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• Wrestling, 7 other sports take case to IOC

  May 29, 2013 9:47 AM

  ST. PETERSBURG, Russia - Wrestling and seven others sports are making their case to be included in the 2020 Olympics. Three months after being dropped from the 2020 program, wrestling has a chance on Wednesday to take a big step toward keeping its Olympic status. Wrestling body FILA... more »

• Memories of safe Olympics assure London runners

  April 18, 2013 9:14 AM

  LONDON- Any anxiety marathon runners have about competing in London after the Boston bombings is being allayed by the successful security measures at last year's Olympics. The elite runners have arrived in London for Sunday's race and heard assurances from the British government that security is being stepped up after... more »

• IOC begins 4-day inspection of Madrid's 2020 plans

  March 18, 2013 10:02 AM

  MADRID - Spanish Prime Minister Mariano Rajoy has told IOC inspectors that much of the infrastructure needed for Madrid's bid to host the 2020 Olympics is already built and the city has an excellent transport system. The IOC's evaluation commission began a four-day inspection of Madrid's bid on Monday. Madrid... more »

• Wrestling fighting for Olympics inclusion

  March 7, 2013 10:43 AM

  LAUSANNE, Switzerland - The acting head of wrestling's world body has met with IOC President Jacques Rogge and told him the sport will work hard to retain Olympic status. The International Olympic Committee called it "a productive meeting." The IOC executive board cut wrestling from the 2020 Olympic program last... more »

• Lolo's season: pizza, chocolate and peace of mind

  February 28, 2013 11:09 PM

  Lolo Jones says she's committed to a second season with the U.S. bobsled team, one that will give her a chance to compete in the Sochi Olympics. Jones tells The Associated Press that she got "completely engulfed" with the sport this season, her first in sliding. The two-time Olympic hurdler... more »

• Olympic panel sets off on visits to 2020 bid cities

  February 28, 2013 9:32 AM

  LONDON - The IOC is sending a panel of experts on a series of site-inspection visits that could prove influential in the race to host the 2020 Olympics. The evaluation commission is heading to Japan this week on the first leg of its three-city tour to examine the bids from... more »

• Take it back!

  February 20, 2013 7:52 PM

  SOFIA, Bulgaria-A top wrestler from Bulgaria says he's returning his Olympic Gold Medal in wrestling to the International Olympic Committee because of its decision to drop the sport. Valentin Yordanov won the medal in the free-style category in the 1996 Atlanta Olympics. Bulgarians have won 16 Olympic titles, making wrestling... more »

• IOC drops wrestling from 2020 Olympics

  February 12, 2013 10:29 AM

  LAUSANNE, Switzerland - Leaders of the International Olympic Committee have dropped wrestling for the 2020 Games. The surprise decision removes one of the oldest Olympic sports. The IOC executive board, meeting in Switzerland, decided Tuesday to retain modern pentathlon - the event considered most at risk - and remove wrestling... more »

• NBA hooping it up across the Pond

  January 17, 2013 10:23 AM

  UNDATED - Today's four-game NBA schedule tips off in London, where the Knicks and Pistons will have at it in the O2 Arena used for last summer's Olympics (3 p.m. Eastern). New York is 24-13 and holds a two-game lead over Brooklyn atop the Atlantic Division standings. Detroit is... more »

• Sources: IOC strips Armstrong of Olympic medal

  January 17, 2013 6:45 AM

  LONDON - Officials familiar with the decision tell The Associated Press the IOC has stripped Lance Armstrong of his bronze medal from the 2000 Sydney Olympics because of his involvement in doping. Two officials say the IOC sent a letter to Armstrong on Wednesday night asking him to return the... more »

• Lolo Jones makes bobsled team

  October 25, 2012 10:27 AM

  UNDATED - Olympic hurdler Lolo Jones has made the U.S. bobsled team, essentially three weeks after trying the sport for the first time. Jones is one of six women selected as push athletes for the team, a group that also includes Olympic sprinting gold medalist Tianna Madison. Jones and Madison... more »

• Baseball, softball readying pitch to rejoin Olympics

  October 16, 2012 10:52 AM

  NEW YORK - The International baseball and softball federations have signed an agreement to join forces in a bid to get back into the Olympics. They are proposing a shortened tournament in hopes of attracting Major League Baseball players. Baseball and softball were voted off the Olympic program... more »

• No pressure: The 200 meters from starter's view

  August 10, 2012 4:46 PM

  LONDON - Track official Gordon Staines has two special words for Usain Bolt: "Thank you!" Staines is the guy who fired the gun to start the men's 200-meter final Thursday night, and he's downright thrilled that Bolt and his other competitors stayed "steady" at the start of the race and... more »

• 'They want to see the medal': Felix toting gold

  August 10, 2012 10:45 AM

  LONDON - Olympic 200-meter champion Allyson Felix figures she has one more Summer Games in her. And she's sure she can run faster. What it's far too soon to tell: whether she'll try a 100-200 or 200-400 double in Rio de Janeiro four years from now. In an interview Friday,... more »

