2014 Olympics

20 Stories

US Sweeps Men's Slopestyle Skiing
US Grabs Gold, Silver, Bronze—in Single Event
OLYMPICS
Feb 13, 2014 5:53 AM CST

US Grabs Gold, Silver, Bronze—in Single Event

Americans rule slopestyle skiing's Olympic debut

(Newser) - For just the third time in Winter Olympics history, the United States has swept the podium, taking all three medals in the debut sport of men's slopestyle skiing, the AP reports. But while most expected an American to come out on top, not many thought it would be underdog...

Alpine Skiing Ends in Historic Gold-Medal Tie

Two downhill skiers tie for gold at the Sochi Olympics

(Newser) - Slovenia's Tina Maze and Switzerland's Dominique Gisin tied for gold at the Sochi Olympics today—a first in Olympic alpine skiing history, NBC reports. Maze and Gisin finished today's downhill skiing event with identical times; Switzerland's Lara Gut won the bronze. "It’s a great...

Spilling the Secrets of Today's Opening Ceremony

A lot has been kept under wraps, but we know a lot, too

(Newser) - The Olympics opening ceremony starts at precisely 11:14am Eastern time today—that's 20:14 in Sochi, meant to "symbolize the year of the first-ever Russian Winter Games," the official press release explains. (NBC won't air the ceremony until 7:30pm Eastern, Time notes.) What...

Here Are Your Olympic Medal Predictions

Norway, US predicted to come out on top in Sochi

(Newser) - Though the opening ceremonies aren't until tomorrow, the 2014 Olympics officially kick off today in Sochi—and the Wall Street Journal is ready with its extremely complex medal prediction system, which proved to be accurate to within just a few medals at the last two Olympics. So who's...

Norway's Curling Team Is Wearing This to Olympics

The crazy pants are back, and crazier

(Newser) - This may be the best ( or at least second-best ) Olympic photo so far: Norway's men's curling team, decked out in their fantastic new outfits. The team was a sensation at the Vancouver Olympics when members competed wearing boldly-colored, crazily-patterned golf pants instead of the standard black...

Internet Heaps $187K on Broke Jamaican Bobsledders

Team is crowdfunding its Sochi trip

(Newser) - If you're a fan of Cool Runnings, consider this: You can help send this year's Jamaican bobsled team to the Olympics. The team qualified for the games for the first time since 2002 , but needs to raise tens of thousands of dollars to actually travel to Sochi. Fortunately,...

Athlete Gives Up Olympic Spot—to Twin Sister

Tracy Barnes says Lanny would have beat her if she wasn't sick

(Newser) - Tracy Barnes won a spot on the US Olympic biathlon team Sunday, but she's not taking it. She gave up her place so her twin sister, Lanny, could go instead. Lanny had been too sick to compete in all the selection races, but Tracy believes her sister had a...

Obama to Skip Olympics, Send Gay Delegates

Napolitano to head up delegation as VP, first lady will also skip

(Newser) - For the first time since 2000, neither the US president, first lady, vice president, nor a former president will be attending the Olympic Games. But the US is sending a delegation to Sochi—a delegation that includes two openly gay athletes, the AP reports, calling it "a clear message"...

Torch Bearer Carries Olympic Flame, Then Dies

Vadim Gorbenko has heart attack

(Newser) - A Russian wrestling coach carried the Olympic flame 500 feet, had his photo taken, said he didn't feel well ... and ended up dead of a heart attack, an official said today. Vadim Gorbenko, 73, who had trained top wrestlers and also acted as a sports school director, was taking...

German President to Boycott Sochi Olympics

Joachim Gauck cites Russia's human rights abuses

(Newser) - German President Joachim Gauck has become the highest-profile political figure to say "nyet" to next year's Winter Olympics in Sochi, Russia. The former pastor, whose position is largely ceremonial, says he plans to stay away because of the Putin regime's human rights abuses and harassment of the...

Olympic Torch Blasts Off for Space Station

Cosmonauts aren't planning on lighting it

(Newser) - The Russians are taking the Olympic torch relay to a new height—the International Space Station. The 2014 Sochi torch, which will not be lit during its five days in space, blasted off on a Soyuz rocket this morning accompanied by Russia's Mikhail Tyurin, American Rick Mastracchio, and Koici...

