Olympic Sports, OLY-RAP
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
Olympic Games host cities
What do Paris, Helsinki, Atlanta, Beijing, and Tokyo have in common? They all have hosted the Olympics. As the......
Olympic Games, flag of the
In 1914, when the International Olympic Committee (IOC) held its 20th anniversary meeting in Paris, the Olympic......
Olympic Valley
Olympic Valley, winter sports area in Placer county, northeastern California, U.S. It lies just northwest of Lake......
Olympics: A Survey of Banned Substances
The use of performance-enhancing drugs among athletes competing in the Olympic Games is not newâas early as 1904,......
Olympics: Artistic Gymnastics
With qualifications beginning on August 6, 2016, artistic gymnastics is a highly anticipated international sport.......
Olympics: Athletics
Olympic athletics begins in Rio de Janeiro with the preliminary competitions. The popular sport known widely as......
Olympics: Basketball
Basketball has been played at the Olympic Games for 80 years and is the rare team spectator sport that maintains......
Olympics: Boon or Curse?
In September 2015 the International Olympic Committee announced five candidate cities for the 2024 Summer Olympics:......
Olympics: Cycling
Cycling has been a part of the Olympic Games since the first modern Summer Olympics in 1896. Though there are four......
Olympics: Equestrian
Three equestrian disciplines are featured at the Rio Olympics in both team and individual events: dressage, jumping,......
Olympics: Football (Soccer)
Whether you call it football or soccer, one thing is certain: it is the worldâs most popular sport. According to......
Olympics: Martial Arts
Fighting sports were among the first contests to be included in the ancient Olympic Games. Only footraces predated......
Olympics: New Sports for 2016
The 2016 Summer Olympics in Rio de Janeiro welcome back two sports to the Games: golf and rugby. Both sports earned......
Olympics: Racket Sports
Tennis, badminton, and table tennis are the three racket sports featured during the Summer Olympics. Though all......
Olympics: The Genetics of Success
For decades, athletes have run, jumped, skated, and skied their way into Olympic history. The rest of us watch......
Olympics: Volleyball
Volleyball was introduced to the Olympic Games in 1964, but before it became a competitive worldwide sport, it......
Olyslagers, Nicola
Nicola Olyslagers is the first Australian woman to jump 2 meters (6 feet 6.74 inches) in the high jump. At the......
Ondieki, Yobes
Yobes Ondieki is a Kenyan distance runner who surprised observers in 1993 by setting a world record in the 10,000......
One Ton Cup
One Ton Cup, international racing trophy for sailing yachts of about one-ton displacement. From 1907 to 1955 the......
Oreiller, Henri
Henri Oreiller was a French skier and auto racer who won a double championship in the downhill and combined events......
orienteering
orienteering, outdoor competitive sport that is similar to cross-country running, but with emphasis on map-reading......
Origins of the Olympic Winter Games
Origins of the Olympic Winter Games, The first organized international competition involving winter sports was......
Orr, Bobby
Bobby Orr is a Canadian American professional ice hockey player who was the first defenseman to lead the National......
Osaka, Naomi
Naomi Osaka is a tennis player and activist who, with her victory at the 2018 U.S. Open, became the first player......
Oslo 1952 Olympic Winter Games
Oslo 1952 Olympic Winter Games, athletic festival held in Oslo that took place February 14â25, 1952. The Oslo Games......
Ostermeyer, Micheline
Micheline Ostermeyer was a French athlete who won gold medals in the shot put and the discus throw at the 1948......
Otto, Kristin
Kristin Otto is a former German swimmer and the first female athlete to win six gold medals at a single Olympic......
Otto, Sylke
Sylke Otto is a German luger who won gold medals at the 2002 and 2006 Winter Olympics. Otto began lugeing at age......
Ouimet, Francis
Francis Ouimet was an American amateur golfer whose success did much to remove the British upper-class stigma from......
Ovechkin, Alex
Alex Ovechkin is a Russian ice hockey player and a leading goal scorer in the NHL. In November 2025 Ovechkin became......
Ovett, Steve
Steve Ovett is a British athlete, who, along with his great rival, Sebastian Coe, dominated middle-distance running......
Owens, Jesse
Jesse Owens was an American track-and-field athlete who became one of the sportâs most legendary competitors after......
OâBrien, Parry
Parry OâBrien was an American shot-putter who developed a style that revolutionized the event. He held the world......
OâNeal, Shaquille
Shaquille OâNeal is a former basketball player who was the dominant center of his era. OâNeal helped the Los Angeles......
