Jamaican hurdler Hansle Parchment’s won the men’s 110-meter hurdles at the Olympic Games—thanks in large part to a stranger’s kindness. The 31-year-old athlete took the wrong coach on the day of his semi-final, arriving instead at what looked like the aquatics center for rowing rather than a track. The athlete was listening to music during … Read more
Mieke Gorissen may be a late bloomer in running, but it didn’t stop her from coming in 28th during the Women’s Marathon Final in the recently concluded Tokyo Olympics. The 38-year-old Olympian made her home country Belgium proud with her excellent athletic performance. Mieke finished the race with a time of 2:34:24, which places her … Read more
Australian sprinter Riley Day has always dreamt of being an Olympian. But with no sponsors to help her compete in the 2020 Tokyo Olympics, the 21-year-old worked at a grocery store to save money. Riley’s running career began when she was nine years old. No stranger to the big stage, she competed in the 200 … Read more
They say that a person’s true character is revealed when they’re in situations of distress. In the Olympics, many athletes have fallen short of their goals. But despite that, many of them have also exemplified kindness and sportsmanship—even in the face of failure. The world once again saw the brilliance of sportsmanship during the women’s … Read more
The postponement of the Tokyo Olympics by a year had been a drawback for some athletes. But for Chinese diver Quan Hongchan, the delay worked in her favor. That’s because she turned 14 just four months ago, qualifying her for the minimum age requirement for Olympic diving. And on Thursday, she became China’s newest diving … Read more
First-time Olympian Isaiah Jewett loves watching anime. In fact, he tries to live by the example of his favorite characters. Jewett said he has learned many lessons from Japanese animations and cartoons. And he was able to embody all of that while demonstrating the Olympic spirit during the men’s 800-meter semifinals in the Tokyo Olympics. … Read more
Sports don’t always have to be cutthroat. That’s the message high jumpers Mutaz Essa Barshim of Qatar and Gianmarco Tamberi of Italy hoped to send when they decided to share the gold medal in the men’s high jump final at the Tokyo Olympics. When Mutaz, 30, and Gianmarco, 29, both failed to clear the last height, … Read more
It’s hard to say goodbye to something you love, but for 46-year-old gymnast Oksana Chusovitina, she knew it was time. Chusovitina, who represented Uzbekistan in the Tokyo Olympics, received a standing ovation after competing in her eighth Olympic Games. Chuso, as she is fondly called by the gymnastics community, is a respected figure in the … Read more
As a single gay man in the 1990s, Jerry Windle didn’t think he could be a dad. But when he read a magazine story about a man who adopted a child from Cambodia, the article didn’t mention a mother. The story went on to describe the close relationship between the father and his son, and … Read more
Hidilyn Diaz brings pride and glory to the Philippines after winning the country’s first gold medal at any Olympics. With her impressive final 127kg lift, 30-year-old Diaz defeated China’s world record holder Liao Qiuyun in the women’s 55kg class. With that, she gave the Philippines its first gold after 97 years of Olympic competition. Following … Read more