on LGBTQ acceptance

By Simon Denyer
Perspective

USA Basketball faced a lot of questions at these Olympics. Its answer? Kevin Durant.

Analysis

For USA Basketball, an arduous journey to a familiar destination

Marathon fans in Sapporo break the Olympic silence, but the heat is unrelenting

American Paul Chelimo, with a dive at the line, wins thrilling bronze in 5,000 meters

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Don't miss
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How Katie Ledecky swims faster than the rest of the world

Katie Ledecky enters the Tokyo Olympics with outsize expectations and will try to show how much faster she is five years after dominating the Rio Games.
By Rick Maese, Ashleigh Joplin, Artur Galocha and Tyler Remmel 
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They are Olympians. They are mothers. And they no longer have to choose.

Track and field athletes to watch at the Tokyo Olympics

Noah Lyles is ready for the moment

Frequently asked questions

What happens when an athlete tests positive for the coronavirus at the Olympics?

By Ava Wallace

The Olympics are finally here. Here’s a guide to help you watch the Tokyo Games.

By Rick Maese

How to watch (some of) the Olympics online for free

By Tatum Hunter and Geoffrey A. Fowler 

How many athletes participate in the Olympics, and other key numbers from the Games

By Matt Bonesteel

Follow the biggest moments from the Olympics with our text-message digest

Stories from the Olympic Games, delivered straight to your phone.
What to know about . . .chevron-right
Surfing
Surfing enters the Olympics for the first time, with the competition set to be held about 40 miles southeast of Tokyo.
Soccer
A soccer juggernaut will face some challenges on the women's side, but in the men's Olympic tournament, expect the unexpected in Tokyo.
Sport climbing
Sport climbing, a new Olympic sport at the Tokyo Games, involves three separate disciplines and requires both speed and power.
Karate
Karate will be a new sport at the Tokyo Olympics, but it won't be contested at the 2024 Paris Games.
3-on-3 basketball
A fast-paced iteration of the traditional game that resembles something of formalized pickup basketball.
Beach volleyball
Everything to know about the beach volleyball competition at the Tokyo Olympics, including the tournament schedule, medal contenders and rules.
Softball and baseball
For the first time since 2008, softball and baseball will be played at the Tokyo Olympics with a pair of six-team tournaments.
Triathlon
There will be plenty of familiar faces among the 55 competitors each in the women’s and men’s individual triathlons.
Swimming
111 swimming medals will be handed out in 37 events, with new distances, a new relay and a flipped competition schedule.
Tennis
Novak Djokovic continues his quest for the “golden slam” while world No. 1 Ash Barty and No. 2 Naomi Osaka lead the women's contingent.
Marathon
The men’s and women’s marathon are among the most anticipated events on the Olympic calendar.
Golf
Golf returned to the Olympics four years ago in Rio de Janeiro and gets a second modern shot at the Tokyo Games.
Basketball
The men's and women's basketball tournaments will pit 12 teams against each other in a round robin-style competition before knockout stages start on Aug. 1.
Gymnastics
Simone Biles will be one of the biggest stars of the Tokyo Games, and the U.S. women’s gymnastics squad will be a heavy favorite to win gold at the Olympics.
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