Winning in the Olympics
What separates a champion from the rest of the pack? Science has some compelling answers
A Single Brain Structure May Give Winners That Extra Physical Edge
An extraordinary insula helps elite athletes better anticipate their body's upcoming feelings, improving their physical reactions
Olympic Athletes Feel the Hurt
Broken arms, ruptured Achilles tendons and concussions are all part of the Games
Gooooal! 2 Technologies Compete to Sense Soccer Goals
A major botched call by referees during the World Cup has opened the door for computerized replacements
Should Oscar Pistorius's Prosthetic Legs Disqualify Him from the Olympics?
Scientists debate whether prosthetic legs give Pistorius an unfair advantage in the 400-meter race
Unnatural Selection: Muscles, Genes and Genetic Cheats
Can specific genes cause muscles to grow faster or stronger, and can genetic tampering give athletes an unnatural edge?
Why Great Olympic Feats Raise Suspicions
"Performance profiling" could help catch athletes who use banned performance-enhancing drugs
Rope a Dope: Drug Testing in Sports Enters a More Aggressive Era
Unusual variations in an athlete's blood could determine guilt, even if no illegal substances are found
Sports Psychologists Extend Their Counseling to Athletes' Coaches and Families
Mental trainers reach further to create the ideal environment for victory
Leg and Head Injuries Are Frequent at the Olympics
Athletes are injured frequently—badminton players more so than ski jumpers
Push Comes to Pull: What's the Best Freestyle Swimming Stroke? [Video]
This summer's Olympic games in London feature 14 different freestyle swimming competitions, by far the most races for any type of stroke. The world's elite swimmers can traverse a 50-meter pool in 22 to 26 seconds, yet they are divided over which of two variations of the stroke are more effective: the more powerful "deep catch" approach or the more streamlined "scull." And the physics behind the debate is fascinating.In the deep catch approach, a swimmer puts his or her arm straight forward, then down as deep as possible into the water, and pushes that arm back as hard as possible, keeping the palms perpendicular to the direction the swimmer wants to move...
Many Olympians Suffer from Asthma
The most common chronic condition among all Olympic athletes is asthma. But many don't start suffering symptoms until their later years, suggesting that endurance training could be a trigger...
Time Shift: Is London's Big Ben Falling Down?
Rumors abound about the famous clock tower's imminent demise, blaming the 1999 construction of an underground train station. But those in the know say it ain't so
Running barefoot is better, researchers find
Mother Nature has outpaced science once again: the bare human foot is better for running than one cushioned by sneakers. What about those $125 high-tech running shoes with 648 custom combinations?...
Animal Olympics: The Fastest Critters on Earth [Slide Show]
Usain Bolt might be the world's fastest human but animals big and small would handily beat him
The New Face of Women’s Boxing
Marlen Esparza, the flyweight pugilist, has spent all her life waiting for the chance to compete on the Olympic stage
How Speedo Created a Record-Breaking Swimsuit
After officials banned the swimsuit that caused records to fall at the 2008 Olympic Games, scientists are back with a new outfit that could break more records
![Will Swimsuit Controversy Rise Again? [Timeline]](https://static.scientificamerican.com/sciam/cache/file/67EA754A-865D-472A-AF35D94C4687E8C7_agenda.jpg?w=275&h=154&fit=crop)
Will Swimsuit Controversy Rise Again? [Timeline]
Arguments over whether high-tech attire gives swimmers an unfair advantage have been waged for 80 years
The Men Behind the First U.S. Olympic Team
Kicked out of Harvard, these pioneering athletes were ahead of their time
When the Olympics Awarded Medals to Artists
In the modern Games’ early days, painters, sculptors, writers and musicians battled for gold, silver and bronze