OâRee, Willie
Willie OâRee is the first Black hockey player to play in a National Hockey League (NHL) game. He debuted with the......
Paavo Nurmi: The Flying Finn
One of the so-called Flying Finns who long dominated distance running, Paavo Nurmi was perhaps the greatest runner......
Paavo YrjölÀ: The Farmhand
The biggest triumph of Paavo YrjölÀ, a four-time Olympian, came at the 1928 Games in Amsterdam. YrjölÀ, a native......
Pacquiao, Manny
Manny Pacquiao is a professional boxer, media celebrity, and politician who became world-famous for winning boxing......
paddle tennis
paddle tennis, small-scale form of tennis similar to a British shipboard game of the 1890s. Frank P. Beal, a New......
Paddock, Charley
Charley Paddock was an American sprinter, world record holder for the 100-metre dash (1921â30) and the 200-metre......
Paes, Leander
Leander Paes is a former tennis player from India who became one of the most successful doubles players in tennis......
Page, Alan
Alan Page is an American gridiron football player, jurist, and writer who in 1971 became the first defensive player......
Pahud de Mortanges, Charles Ferdinand
Charles Ferdinand Pahud de Mortanges was a Dutch equestrian who was one of the most successful riders in Olympic......
Pak Se-Ri
Pak Se-Ri is a South Korean professional golfer who was one of the leading players on the Ladies Professional Golf......
Palmer, Arnold
Arnold Palmer was an American golfer who used an unorthodox swing and an aggressive approach to become one of golfâs......
pankration
pankration, ancient Greek sports event that combined boxing and wrestling, introduced at the XXXIII Olympiad (648......
Papp, LĂĄszlĂł
LĂĄszlĂł Papp was a Hungarian boxer who is considered one of the worldâs greatest middleweight fighters. He was the......
parallel bars
parallel bars, gymnastics apparatus invented in the early 19th century by the German Friedrich Ludwig Jahn, often......
Paris
Paris, city and capital of France, situated in the north-central part of the country. People were living on the......
- Introduction
- Climate, Rainfall, Humidity
- Ile Saint Louis, Seine, Architecture
- History, Culture, Landmarks
- Culture, History, Architecture
- City of Lights, Culture, History
- Shopping, Markets, History
- Culture, Art, Romance
- Metro, Buses, Trains
- Education, Culture, Institutions
- Medieval, Discord, 12th-16th Century
- Revolution, Monarchy, Enlightenment
Paris 1900 Olympic Games
Paris 1900 Olympic Games, athletic festival held in Paris that took place May 14âOctober 28, 1900. The Paris Games......
Paris 1924 Olympic Games
Paris 1924 Olympic Games, athletic festival held in Paris that took place May 4âJuly 27, 1924. The Paris Games......
Paris Olympics 2024: Athletes, Sports, and History
From July 26 to August 11, 2024, Paris hosted one of the worldâs largest and most-watched sporting events: the......
Park In-Bee
Park In-Bee is a South Korean golfer who in 2013 became the second player to win the first three major tournaments......
Parker, Candace
Candace Parker is a former professional basketball player who was one of the superstars of the WNBA in the early......
Pascoe, Sophie
Sophie Pascoe is a New Zealand swimmer and the countryâs most successful Paralympian, having won a total of 19......
Patrick family
Patrick family, Canadian family who as managers, owners, and league officials helped establish professional ice......
Patterson, Floyd
Floyd Patterson was an American professional boxer, the first to hold the world heavyweight championship twice.......
Paul, Chris
Chris Paul is an American former professional basketball player who was one of the premier stars of the National......
Paul, Jake
Jake Paul is an American boxer, influencer, and actor. A member of Generation Z, the first to come of age in a......
Pearson, Sally
Sally Pearson is a retired track athlete and Olympian considered to be one of the most successful Australian hurdlers......
Pechstein, Claudia
Claudia Pechstein is a German speed skater whose nine Olympic medals (five gold, two silver, and two bronze) made......
Pedroza, Eusebio
Eusebio Pedroza was a Panamanian professional boxer, world featherweight (126 pounds [57 kg]) champion from 1978......
Pelletier, David
David Pelletier is a Canadian pairs figure skater who, with his partner Jamie Salé, was awarded a gold medal at......
Pennel, John
John Pennel was an American pole-vaulter who was the first to jump more than 5.18 m (17 feet) and was a world-record......
pentathlon
pentathlon, athletic contest entailing five distinct types of competition. In the ancient Greek Olympics, the pentathlon......