• Obama congratulates US women's soccer team

  August 9, 2012 4:44 PM

  COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. - President Barack Obama has congratulated the U.S. women's soccer team for winning the Olympic gold medal. Obama visited the U.S. Olympic Committee's training center in Colorado Springs Thursday and singled out the women's soccer team, which had just finished its gold-medal match. Obama offered a "special... more »

• US tops Japan to take Olympic women's soccer gold

  August 9, 2012 3:48 PM

  WEMBLEY, England - The U.S. women's soccer team won the Olympic gold medal Thursday, avenging one of its most painful defeats with a 2-1 victory over Japan. Carli Lloyd scored in the eighth and 54th minutes for the Americans, who lost to the Japanese in penalty kicks at last year's... more »

• Oscar Pistorius denied relay run at Olympics

  August 9, 2012 10:13 AM

  LONDON - Double-amputee runner Oscar Pistorius was on the track but didn't get to run in the 4x400-meter relay at the London Olympics. He never even received the baton because South Africa crashed out in the first heat Thursday morning. Pistorius got onto the track but didn't get a chance... more »

• Obama backs bill to exempt taxes on Olympians

  August 6, 2012 12:22 PM

  WASHINGTON - The White House says President Barack Obama supports a measure that would exempt U.S. Olympians from taxes on their prizes. Press secretary Jay Carney said Monday that Obama would do "everything we can to support our athletes," including signing into law legislation introduced by Republican Sen. Marco Rubio... more »

• Olympic spoilers boost ratings for NBC

  August 2, 2012 7:43 PM

  NBC says knowing the outcome of Olympic events actually makes more people watch the tape delay telecast in prime time. Its research undercuts an assumption people won't tune in. NBC says two-thirds of people who said they knew the results ahead of the tape delayed telecast said they would watch... more »

• Wrong brand: UK athletes warned over headphones

  August 2, 2012 11:32 AM

  LONDON- British Olympic chiefs have clamped down on a bit of guerrilla marketing that saw the country's athletes sporting stylish - but non sponsor-brand - headphones at the games. Many athletes use headphones to help keep focused before competitions and several have been photographed wearing the Beats by Dr. Dre... more »

• Obama congratulates US gymnastics team on win

  August 1, 2012 11:21 AM

  WASHINGTON- President Barack Obama has called the five members of the U.S. women's gymnastics team to congratulate them on their gold medal in the Olympics. Obama made the call from Air Force One as he traveled from Washington to Ohio for campaign events. White House spokesman Jay Carney says the... more »

• IOC defends China's teenage swim sensation

  July 31, 2012 10:29 AM

  LONDON - The International Olympic Committee has sprung to the defense of China's teenage swim sensation Ye Shiwen, saying she passed a drug test after her world record win in the 400 medley. IOC spokesman Mark Adams urged people to "get real" and said it is "very sad" if great... more »

• Felix defends decision to keep Olympics 100 spot

  July 31, 2012 10:26 AM

  LONDON - Allyson Felix is defending her decision to not step aside and give training partner Jeneba Tarmoh a spot in the 100 meters at the Olympics after their dead heat at the U.S. trials. They tied for third in the dash at Eugene, Ore., in June; three American women... more »

• Venus Williams advances at Olympics

  July 30, 2012 10:57 AM

  WIMBLEDON, England - Venus Williams began her bid for a record fourth gold medal in Olympic tennis Monday by beating Sara Errani of Italy, 6-3, 6-1. Williams was in fine form on the Wimbledon grass, where she has won five of her seven Grand Slam titles. Roger Federer made only... more »

• London transit system endures heavy load

  July 30, 2012 10:52 AM

  LONDON - Today has brought the first big test of London's transit system during the summer Olympics -- since it's the first working day since the games started over the weekend. Prime Minister David Cameron says the system is coping well. Drivers faced the worst problems during this morning's rush... more »

• With royalty and rock, Britain opens its Olympics

  July 27, 2012 6:29 PM

  LONDON - The queen and James Bond have given the London Olympics a royal entrance like no other in an opening ceremony that rolled to the rock of the Beatles, the Stones and The Who. The highlight of Oscar-winning director Danny Boyle's $42 million show was pure movie magic, using... more »

• Star-studded audience for Olympic opening ceremony

  July 27, 2012 9:01 AM

  LONDON - There will be monarchs, presidents, prime ministers - and David Beckham. Today's opening ceremony for the London Olympics is an A-list affair. Among the 60,000 spectators at Olympic Stadium will be Queen Elizabeth II - who as British head of state will officially open the games -... more »

• Michelle Obama greets US athletes in London

  July 27, 2012 6:28 AM

  LONDON - Michelle Obama has arrived at the London Games to lead the U.S. delegation, starting her Friday schedule by having breakfast with American Olympians. The first lady has a busy itinerary, including an event later Friday to promote healthy living with more than 1,000 children, then a reception... more »

