From Ancient Olympia to Today's Record Breakers

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From Ancient Olympia to Today's Record Breakers

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Could an Ancient Greek Olympian Make the US Olympic Trials? We Ran the Numbers.
Tech & Culture

Could an Ancient Greek Olympian Make the US Olympic Trials? We Ran the Numbers.

Ancient Olympic athletes were celebrated as near-divine physical specimens — the greatest competitors their world had ever produced. But stack their estimated performances against today's US Olympic Trials qualifying standards, and the gap is almost hard to believe. Almost. Here's a respectful but clear-eyed look at what 2,800 years of sports science actually buys you.
Chasing the Clock: How American Sprinters Rewrote the Rules of Human Speed
Evolution of the Olympics

Chasing the Clock: How American Sprinters Rewrote the Rules of Human Speed

From a bare-dirt footrace in ancient Olympia to the electrified roar of a modern 100-meter final, sprint racing has been completely transformed — and American athletes have been at the center of that transformation for over a century. We're talking split times, spikes, and a 2,800-year gap that tells one of sport's most dramatic stories.
From Bare Feet in Olympia to 9.58 Seconds: The Long Sprint to the World's Fastest Race
Origins of Sport

From Bare Feet in Olympia to 9.58 Seconds: The Long Sprint to the World's Fastest Race

The 100-meter dash is the most electric event in global athletics — but it started as a barefoot race down a dirt track in ancient Greece. Trace the sprint's wild journey from Olympia to Usain Bolt, and find out why today's fastest humans would have seemed like gods to the ancient world.
26.2 Miles to Nowhere: The Accidental History of the Marathon Distance
Evolution of the Olympics

26.2 Miles to Nowhere: The Accidental History of the Marathon Distance

Every year, millions of Americans train for months to run exactly 26.2 miles — a distance that was essentially locked in by bureaucratic accident in 1921. The story behind the marathon is messier, stranger, and more entertaining than most runners realize.
10 Ancient Olympic Events That Changed Sports Forever (And a Few That Probably Should Have Stayed Buried)
Tech & Culture

10 Ancient Olympic Events That Changed Sports Forever (And a Few That Probably Should Have Stayed Buried)

Before the NFL, before March Madness, before any of it — there were the ancient Greek Games. Ten athletic disciplines born in Olympia went on to shape the sports we watch today, though a couple of them were so brutal they probably wouldn't survive a modern liability waiver. Here's the full breakdown.
From King of the Internet to Comeback Kid: The Wild History of Digg
Tech & Culture

From King of the Internet to Comeback Kid: The Wild History of Digg

Before Reddit became the front page of the internet, there was Digg — a scrappy social news site that dominated online culture in the mid-2000s. This is the story of its rise, its spectacular fall, and its long road back.