Olympic Sports, RAT-SHE
Olympic Games, athletic festival that originated in ancient Greece and was revived in the late 19th century. Before the 1970s the Games were officially limited to competitors with amateur status, but in the 1980s many events were opened to professional athletes. Currently, the Games are open to all, even the top professional athletes in basketball and football (soccer).
Olympic Sports Encyclopedia Articles By Title
rating rule
rating rule, in yacht racing, rule used to classify sailing yachts of different designs to enable them to compete......
Rawls, Betsy
Betsy Rawls was an American golfer who set a record by winning the U.S. Womenâs Open four times (tied by Mickey......
Ray Ewry: Higher Than the Rest
Born in the U.S. state of Indiana in 1873, Ray Ewry was afflicted in childhood with polio, a disease that forced......
real tennis
real tennis, racket sport that is descended from and almost identical to the medieval tennis game jeu de paume......
Redgrave, Steven
Steven Redgrave is an English rower, who was the first in his sport to win gold medals at five consecutive Olympic......
Reigns, Roman
Roman Reigns is an American professional wrestler, athlete, and actor. He is best known for holding multiple championships......
Renée Richards
Renée Richards is a former American professional tennis player and ophthalmologist. As one of the first out transgender......
Rescuing Muhammad Aliâs Lost Legacy
People today understand that Muhammad Ali defied the United States government and alienated mainstream America......
Retton, Mary Lou
Mary Lou Retton is a gymnast who was the first American woman to win an individual Olympic gold medal in gymnastics.......
Rhodes, Cody
Cody Rhodes is an American professional wrestler known for his extensive history in various professional wrestling......
rhythmic gymnastics
rhythmic gymnastics, the performance of systematic physical exercise with the aid of such hand apparatuses as ropes,......
Rhéaume, Manon
Manon Rhéaume is a former Canadian ice hockey player who made history in 1992 by becoming the first woman to compete......
Richards, Bob
Bob Richards was an American athlete, the first pole-vaulter to win two Olympic gold medals. Sportswriters called......
Richards, Mark
Mark Richards is an Australian surfer who was a four-time world champion (1979â82) and the first professional surfer......
Richardson, Dot
Dot Richardson is an American physician and a former softball player who was a member of Olympic gold-medal-winning......
Richardson, ShaâCarri
ShaâCarri Richardson is one of the worldâs fastest female sprinters, known for her record-breaking performances......
Rickard, Tex
Tex Rickard was an American gambler and fight promoter who made boxing fashionable and highly profitable. His promotions......
Riggin, Aileen
Aileen Riggin was an American swimmer and diver who won three Olympic medals and was the first competitor to win......
Riggs, Bobby
Bobby Riggs was an American tennis player who was one of the top-ranked players in the United States in the 1930s......
rings
rings, gymnastics apparatus consisting of two small circles that are suspended by straps from an overhead support......
Rio de Janeiro 2016 Olympic Games
Rio de Janeiro 2016 Olympic Games, athletic festival held in Rio de Janeiro that took place August 5â21, 2016.......
Rio Recap
On August 21, 2016, the Games of the XXXI Olympiad ended in Rio de Janeiro, capping two weeks of drama, record-setting......
Ripley, Rhea
Rhea Ripley is an Australian professional wrestler with World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE; 2017â ) known for her......
Ritola, Ville
Ville Ritola was a Finnish long-distance runner, winner of three Olympic gold medals and two-time world-record......
road race
road race, in bicycle racing, a contest run on a course marked out over open roads and highways. It may be several......
Robertson, Oscar
Oscar Robertson is an American basketball player who starred in both the collegiate and professional ranks and......
Robinson, Sugar Ray
Sugar Ray Robinson was an American professional boxer, considered by many authorities to have been the best fighter......
Rocky
Rocky, American boxing film, released in 1976, that was the highest-grossing movie of that year, earning more than......
Rodman, Trinity
Trinity Rodman is an American professional football (soccer) player who is a forward for the Washington Spirit......
Rodnina, Irina
Irina Rodnina is a Russian figure skater and politician who, with her partners, first Alexei Ulanov and later Aleksandr......
Rogge, Jacques
Jacques Rogge was a Belgian athlete and physician who served as president of the International Olympic Committee......
Rojas, Yulimar
Yulimar Rojas is considered the âQueen of the Triple Jump,â known for her series of historic performances. In 2022......
roller-skating
roller-skating, recreational and competitive sport in which the participants use special shoes fitted with small......
Rome
Rome, historic city and capital of Roma provincia (province), of Lazio regione (region), and of the country of......