Sochi Olympics a Massive 'Scam': Claim

Report claims $30B has been stolen

(Newser) - As Russia debuted its Sochi Olympic medals yesterday—bearing what the AP is calling a "patchwork quilt" design complete with sun rays, mountains, and beaches—opposition members were busy unveiling something else Olympics-themed: a report that calls the games "a monstrous scam." Opposition leader Boris Nemtsov co-authored...

Vonn: I'll Be Back in Time for Olympics

But injury has her out for the rest of this season

(Newser) - Despite the fact that Lindsey Vonn was airlifted out of a race yesterday after suffering a major knee injury, the US Ski and Snowboard Association expects her to recover in time for the 2014 Winter Olympics. Over at the Los Angeles Times, Chris Dufresne is skeptical, speculating that the skier...

Lolo Jones Makes US Bobsled Team

Olympic hurdler could head to winter games

(Newser) - From hurdles to ... bobsledding? Yes, Olympian and famous virgin Lolo Jones showed up in Lake Placid three weeks ago, unsure where her first foray into bobsledding could lead. The answer might be another Olympics—only this time, the winter one. Jones, a two-time Olympic hurdler, was one of 24 athletes...

Olympic Eye Now on Sochi ... and Its Potential Woes

Russia preps for 2014 amid concerns about snow, terrorist attacks

(Newser) - The London Olympics are over, which means it's time to start looking toward the next Games: Winter 2014 in Russia. Preparations are ongoing in Sochi, a resort city on the Black Sea complete with palm trees. Yep, palm trees. Whether it will get cold enough to produce a sufficient...

NBC Retains Olympic Rights
 NBC Wins Olympics Until 2020 
Jun 8, 2011 3:30 AM CDT

NBC Wins Olympics Until 2020

Broadcaster pays $4.38B for rights to 4 Olympics

(Newser) - NBC Universal has outbid rivals to win the US rights to broadcast the four Olympics after London 2012. The Comcast company's $4.38 billion bid included $2 billion to broadcast the 2014 Winter Olympics in Sochi, Russia, and the 2016 summer Games in Rio de Janiero. Rival bidder Fox...

Russians Cry Foul Over Vote for 2014 Olympic Mascot

Fans of psychedelic blue frog complain

(Newser) - The Russian people have spoken, and their mascots for the 2014 Winter Olympics in Sochi will be: a snow leopard, a polar bear, and a hare. More than a million people cast their votes during a live program on Russia's top broadcaster. Rejected mascots included a dolphin, a robin and...

Olympic Torch Passes to Sochi
 Olympic Torch Passes to Sochi 
vancouver olympics
Feb 28, 2010 9:17 PM CST

Olympic Torch Passes to Sochi

Canada celebrates Olympics at closing ceremony; Russia up next, in 2014

(Newser) - An Olympics that began with the death of a luger ended tonight with an exuberant celebration of Canada, reflecting a determined comeback by the host country's organizers and athletes. A festive crowd of 60,000 jammed into BC Place Stadium for the closing ceremony, many of them Canadians abuzz over...

Litvinenko Murder Suspect to Run for Mayor of Olympic City

Lugovoy doesn't care if Brits skip 2014 Games

(Newser) - Russia fought hard to win the 2014 Winter Olympics in Sochi, reports the Los Angeles Times, and now a second battle is heating up: the race for mayor of the Black Sea resort town, which is beginning billions' worth of construction. Among the contenders are a media magnate with a...

Putin's Russian Undressing
Putin's Russian Undressing
Aug 14, 2007 11:06 AM CDT

Putin's Russian Undressing

On Siberian fishing trip, Prez celebrates Olympic bid by showing off Grecian pecs

(Newser) - Vladimir Putin purged his shirt yesterday during a fishing jaunt in southern Siberia. The Russian president was celebrating the International Olympic Committee's election of Sochi, a Black Sea resort, to host the 2014 Winter Games. With him was Monaco's Prince Albert II—coincidentally enough a member of the International Olympic...

20 Stories
Most Read on Newser