• Torch completes lap around London on eve of Olympics

  July 26, 2012 3:19 PM

  LONDON - The Olympic flame has completed its trek past some of the best-known landmarks in London, with the torch relay ending in front of a cheering crowd in Hyde Park. Thousands looked on as the torch was carried across Regent's Canal in Camden, through a newly-renovated train station and... more »

• Security on everyone's mind on the eve of Olympics

  July 26, 2012 2:33 PM

  LONDON - Security jitters are being felt in London on the eve of the official opening of the summer Olympics. The biggest shopping mall in Europe, the Westfield mall next to Olympic Park, was briefly evacuated today after a fire alarm went off. Hundreds of people flooded into the... more »

• Twitter briefly down across much of planet

  July 26, 2012 12:27 PM

  LONDON - People around the world briefly experienced problems accessing Twitter on Thursday, a day before the 2012 Olympic Games are expected to cause a spike in use of the micro-blogging site. About three hours after the San Francisco-based company first acknowledged the problem by saying its engineers were "currently... more »

• Britain blames G4S for Olympic jobs fiasco

  July 16, 2012 11:07 AM

  LONDON - Britain's interior minister says the security firm G4S repeatedly assured the government it would exceed its targets for recruiting Olympic staff and only admitted last week that it could not meet the terms of its contract. Home Secretary Theresa May said Monday that G4S had "repeatedly assured us... more »

• Designer plans to produce future uniforms in USA

  July 13, 2012 5:43 PM

  NEW YORK - At the next Olympics, the team from the USA will wear uniforms made in the USA. Designer Ralph Lauren announced Friday that the uniforms it provides the U.S. Olympic team at the 2014 Winter Games in Sochi, Russia, will, in fact, be made in the United... more »

• Women outnumber men on US Olympic team

  July 10, 2012 4:58 PM

  COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. - For the first time, the U.S. Olympic team will have more women than men, with female athletes accounting for 269 of the 530 spots American will take at the upcoming London Games. The USOC released its official roster Tuesday. CEO Scott Blackmun said the female majority... more »

• Beckham fails to make the cut

  June 28, 2012 10:57 AM

  WARSAW, Poland - Former England captain David Beckham has failed to make the British soccer team for the London Olympics. The Los Angeles Galaxy midfielder made Britain coach Stuart Pearce's shortlist of 35 but wasn't selected for the final 18-man squad as one of three players over the age of... more »

• Nike unveils new track uniforms for Olympics

  June 15, 2012 10:57 AM

  NEW YORK - U.S. Olympic track and field athletes will wear uniforms at the London Olympics that Nike says could shave up to 0.023 seconds off 100-meter sprint times. The difference could have elevated Walter Dix from bronze to the silver medal at the Beijing Olympics, though he wouldn't... more »

• 1 million Olympic tickets to go on sale Friday

  May 8, 2012 8:41 AM

  LONDON - Olympic organizers are making nearly 1 million more tickets available in the latest round of sales for the London Games. The organizing committee says the tickets will go on sale online starting at 6 a.m. EDT on Friday. The tickets will be available on first-come, first-served basis to... more »

• Luge federation: 'No single reason' caused death

  April 19, 2010 5:53 AM

  The international luge federation says there's "no single reason" that caused the death of Georgian racer Nodar Kumaritashvili in a training run at the Vancouver Olympics. The sport's governing body says "what happened to Nodar has been an unforeseeable fatal accident." During training in February, only hours before the opening... more »

• IOC approves two new sports

  October 9, 2009 9:23 AM

  The International Olympic Committee approved golf and rugby as Olympic sports today in Copenhagen, and both sports will be included in the 2016 and 2020 Summer Games. Golf will stage a 72-hole stroke-play tournament for men and women. Rugby will organize a seven-a-side tournament for 12 men's and... more »

• Rio de Janeiro to host 2016 summer Olympics

  October 2, 2009 11:55 AM

  UPDATE: Rio de Janeiro will host the 2016 summer Olympics. It's the first time the games will be played in South America. Rio beat surprise finalist Madrid in the last round of voting. Chicago was knocked out in the first round. Tokyo was eliminated in the second round.... more »

• Chicago loses bid for 2016 Olympics

  October 2, 2009 10:31 AM

  Chicago was eliminated in the first round of voting to pick the 2016 summer Olympics host city. Tokyo also lost its bid. Rio de Janeiro and Madrid are still in the running. The host city is expected to be named in about an hour. more »

• Obama will make pitch for Olympics

  September 28, 2009 6:25 AM

  The White House says President Barack Obama will travel to Copenhagen, Denmark to make a pitch for 2016 Summer Olympics in Chicago. The President will leave Thursday and will join his wife, Michelle, and others in his administration, in making the pitch. Obama is first U.S. President to take on... more »