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Race walking normally doesn't get much attention at the games, but a last-minute course upgrade — costing more than $800,000 — has put a new spring in the step of international competitors who feared injury on the original granite surface.

Reigning gymnastics world champion Shawn Johnson finally won a gold medal at the Olympics after three second-place finishes. She won the balance-beam competition, completing a series of athletic flips and twists that gave her the edge over teammate Nastia Liukin.

This week, an American team will compete in the gold medal match in women's beach volleyball — and they won't be wearing very much. A former Olympian reveals why.

Olympic photographers rely on talent, technology and strategic positioning to capture images that become signature moments of the games. Making those pictures happen in a fast-moving track event is a special challenge.

We are entering the age of the global Olympian. The practice of athletes and coaches representing countries other than their native ones dates back years, but the number of medal-seeking mercenaries is rising rapidly.

The Olympic Games are throwing a spotlight on how elite athletes respond to winning and losing. However, the challenge of good sportsmanship in the face of loss is something that many parents have to confront regularly, whether their children are playing sports, or competing in spelling bees. This week's Mocha Moms discuss teaching kids good sportsmanship, even when they lose.

The 11th day of the Olympic Games in Beijing saw Americans take gold medals with individual displays of strength, skill and strategy, while U.S. teams advanced toward their final rounds. U.S. gymnast Shawn Johnson captured her first gold on the balance beam.

A few days ago, Jason Turner's hopes for an Olympic medal were dashed by a fourth place finish in the 10-meter air pistol event. But when a North Korean shooter, who finished third, tested positive for a banned substance, Turner moved up to earn the bronze medal.

China's gold medal haul increases by the day at the Beijing Olympics. But some residents say the host country's multimillion-dollar investment on behalf of athletes has come at the expense of sports facilities for the Chinese public.

Jamaica's Usain Bolt and Jermaine Brown took gold in the men's and women's 100 meters at the Beijing Olympics. Jeremaine Brown of Radio Jamaica says track and field is deeply embedded in Jamaica's culture right from kindergarten.

The sport is new to the Olympics and brings a different set of challenges to traditional swimmers. Practically a full-contact sport, swimmers compete in a six-mile course and finish just fractions of seconds apart.

Meet the Tatum brothers, John and Brad, who at 89 and 87, respectively, still compete in swimming events. Washington Post Magazine reporter Lonnae O'Neal Parker, who recently wrote about the story, is joined by John Tatum, who shares his secrets for staying young.

For a moment, it seemed as if the rest of the Beijing Olympics would be an anti-climax, as Michael Phelps celebrated his eighth gold swimming medal, but Day 10 of the competition began with new dramas. The U.S. led China in total medals, but the host country held nearly twice as many golds.

China's single greatest hope for the Olympics is over. The highlight of the games was supposed to be hurdler Liu Xiang defending his gold medal on home soil. But Liu suddenly dropped out of the qualifying heats after an injury. His surprise exit left fans stunned and tearful.

Nine days of swimming competition have ended at the Olympic pool with another gold medal for Michael Phelps and a silver for 41-year-old Dara Torres. Phelps left an indelible mark on the Beijing games, but there were other unforgettable moments, as well.

There are certain terms in the sports world that just inspire awe: the hole in one, the no hitter, the perfect 10. Now you can forget about the perfect 10 — at least when it comes to Olympic gymnastics. The score that propelled Nadia Comaneci and Mary Lou Retton to fame is gone — replaced by a new system that scores most gymnasts between a 14 and a 17.

American Michael Phelps fulfills an improbable quest with a gold medal finish in his 8th race in Beijing. Phelps now has more gold medals in a single Olympics than any other athlete ever, and some are calling him history's greatest Olympian.

Jamaican sprinter Usain Bolt might have the name of a sprinter, but not the body. He is tall and lanky, and he's also sort of a clown. Bolt set a world record in the men's 100-meter dash at the Olympics on Saturday.

In the Grease to Greece road rally kicked off in London Saturday. Teams are heading for Athens in vehicles powered by used cooking oil. The object isn't necessarily who can get to Athens first, rather it's who can get there the greenest. Andy Pag speaks with Robert Smith.

