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Patrick Redford

Canadian weightlifter Boady Santavy fails at an attempt to break the world record during the men snatch competition during the Enhanced Games at Resorts World Las Vegas in Las Vegas, Nevada, on May 24, 2026. The first-ever Enhanced Games -- widely dubbed the "Steroid Olympics" -- took place Sunday in Las Vegas, where elite sprinters, swimmers and weightlifters will vie for world records while taking banned performance-enhancing drugs. (Photo by ETIENNE LAURENT / AFP)

Olympics

The Enhanced Games Were A Predictably Stupid Failure


<p>Diana Moskovitz is Defector&#8217;s investigations editor. You can contact her at diana@defector.com or dfmoskovitz@protonmail.com. She&#8217;s also on Signal @dmoskovitz.99</p>


Diana Moskovitz

Olympic gold medalist Alysa Liu performs during the Skating Club of Boston's annual benefit ice show "Ice Chips 2026: A World Journey" at the Tenley E. Albright Performance Center on February 28, 2026.

You Don’t Know Alysa Liu’s Power Until You See It In Person

Nina Mandell

Footwork on the AAI vault during a gymnastics competition. In the corner is the cover image for the book "A Fraction of a Point: A Gymnastics Dynasty on the Line"

Book Excerpts That Don't Suck

How One Ohio High School Built An Unlikely Gymnastics Dynasty

Figure Skater Who Reported Sexual Assault Comes Forward

<p>E.Y. Zhao is a writer and editor from St. Louis. Her debut novel, <a href="https://astrapublishinghouse.com/product/underspin-9781662603266/"><i>Underspin</i></a>, set in the world of competitive table tennis, is out now. She holds a BA in history from Harvard College and an MFA from the University of Michigan.</p>


E.Y. Zhao

Berkeley's Sid Naresh hits a forehand on the move.

The Biggest Tournament In Collegiate Table Tennis Is Underdog Utopia

In an aerial view, Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum and the Lucas Museum of Narrative Art (R) are shown in Exposition Park on March 5, 2026 in Los Angeles, California.

One Angeleno’s Journey Through Olympics Ticket Madness

Ilia Malinin of United States reacts in the Men's Free Skating during the ISU World Figure Skating Championships at O2 Arena on March 28, 2026 in Prague, Czech Republic. His head is thrown back in joy, with his arms up in the air.

Ilia Malinin Is Back

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Sports Highlight Of The Day

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Sports

Kirsty Coventry, President of the International Olympic Committee (IOC) speaks to media representatives before the conclusion of the Olympic Winter Games Milan Cortina 2026. The photo shows her eyes and forehead below the Olympic rings.

IOC Reinstates Chromosome Testing, Banning Trans Women From Competition

Barry Petchesky

MILAN, ITALY - FEBRUARY 22: Jack Hughes #86 of Team United States celebrates scoring the game-winning goal in overtime during the Men's Gold Medal match between Canada and the United States on day 16 of the Milano Cortina 2026 Winter Olympic games at Milano Santagiulia Ice Hockey Arena on February 22, 2026 in Milan, Italy. Team United States defeated Team Canada 2-1 in overtime to win the Gold medal. (Photo by Elsa/Getty Images)

Hockey Boy Wants His Hockey Puck

David Roth

A kebab is prepared in the Elbis-Döner restaurant at Berliner Straße 2 in Wilmersdorf. It looks good as hell.

Podcasts

Kebab Juice On The Windowpane, With Rohan Nadkarni

Tom Ley

Kash Patel watches the gold medal hockey game

Internal Schedule Confirms Kash Patel Went To Olympics To Be World’s Most Special Little Guy

Lauren Theisen

The U.S. Olympic men's ice hockey team arrives for U.S. President Donald Trump's State of the Union

The U.S. Hockey Men Spoil The Fantasy

Ray Ratto

Casey Wasserman speaks at a 2028 Olympics event

The Winter Olympics’ Sour Ending Was Just A Preview For Summer 2028

Kash Patel Thinks He’s On The Team

MILAN, ITALY - FEBRUARY 22: goalkeeper Connor Hellebuyck of United States celebrates winning the gold medal during the Ice Hockey Men's Gold Medal Game match between Canada and USA on day sixteen of the Milano Cortina 2026 Winter Olympic games at Milano Santagiulia Ice Hockey Arena on February 22, 2026 in Milan, Italy. (Photo by Andrea Branca/Eurasia Sport Images/Getty Images)

Team USA Had The Golden Goalie


<p>charismatic megafauna (they/them)</p>


Sabrina Imbler

Gold medalist Loic Meillard of Team Switzerland, Silver medalist Fabio Gstrein of Team Austria and Bronze medalist Henrik Kristoffersen of Team Norway celebrate by taking a victory selfie on the podium during the medal ceremony for the Men's Slalom Run

