Olympic sports writing: 2004-2015

Selected features and interviews, plus coverage from several Olympics:

Features

• Dec. 1, 2015: US college sports are a factory for Olympic medalists – but for how much longer? (The Guardian)
• Nov. 7, 2015: Speed skating: can the US team shine after the failure of Sochi? (The Guardian)
• Aug. 30, 2015: Why Serena Williams, not Ronda Rousey, is the world’s most dominant female athlete (The Guardian)
• Aug. 12, 2015: Golf doesn’t need the Olympics, and the Olympics don’t need golf (The Guardian)
• Dec. 15, 2014: Break up the Olympics! (SportsMyriad)
• Oct. 12, 2010: Women’s Ski Jumping Tests the Grudges of Olympic Leaders (Huffington Post)
• Oct. 7, 2009: Women’s jumpers still hoping for flight in 2010 Games (USA TODAY): Shot video on a ski jump ramp, recorded audio interviews
• Sept. 19, 2008: Journalism, cynicism and the Olympics (Mostly Modern Media)
• Aug. 20, 2008: China beat: Handball, war, sanitation, etc. (Mostly Modern Media)

Sochi 2014

• 2014 medal projections (SportsMyriad)
• New U.S. medal contenders (OZY)
• Action, edge … Olympics! (OZY)
• Curling: You know you want to try it (OZY)

London 2012 (all Bleacher Report unless noted)

• 2012 medal projections (SportsMyriad)
• Live blogs: USA-Japan women’s soccer, swimming
• Marti Malloy matches Ronda Rousey’s judo medal feat
• Caster Semenya forces Olympic community to rethink gender
• 10 biggest disappointments in London
• USA’s rising stars who could win gold in Rio

Vancouver 2010: Nordic sports and biathlon (all USA TODAY)

• Feb. 12, ski jumping: Three U.S. jumpers qualify for Saturday’s medal round
• Feb. 13, ski jumping: Swiss ski jumper takes first gold, USA fails to reach final 30
• Feb. 13, biathlon: Kuzmina pockets biathlon gold for Slovakia in women’s 7.5K
• Feb. 14, biathlon: France’s Jay wins Olympic biathlon 10K; weather takes toll
• Feb. 14, Nordic combined: Two moves impact U.S. gold, silver in Nordic combined
• Feb. 15, cross-country: U.S. women increase visibility, profile in 10k cross country
• Feb. 15, cross-country: U.S. skier Freeman laments mistakes in 15k; Cologna wins
• Feb. 16, biathlon: Germany’s Neuner cruises to gold in women’s biathlon pursuit
• Feb. 17, cross-country: Randall rises in women’s cross-country sprint, men slip
• Feb. 18, biathlon: Biathlete Tim Burke, U.S. team perplexed by performance
• Feb. 19, news: Women’s ski jumpers wish they were Olympians, not spectators
• Feb. 19, cross-country: Norway’s Bjoergen wins women’s 15K pursuit for 2nd gold
• Feb. 20, ski jumping: Switzerland’s Ammann lands a golden quad ski jump
• Feb. 20, cross-country: USA’s Freeman has blood sugar crash in cross-country pursuit
• Feb. 21, biathlon: Tim Burke feels biathlon’s cruelty in men’s 15K mass start
• Feb. 21, preview: Cross-country ski team’s sprint is no easy race to the finish line
• Feb. 22, cross-country: U.S. women post best-ever result in Olympic cross-country
• Feb. 23, Nordic combined: U.S. men’s team pockets first medal in Nordic combined
• Feb. 24, feature: At Whistler, there’s just no party like a biathlon party
• Feb. 25, cross-country: Norway’s Bjoergen adds to bounty with cross-country relay gold
• Feb. 25, Nordic combined: Demong, Spillane give USA 1-2 finish in Nordic combined
• Feb. 26, biathlon: After disappointing Olympics, U.S. biathletes look forward
• Feb. 27, cross-country: U.S. women pleased after 30K cross-country experience
• Feb. 28, cross-country: Northug adds to medal bounty with gold in cross-country 50k

Beijing 2008: Everything, especially soccer (all USA TODAY)

• Aug. 6, soccer: Norway still a thorn in U.S. side after winning opener 2-0
• Aug. 9, badminton: American falters on badminton’s big stage
• Aug. 10, soccer: American men’s soccer team settles for 2-2 draw with Dutch
• Aug. 10, soccer: U.S. women’s team to face New Zealand in critical match
• Aug. 11, boxing: Early charge carries Williams; Ali drops opening bout
• Aug. 11, soccer: Yellow-card suspension is a ‘horrible feeling’ for Adu
• Aug. 12, fencing: Smart’s ‘stupidity’ results in sabre loss for the U.S.
• Aug. 12, canoe/kayak: Slovakian gets single canoe slalom gold
• Aug. 12, soccer: U.S. women rout New Zealand to reach quarterfinals
• Aug. 12, badminton: U.S. badminton team faces Chinese team, home crowd
• Aug. 12, soccer: Upset benefits U.S. women’s soccer team
• Aug. 13, wrestling: U.S. wrestlers lose weight and first-round matches
• Aug. 13, soccer: Short-handed USA men KO’d from Olympic soccer tourney
• Aug. 14, fencing: U.S. women get team sabre bronze; Ukraine is upset winner
• Aug. 16, boxing: USA boxer Estrada eliminated by Brit in Round of 16
• Aug. 16, boxing: U.S. boxers, coach struggling with judging, each other
• Aug. 17, shooting: Last shot sinks American again
• Aug. 17, fencing: Smart’s heroics help U.S. men’s team sabre to silver
• Aug. 17, soccer: U.S. women not taking Japan lightly in soccer semifinal
• Aug. 18, triathlon: Australia takes women’s triathlon, Bennett fourth
• Aug. 18, soccer: USA secures rematch with Brazil for gold
• Aug. 19, feature: Eight venues, one day: An Olympic odyssey
• Aug. 20, handball: Tiny Iceland on verge of handball glory, sans Bjork
• Aug. 21, soccer: Weight lifted with U.S. soccer victory, gold
• Aug. 22, modern pentathlon: Sheila Taormina leaves lasting impression in her final Games
• Aug. 23, soccer: Argentina beats the heat and Nigeria for Olympic soccer gold
• Aug. 23, handball: Iceland eyes gold medal in handball (includes interviews with Iceland’s president and first lady)
• Aug. 24, water polo: USA collects silver, Hungary wins gold in water polo 14-10
• Aug. 24, soccer: Gold medalists return home as new pro league awaits

Torino 2006 (USA TODAY)

• Sports Scope blog (through Wayback Machine)

Athlete interviews (all USA TODAY)

• Feb. 14, 2005, Nordic skiing/biathlon: Geologist defies age for run at two Olympic sports
• Feb. 25, 2004, water polo: Think Shaq’s job is tough? Get in the water with Bailey
• March 12, 2004, diving: Platform diver sets sights higher and higher
• April 2, 2004, sailing/windsurfing: Mistral class takes sailing to the extreme
• April 4, 2004, walking: Clausen walking tall to third Olympics(includes Bryan Cranston reference)
• April 30, 2004, synchronized swimming: Wit keeps serious swimmers in sync
• May 14, 2004, triathlon: Kemper’s reality: Swim, bike, run, get to the airport, eat Krispy Kreme