dispatches from rio
The Rio Games Were An Unjustifiable Human Disaster, And So Are The Olympics
Like the other Olympics before them, Rio 2016 proved that the IOC is blithely indifferent to the waste, corruption, and human wreckage the Games leave in their wake.
Watching Neymar and Brazil Win Gold With the Three Old Ladies
Our writer watched the men's soccer gold medal match in a neighborhood in Rio, where three older women talked to him about Brazilian pride, love and life.
The Craziest Thing About the Ryan Lochte Saga Is That It Got Investigated At All
The whole Lochte saga started because the police investigated a robbery—something that, for millions of Cariocas, is nearly unheard of in Rio.
The Coffee? Good. Business During the Olympics? Not So Good.
Business during the Olympics has not been so good for a local coffee shop where you can pay what you want.
How the Olympics Are Saving Rio’s Cats and Dogs
Local animal control officials are receiving funds from the Rio Olympics to help capture and humanely take care of stray dogs and cats in the city.
Rio Didn't Need an Olympic Golf Course, But They Built One Anyway
Rio didn’t need a new golf course, and most people didn’t want one. A billionaire developer worked with the city to build the Olympic Golf Course on protected land anyway.
We Sat With An Iranian Protestor As She Fought to Display Her Banner at the Olympics
On Saturday, Darya Safai was hassled about her banner calling for equal rights for Iranian women at sports stadiums. On Monday, she and security officials reached a compromise.
Rio Officials Want To Silence Boos At The Olympics
Olympic organizers claimed that they wanted to share Rio's sporting culture with the world. They've changed their mind now that they realized that jeering is part of that culture.
Trying to Experience Rio Outside the Olympic Bubble
Most of the 30,000 journalists covering the Olympics will spend their time in or around the Olympic venues. Our writer Aaron Gordon is trying to experience the real Rio.
Rio's Olympic Legacy Bus System Is Leaving Poor and Working Class Residents Behind
The Bus Rapid Transit system installed for the Olympic games was supposed to help Rio residents get around town. Instead, it has helped isolate some of the city's poorer residents.
Qatar’s Rejuvenated Handball Team Has A Distinct Shortage of Qataris
Qatar's investment in sports is bigger than the World Cup. Their national handball team, which has players from Croatia, Cuba, Egypt, and France—and three Qataris—is proof.
Olympic Hospitality Houses Are a Place to Cry and Party During the Games
Olympic hospitality houses were originally intended to be a place for athletes and their families. Now, like with everything else Olympic related, they've become something completely different.