Pep, Willie
Willie Pep was an American professional boxer, world featherweight (126 pounds) champion during the 1940s. Pep......
Peyron, Bruno
Bruno Peyron is a French yachtsman who set a number of sailing records and was a three-time winner (1993, 2002,......
PGA Championship
PGA Championship, one of the worldâs four major golf tournaments (along with the Masters Tournament, the U.S. Open,......
Phelps, Michael
Michael Phelps is an American swimmer, who is the most-decorated athlete in Olympic history with 28 medals, which......
Pippen, Scottie
Scottie Pippen is an American professional basketball player who won six National Basketball Association (NBA)......
Pistorius, Oscar
Oscar Pistorius is a South African track-and-field sprinter and bilateral below-the-knee amputee who, at the 2012......
Plante, Jacques
Jacques Plante was an innovative French-Canadian hockey player, one of the most successful of all goaltenders in......
platform tennis
platform tennis, sport that is a combination of tennis and squash, devised in 1928 by American sports enthusiasts......
Player, Gary
Gary Player is a South African who was one of the worldâs best professional golfers in the post-World War II era.......
Plushchenko, Yevgeny
Yevgeny Plushchenko is a world-champion Russian figure skater and the first athlete to cleanly land the quadruple......
pole vault
pole vault, sport in athletics (track and field) in which an athlete jumps over an obstacle with the aid of a pole.......
pommel horse
pommel horse, gymnastics apparatus, a leather-covered form 1.6 meters (63 inches) long, 34 to 36 cm (13.4 to 14.2......
powerlifting
powerlifting, an offshoot of Olympic weightlifting and weight training that emphasizes sheer strength more than......
Prefontaine, Steve
Steve Prefontaine was a long-distance runner who is often regarded as one of the most important figures in American......
Press, Irina
Irina Press was a Soviet athlete who won two track-and-field Olympic gold medals during a career in which she set......
Press, Tamara
Tamara Press was an athlete from the Soviet Union who won three track-and-field Olympic gold medals and set 12......
Price, Nick
Nick Price is a South African-born golfer who was one of the sportâs leading players in the early 1990s. Priceâs......
Prinstein, Meyer
Meyer Prinstein was an American jumper who won three gold medals in Olympic competition in the early 20th century.......
Professional Golfersâ Association of America
The Professional Golfersâ Association of America (PGA of America) is an organization formed in the United States......
Protopopov, Oleg; and Belousova, Lyudmila
Oleg Protopopov and Lyudmila Belousova were Russian-born figure skaters who twice won gold medals in pairs at the......
pursuit racing
pursuit racing, in bicycle racing, an event in which teams or individuals start on opposite sides of an oval track......
PuskĂĄs, Ferenc
Ferenc PuskĂĄs was a Hungarian professional football (soccer) player who became the sportâs first international......
Pyeongchang 2018 Olympic Winter Games
The Pyeongchang 2018 Olympic Winter Games were an international athletic competition held in Pyeongchang county,......
PĂ€rson, Anja
Anja PĂ€rson is a Swedish skier who in 2007 became the first person to win world championship races in each of the......
Pérec, Marie-José
Marie-José Pérec is a French athlete who was the first sprinter to win consecutive Olympic gold medals in the 400-metre......
Quan Hongchan
Quan Hongchan is a Chinese diver who burst onto the international scene at the 2020 Olympic Games in Tokyo, in......
Quarry, Jerry
Jerry Quarry was an American boxer who became a championship heavyweight contender but never a champion. He posted......
quarterstaff
quarterstaff, a staff of wood from 6 to 9 feet (about 2 to 3 m) long, used for attack and defense. It is probably......
Quenneville, Joel
Joel Quenneville is a Canadian ice hockey player who later became a successful head coach in the NHL, guiding the......
Radcliffe, Paula
Paula Radcliffe is a British distance runner who set world records in the marathon. Radcliffe was born into an......
Radke, Lina
Lina Radke was a German athlete who set several middle-distance running records between 1927 and 1930. Her victory......
Rafer Johnson and Yang Chuan-kwang: Friendly Competition
With its 10 grueling events over two days, the decathlon pushes track-and-field athletes to new levels of achievement.......
Raich, Benjamin
Benjamin Raich is an Austrian Alpine skier who won gold medals in both the slalom and the giant slalom (GS) at......
Rand, Mary
Mary Rand was a British track-and-field athlete, who won a gold medal in the long jump at the 1964 Olympics in......
Rapinoe, Megan
Megan Rapinoe is a former football (soccer) player who is regarded as one of the sportâs legendary athletes, known......