- Introduction
- Ancient, Hills, Tiber
- Piazza del Popolo, Monumental Fountains, Obelisk
- Capitoline, Aventine, Palatine
- Ancient History, Colosseum, Forum
- Ancient Forum, Colosseum, Pantheon
- Colosseum, Constantine, Arch
- Ancient History, Forum, Pantheon
- Churches, Basilicas, Cathedrals
- Basilica, Papal Palace, Renaissance
- Fountains, Trevi, Baroque
- Ancient, Popes, Emperors
- Ancient City, Religion, Politics
- Ancient, Eternal City, Italy
- Municipal Reforms, Augustus, Italy
- Eternal City, Vatican, Colosseum
- Ancient, Renaissance, Baroque
- Eternal City, Italy, Colosseum
Rome 1960 Olympic Games
Rome 1960 Olympic Games, athletic festival held in Rome that took place August 25âSeptember 11, 1960. The Rome......
Rose, Lionel
Lionel Rose was an Australian professional boxer, world bantamweight champion, 1968â69. He was the first Aboriginal......
Rose, Murray
Murray Rose was an Australian swimmer who won six Olympic medals and was the first man to swim the 1,500-meter......
Rosewall, Ken
Ken Rosewall is an Australian tennis player who was a major competitor for 25 years, winning 18 Grand Slam titles,......
Ross, Barney
Barney Ross was an American professional boxer, world lightweight (135 pounds), junior welterweight (140 pounds),......
Ross, Norman
Norman Ross was an American swimmer who won three gold medals at the 1920 Olympics in Antwerp and set more than......
rowing
rowing, propulsion of a boat by means of oars. As a sport, it involves watercraft known as shells (usually propelled......
Royal and Ancient Golf Club of St. Andrews
Royal and Ancient Golf Club of St. Andrews, one of the worldâs oldest and most-influential golf organizations,......
Rudolph, Wilma
Wilma Rudolph was an American sprinter, the first American woman to win three track-and-field gold medals in a......
Rumble in the Jungle
Rumble in the Jungle, heavyweight boxing match held on October 30, 1974, between then heavyweight champion George......
running
running, footracing over a variety of distances and courses and numbering among the most popular sports in nearly......
Rupp, Adolph
Adolph Rupp was an American collegiate basketball coach at the University of Kentucky (1930â72). He retired as......
Russell, Bill
Bill Russell was an American basketball player who was the first outstanding defensive centre in the history of......
Ruud, Birger
Birger Ruud was a Norwegian ski jumper, who was the only athlete to win both a jumping and a downhill event in......
Ryder Cup
Ryder Cup, biennial professional team golf event first held in 1927. It was played between teams of golfers from......
Sabalenka, Aryna
Aryna Sabalenka is a Belarusian professional tennis player who emerged as one of the best young athletes on the......
Saddler, Sandy
Sandy Saddler was an American professional boxer, world featherweight (126 pounds) champion in the late 1940s and......
Sailer, Anton
Anton Sailer was an Austrian Alpine skier who, in the 1956 Olympic Winter Games held in Cortina dâAmpezzo, Italy,......
Saint Cyr, Henri
Henri Saint Cyr was a Swedish equestrian in dressage who was one of only two people to win two Olympic gold medals......
Saint Moritz
Saint Moritz, town, or Gemeinde (commune), GraubĂŒnden canton, southeastern Switzerland. Saint Moritz lies in the......
Salchow, Ulrich
Ulrich Salchow was a Swedish figure skater who established a record by winning 10 world championships for men (1901â05,......
Salnikov, Vladimir
Vladimir Salnikov is a Russian swimmer who won four Olympic gold medals and was the first to break the 15-minute......
Salt Lake City 2002 Olympic Winter Games
Salt Lake City 2002 Olympic Winter Games, athletic festival held in Salt Lake City, Utah, U.S., that took place......
Salé, Jamie
Jamie Salé is a Canadian pairs figure skater who, with her doubles partner David Pelletier, was awarded a gold......
sambo
sambo, (Russian: âself-defense without weaponsâ), form of wrestling developed in the Soviet Union in the 1930s......
Sampras, Pete
Pete Sampras is an American tennis player whose exceptional all-around game enabled him to win 14 Grand Slam singles......
Sanchez, Salvador
Salvador Sanchez was a Mexican professional boxer and the world featherweight (126 pounds) champion from 1980 to......
Saneyev, Viktor
Viktor Saneyev is a Soviet athlete who dominated the triple jump during the late 1960s and â70s. He won four Olympic......
Santelli, Giorgio
Giorgio Santelli was a Hungarian-born Italian fencing master, thought by many to be the greatest American fencing......
Sapporo 1972 Olympic Winter Games
Sapporo 1972 Olympic Winter Games, athletic festival held in Sapporo, Japan, that took place February 3â13, 1972.......
Sarajevo 1984 Olympic Winter Games
Sarajevo 1984 Olympic Winter Games, athletic festival held in Sarajevo, Yugoslavia, that took place February 8â19,......