It’s Time To Get Cozy At The Podium

Jack Hughes #86 of Team United States celebrates after their gold-medal win

Jack Hughes Sheds Blood And Teeth For His Country, U.S. Wins Olympic Gold

Mikhail Shaidorov Celebrated Gold By Skating In A Panda Suit

Maitreyi Anantharaman

Megan Keller #5 (R) of Team United States celebrates scoring a goal with teammates Hannah Bilka #23 (C) and Hilary Knight #21 (L) in the first period during the Women's Preliminary Round Group A match between the United States and Czechia on Day minus one of the Milano Cortina 2026 Winter Olympic games at Milano Rho Ice Hockey Arena on February 05, 2026 in Milan, Italy.

Still Country For Old Women

Giri Nathan

Arif Mohd Khan of Team India reacts in the finish area after competing in the Men's Slalom Run on day ten of the Milano Cortina 2026 Winter Olympics at Stelvio Alpine Skiing Centre on February 16, 2026 in Bormio, Italy. (Photo by Sean M. Haffey/Getty Images)

Indian Skier Starts, Finishes Race

Kathryn Xu

Alysa Liu of Team United States competes in Women's Single Skating - Free Skating.

Alysa Liu Is Untouchable

MILAN, ITALY - FEBRUARY 19: Megan Keller #5 of Team United States celebrates with teammates after scoring the game-winning goal to win the gold medals in the overtime during the Women's Gold Medal match between the United States and Canada on day 13 of the Milano Cortina 2026 Winter Olympic games at Milano Santagiulia Ice Hockey Arena on February 19, 2026 in Milan, Italy. (Photo by Bruce Bennett/Getty Images)

Team USA’s Gold Is Sweeter For The Struggle

Marc Kennedy and Ben Hebert of Team Canada compete during Men's Round Robin between Team Canada and Team Great Britain on day eleven of the Milano Cortina 2026 Winter Olympic games at Cortina Curling Olympic Stadium on February 17, 2026.

Across The Hog Line, With John Cullen

This Is So Stupid

I Finally Understand This Tara Lipinski Commercial

Silver medalist Gu Ailing of China poses for photos after the awarding ceremony of the freestyle skiing women's freeski big air event at the Milan-Cortina 2026 Olympic Winter Games in Livigno, Italy, Feb. 16, 2026. (Photo by Wang Peng/Xinhua via Getty Images)

Eileen Gu Will Never Be The Traitor JD Vance Wants Her To Be

MILAN, ITALY - FEBRUARY 18: Quinn Hughes #43 of Team United States celebrate his victory goal in overtime with Matthew Tkachuk #19 and Jack Hughes #86 during the Ice Hockey Men's Play-off Quarterfinals match between Team United States and Team Sweden on day twelve of the Milano Cortina 2026 Winter Olympic games at Milano Santagiulia Ice Hockey Arena on February 18, 2026 in Milan, Italy. (Photo by Xavier Laine/Getty Images)

Quinn Hughes Almost Smiled

<p>Lesley Ryder is a writer and a host covering the Chicago Red Stars. She co-created <a href="https://galpalsports.com/">Gal Pal Sports</a>, a platform that lives to make women’s sports fun for everyone.</p>


Lesley Ryder

Kendall Coyne #26 of Team United States controls the puck against in the second period during the Women's Playoffs Semifinal match between United States and Sweden on Day 10 of the Milano Cortina 2026 Winter Olympic games at Milano Santagiulia Ice Hockey Arena on February 16, 2026 in Milan, Italy.

All I Want Is A Women’s Hockey Broadcast That Talks About The Hockey

MILAN, ITALY - FEBRUARY 18: Mitch Marner of Team Canada celebrates a goal during the Ice Hockey Men Quarterfinals match between Canada vs Czechia on day twelve of the Milano Cortina 2026 Winter Olympic games at Milano Santa Giulia Ice Hockey Arena on February 18, 2026 in Milan, Italy. (Photo by Stefano Guidi/Getty Images)

Canada Took A Czech Beating And Survived

Alysa Liu of Team United States competes during the women's short program.

How Is A Figure Skater Like A Tree?

Davide Ghiotto of Team Italy, Andrea Giovannini of Team Italy,Michele Malfatti of Team Italy in action during the Speed Skating Men's Team Pursuit

Are The Fellas In Sync?

Kelsey McKinney

a wolf dog stands on the ice in front of the olympics barrier

Beautiful Wolfdog Now An Olympian

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<div dir="ltr">Georgia Cloepfil is the author of <i>The Striker and the Clock</i> (Riverhead, 2024). Her other writing can be found in <i>The Yale Review</i>, The New York <i>Times</i> Magazine, <i>n+1 </i>and elsewhere.</div>
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