The Beijing Olympics feature dazzling displays of agility and stamina. But some of the world's top athletes are watching the games from home. Their sports aren't recognized by the International Olympics Committee.

Media reports have said that Olympic champion Michael Phelps consumes as many as 12,000 calories in a day. Sports dietician Caroline Mandel says that's not unusual for a competitive swimmer. She talks about the eating habits of athletes.

Michael Phelps won his record-tying seventh gold medal by a fraction of a fingernail, just 0.01 second. Even when you study the photos and the video, it's tough to tell who came in first. Christophe Berthaud, the director of Olympic timekeeping for Omega, the official timekeeper at the games, explains the system used to time swimmers.

Michael Phelps won a seventh gold medal at the Beijing Games by the slimmest of margins. He beat Milorad Cavic of Serbia by 0.01 seconds. It was the first race of these games in which Phelps didn't set a world record. The win ties him with Mark Spitz for the most golds won at a single Olympics.

Knowledge-hound A.J. Jacobs has been sifting through the history of the Olympic Games and talks about some of the behind-the-scenes stories and quirky moments at Oympics past.

The men's shot put was a big disappointment for the U.S. Two-time Olympic silver medalist Adam Nelson threw with hurt ribs and didn't make it into the final eight. He fouled on all three of his attempts.

A common Chinese cheer is showing up at the Beijing Olympics. Crowds are shouting "China add oil," which would translate to "Go China." The all-purpose cry is part of the officially sanctioned cheers taught to cheerleading squads in the country.

Sportswriter Stefan Fatsis says China has taken the place of the Soviet Union when it comes to a U.S. rival at the Olympic Games. Fatsis also discusses the U.S. loss to Cuba in baseball, and his longtime obsession with team handball.

From Michael Phelps' swimming feats to the redemption of the girls' gymnastics team, the U.S. has had a great week at the Olympics. U.S.A Today sports columnist Christine Brennan discusses the first week and what we have to look forward to.

After a disappointing loss to China in team gymnastics, the American women have rallied in a big way. Nastia Liukin and Shawn Johnson came from behind to win gold and silver in the individual all-around.

It's now six gold medals down and two to go for American Michael Phelps. The 23-year-old from Baltimore broke his own world record in winning the 200-meter individual medley. Phelps now has won 12 gold medals in his Olympic career.

U.S. swimmer Michael Phelps continued his quest for a record seven gold medals in a single Olympics, winning the 200-meter individual medley. And Americans Nastia Liukin and Shawn Johnson took gold and silver in the women's individual all-around gymnastics competition.

World-class athletes not only compete against the same faces time and again, they travel, bunk and goof off with them, too. You see the evidence: iciness, then niceness. Outdiving, then high-fiving.

On Sunday in Beijing, the U.S. men smashed the 4x100 Relay World Record by 3.99 seconds. Cullen Jones swam the third leg of the race. He says he was shaking and cheering during the last leg when Jason Lezak set the record in the 400-meter freestyle relay.

As Adam Nelson gets ready to compete in the Beijing Olympics, he is coping with a minor injury. But the American shot-putter hoped to give his best-ever performance Friday night at the Bird's Nest stadium.

Michael Sokolove discusses his new book, Warrior Girls: Protecting Our Daughters Against the Injury Epidemic in Women's Sports. Sokolove believes pushing young girls to train and compete for sports, including gymnastics, can have serious health effects.

With the start of the Olympics, star swimmer Michael Phelps has already won five gold medals, and an Indian-American secured a bronze medal in gymnastics. Marcus Vanderberg highlights the hot moments and diversity faux pas so far in the games.

NPR's Tony Cox talks with Bill Rhoden of The New York Times to review the first week of Olympic play. They'll dig into the record-breaking, extraordinary achievements of swimmer Michael Phelps and the U.S. men's basketball team's quest for the gold.

The U.S. men's Olympic swim team won gold and set a world record in the 400-meter freestyle relay this week. But 24-year-old Cullen Jones, who swam the third leg of the race, made history in another way: He became the second African American to win a gold medal in the sport.

For NPR's Tom Goldman, one of the pleasures of being at the Beijing Olympic Games is the opportunity to watch events unfold from start to finish, without interruption. He says he's been fascinated by the drama of the weightlifting competitions.