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<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

Ten years after the London 2012 Olympics were based here at Stratford, is a landscape of nature that surrounds the original Olympic rings in The Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park, on 14th June 2022, in London, England. The former main Olympic venue area was controversially re-landscaped from an old industrial estate. Its promised legacy is a green space now known as The Elizabeth Park which remains a wildlife habitat and whose centrepieces are still the Velodrome and Aquatic Centre used by the public while the main Olympic stadium is home to West Ham Football Club. (

Ex-Union Chief Donald Fehr Says Olympic And Paralympic Athletes Need Their Own Type Of Union

General view during the balance beam exercise at the women's artistic gymnastics individual competition on August 19, 2004 during the Athens 2004 Summer Olympic Games at the Olympic Sports Complex Indoor Hall in Athens, Greece.

Al Fong, Valeri Liukin, And The Stubborn Culture Of The Tyrant Coach

Simone Biles competes in the floor exercise on day four of the 2023 U.S. Gymnastics Championships at SAP Center on August 27, 2023 in San Jose, California.

The Simone Biles Comeback Continues At Full Speed

<div class="author-header-content">
<p>Charles P. Pierce is a writer at <em>Esquire</em> and the author of four books, most recently <em>Idiot America</em>, and has been a working journalist since 1976. He lives near Boston with his wife but no longer his three children.</p>
<p>&nbsp;</p>
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Charles P. Pierce

Ukraine's Olha Kharlan (L) refuses to shake hands with Russia's Anna Smirnova, registered as an Individual Neutral Athlete (AIN), after she defeated her during the Sabre Women's Senior Individual qualifiers, as part of the FIE Fencing World Championships at the Fair Allianz MI.CO (Milano Convegni) in Milan, on July 27, 2023.

Olga Kharlan’s Stand Had History Behind It

Simone Biles smiling after she competes on the balance beam during the Core Hydration Classic at Now Arena on August 05, 2023 in Hoffman Estates, Illinois.

Simone Biles Is Using A Spotter For Her Vault, And That’s A Good Thing

Simone Biles celebrates with her coach Laurent Landi after competing on the vault at the Core Hydration Classic at Now Arena on August 05, 2023 in Hoffman Estates, Illinois.

Simone Biles Is Having Fun Again


<p>Dan McQuade was a founding member of Defector. He died in January 2026.</p>


Dan McQuade

Bunch of people dressed like Rocky, woman standing on a blue car talking to them

They Can’t Take The “Rocky Run” Away From Us

Gymnast Simone Biles of Team United States flips through the air as performs her dismount during the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games Women's Gymnastics Balance Beam Final at Ariake Gymnastics Center on Tuesday, August 3, 2021

A Brief Investigation Into Whether Brady Quinn Broke The Simone Biles News

Patrick Redford

Lance Armstrong is seen on January 12, 2022 in Los Angeles, California.

Lance Armstrong Is Suddenly Concerned With Fairness In Sports

United States snowboard coach Peter Foley looks on in the Men's Slopestyle Qualification during the Sochi 2014 Winter Olympics at Rosa Khutor Extreme Park on February 6, 2014 in Sochi, Russia. He is backlit, standing in silhouette.

U.S. Snowboarders Sue Ex-Coach, USOPC, And Their Federation For Sex Trafficking


<p>Amanda Ruggeri is a multi-award-winning freelance journalist who lives in Switzerland. She writes on topics including science, travel, and sometimes ski racing.</p>


Amanda Ruggeri

Mikaela Shiffrin of United States of America during the flower ceremony of Audi FIS Alpine Ski World Cup Womens Slalom race on January 10, 2023 in Flachau, Austria. (Photo by Hans Peter Lottermoser/SEPA.Media /Getty Images)

Mikaela Shiffrin Resets

Ilia Malinin of the United States prepares to take the ice to recieve his gold medal in the ISU Grand Prix of Figure Skating - Skate America at The Skating Club of Boston on October 22, 2022 in Norwood, Massachusetts.

Behold, The Reign Of Our New Quad God Is Nigh

Allyson Felix of Team United States competes in the Women's 4x400m Relay heats on day nine of the World Athletics Championships Oregon22 at Hayward Field on July 23, 2022 in Eugene, Oregon.

I Will Miss Watching Allyson Felix Run

Fred Kerley leans over the line to win the 100m Final at the World Athletics Championships

Fred Kerley Moved His Speed Down, And It Worked

Laura Wagner

TOPSHOT - A member of Team USA (R) swims to recover USA's Anita Alvarez (L), from the bottom of the pool during an incident in the women's solo free artistic swimming finals, during the Budapest 2022 World Aquatics Championships at the Alfred Hajos Swimming Complex in Budapest on June 22, 2022. (Photo by Oli SCARFF / AFP)

U.S. Artistic Swimmer Rescued After Fainting In Pool For A Second Time

A photo of a pair of hands atop the uneven bars. They are griping the bars, as gymnasts do,

How Gymnastics Breaks A Gymnast

An image of Valeri Liukin. He is standing with his hands on his hips.

What The Hell Is USAG Even Doing?

Maitreyi Anantharaman

Nils van der Poel of Team Sweden skates on the way to winning the Gold medal and setting a new Olympic record time of 6:08.84 during the Men's 5000m on day two of the Beijing 2022 Winter Olympic Games at National Speed Skating Oval on February 06, 2022 in Beijing, China.

Defector Reads A Book

I Peeked Inside An Elite Athlete’s Head And It’s A Foreign Country In There


<p>Rose Eveleth is the host of the podcast&nbsp;<a href="https://www.flashforwardpod.com/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Flash Forward</a>, and author of&nbsp;<a href="https://www.flashforwardpod.com/book/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">the book by the same name</a>.&nbsp;<br></p>


Rose Eveleth

If Horses Are Gone From Modern Pentathlon, Is It Time For Mechanical Bulls?

Kamila Valieva of Team ROC reacts after skating during the Women Single Skating Free Skating on day thirteen of the Beijing 2022 Winter Olympic Games at Capital Indoor Stadium on February 17, 2022 in Beijing, China. She is standing on center ice, looking very small, and all five Olympic rings on the ice are visible.

The Banality Of Abuse In Women’s Sports

Kelsey McKinney

Mikaela Shiffrin Took Care Of Herself

Kalyn Kahler

Nobody Won Women’s Figure Skating

Why John Shuster Gave Up A Point

Team Canada reacts after defeating Team United States in the Women's Ice Hockey Gold Medal match between Team Canada and Team United States on Day 13 of the Beijing 2022 Winter Olympic Games at Wukesong Sports Centre on February 17, 2022 in Beijing, China.

The Best Team Won

BEIJING, CHINA - FEBRUARY 15: Alexandra Trusova of Team ROC skates during the Women Single Skating Short Program on day eleven of the Beijing 2022 Winter Olympic Games at Capital Indoor Stadium on February 15, 2022 in Beijing, China. (Photo by Matthew Stockman/Getty Images)