Sarazen, Gene
Gene Sarazen was a prominent American professional golfer of the 1920s and â30s. His double eagleâi.e., his score......
savate
savate, French sport of fighting by kicking, practiced from the early 19th century. It occurred mainly among the......
SavĂłn, Felix
Felix SavĂłn is a former heavyweight boxer from Cuba who became the second fighter to win three Olympic gold medals......
Sawchuk, Terry
Terry Sawchuk was a professional North American ice hockey goalie. After playing two seasons in the U.S. Hockey......
Sayers, Tom
Tom Sayers was a boxer who participated in the first international heavyweight championship match and was one of......
Scheffler, Scottie
Scottie Scheffler is an American golfer who in 2024 had the best single-season performance by a pro since the heyday......
Schenk, Ard
Ard Schenk is a Dutch speed skater who in 1972 won three gold medals in the Winter Olympic Games in Sapporo, Japan.......
Scherbo, Vitaly
Vitaly Scherbo is a former gymnast from what is now Belarus who was the first in his sport to win six gold medals......
Schlaak, Evelin
Evelin Schlaak is an East German athlete who won an upset victory in the discus throw at the 1976 Olympic Games......
Schmeling, Max
Max Schmeling was a German heavyweight boxer who, from June 12, 1930, when Jack Sharkey lost to him by disqualification,......
Schneider, Hannes
Hannes Schneider was an Austrian-born ski instructor who developed what came to be called the Arlberg technique,......
Schneider, Vreni
Vreni Schneider is a Swiss Alpine skier who was the dominant female skier of her generation and one of the greatest......
Schollander, Don
Don Schollander is an American athlete who was the first swimmer to win four gold medals in a single Olympic Games.......
Schwingen
Schwingen, (German: âswingingâ), form of wrestling native to Switzerland and the Tirolese valleys. Wrestlers wear......
SchÀfer, Karl
Karl SchÀfer was an Austrian figure skater who was the best performer in his sport during the 1930s and was an......
Scott Hamilton: Training for Olympic Gold
The year before the 1984 Olympics was my most intensive year of training in figure skating. I thought about the......
Scott, Barbara Ann
Barbara Ann Scott was a Canadian figure skater who was the first citizen of a country outside Europe to win a world......
Scott, Sir Peter Markham
Sir Peter Markham Scott was a British conservationist and artist. He founded the Severn Wildfowl Trust (1946; renamed......
scuba diving
scuba diving, swimming done underwater with a self-contained underwater-breathing apparatus. See underwater...
sculling
sculling, in small-craft racing, the use of two oars, one in each handâin single, double, and quadruple events.......
Sears, Richard Dudley
Richard Dudley Sears was the first American menâs singles champion in lawn tennis (1881) and winner of that title......
Sebastian Coe and Steve Ovett: The 800-Metre Duel
At the 1978 European championships, Sebastian Coe and Steve Ovett met in a race for the first time. The two up-and-coming......
Sedykh, Yuriy
Yuriy Sedykh was considered the greatest hammer thrower of modern times, known for the three-turn technique. The......
Segrave, Sir Henry (OâNeal de Hane)
Sir Henry Segrave was an American-born English automobile and motorboat racer who set three world land speed records.......
Seles, Monica
Monica Seles is a Yugoslavian-born retired American professional tennis player who dominated her sport and was......
Seoul
Seoul, city and capital of South Korea (the Republic of Korea). It is located on the Han River (Han-gang) in the......
Seoul 1988 Olympic Games
Seoul 1988 Olympic Games, athletic festival held in Seoul that took place September 17âOctober 2, 1988. The Seoul......
Shakhlin, Boris Anfiyanovich
Boris Anfiyanovich Shakhlin was a Soviet gymnast who set a career record of 10 individual titles in the world championships......
Sharapova, Maria
Maria Sharapova is a Russian tennis player who was one of the gameâs leading contenders in the early 21st century,......
Sharkey, Jack
Jack Sharkey was an American world heavyweight-boxing champion from June 21, 1932, when he defeated Max Schmeling......
Shea, Jack
Jack Shea was an American speed skater who won both the 500- and 1,500-metre races at the 1932 Winter Olympics......
Shea, Jim, Jr.
Jim Shea, Jr. is an American skeleton sledding champion, winner of a gold medal at the 2002 Winter Olympics. Sheaâs......
Sheehan, Patty
Patty Sheehan is an American golfer who was one of the most consistent players on the womenâs tour throughout the......
Sheppard, Mel
Mel Sheppard was an American middle-distance runner, the first to win two gold medals in individual events in the......
Sheridan, Martin
Martin Sheridan was an Irish-born American athlete, one of the most versatile performers of his day. He was the......