In 2008, China hosted a successful Summer Olympics, capturing the world’s attention and asserting its growing power. Fourteen years later, Beijing is again hosting the Olympic games, this time in winter, and their position on the world stage has changed. China’s economic power has continued to rise, and its authoritarian leadership has raised concerns worldwide. Some nations, including the U.S., have refused to send government representatives to the games to protest reported human rights abuses in China. Listen to learn how and why perceptions of China have shifted since it first hosted the Olympics.
Story Length: 3:47
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August 11, 2021
4:06
Gymnast Sunisa Lee won gold at the Tokyo Olympics, and the American Hmong community is celebrating proudly. Lee grew up in Minnesota among many other Hmong, an ethnic group that first arrived as refugees to the U.S. from parts of China and southeast Asia. Listen to learn how Suni Lee’s victory represents both American and Hmong cultural values and hear more about the excitement and hope that it has generated within the community.
Read MoreAugust 2, 2021
3:53
World-renowned gymnast Simone Biles has withdrawn from competing in high profile events at the Tokyo Olympics due to stress. Biles is one of several elite athletes who have recently spoken out about the pressure they feel during competition and how it impacts their mental health. Listen to hear more about Biles’ decision and learn what the Olympic Committee is doing to support the mental health of the Tokyo Games athletes.
Read MoreFebruary 19, 2018
3:52
One of the biggest names from Team USA at the Winter Olympics is Maame Biney. She is only 18 and has explosive speed on the ice. She came to the United States from Ghana when she was 5 years old and became the first African-American woman ever to qualify for a U.S. Olympic speed skating team on the short track speed skating. Her father is with her in South Korea, where she is competing against the best speed skaters in the world. Listen to this story to hear Biney describe herself on the ice.
Read MoreFebruary 14, 2018
3:43
The Olympic sport of skeleton involves athletes tobogganing through an icy path at extreme speeds. Some athletes love the rush of running onto the ice then relaxing their bodies enough so that they can focus on the curves ahead on the track. To observers of the sport, it is terrifying to see someone going this fast with what seems like no control. Listen to learn what it feels like for these athletes and what type of athlete is ideal for the sport of skeleton.
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