Perspectives | Fri, Aug 15 2008, 7:37 AM

To Hell and Back

Thousands of athletes endure hell to get to the Olympics -- but many don't make it and are physically and emotionally traumatized. In a collapsing Soviet Union, gymnast Olga Aura was one of them.

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Perspectives | Wed, Aug 13 2008, 7:37 AM

Time Out

The Olympics have given Brenda Payton a break from a relentless, disappointing presidential campaign.

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The California Report Magazine | Fri, Aug 8 2008, 4:30 PM

Fencing Prodigy Dreams of Olympic Gold

Dozens of California athletes are competing in the Beijing Olympics, in sports ranging from archery to water polo. One of them is fencing prodigy Gerek Meinhardt. At 18 years old, the San Francisco native is the youngest American ever to fence in the Olympics.

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The California Report Magazine | Fri, Aug 1 2008, 4:30 PM

Olympic Profile: Haley Ishimatsu

She's one tiny girl, but coaches of Olympian Haley Ishimatsu will have high expectations for the 15-year-old when she dives off a 10 meter platform in Beijing. The Orange County native pulls off dives that only a few people on Earth can do. The question is: Will she be able to overcome her Olympic-sized jitters and a strong Chinese team to bring home a medal?

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The California Report Magazine | Fri, Jul 18 2008, 4:30 PM

Olympic Underdogs

Though the U.S. typically dominates summer Olympic sports such as swimming, gymnastics and basketball, that's not so much the case when it comes to badminton. Still, the U.S. badminton team is undaunted. Holed up at their training center in Orange County, they've committed to raising the sport's profile in the U.S. and to beating low expectations in Beijing.

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The California Report Magazine | Fri, Apr 18 2008, 4:30 PM

Asian-American Political Activism

One week after thousands of people came out to show support and opposition for the Olympic torch run in San Francisco, it looks like that event may have marked a turning point for political activism by Asian Americans.

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Forum | Thu, Apr 10 2008, 9:00 AM

Politics of Protest

The Olympic torch passed through San Francisco without the violence that accompanied its passage through Paris and London. Forum discusses the politics of protesting the Olympic torch.

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The California Report | Thu, Apr 10 2008, 8:50 AM

Change to Torch Route Throws Crowd

San Francisco may have been a great place to see the Olympic torch yesterday, and a great place to protest China's human rights policies, but it wasn't very easy to do both of those things at once. With swarms of protesters and spectators jamming the torch route, city officials made a last-minute change and whisked the torch and runners off to quieter streets. When the torch relay finally happened, it was far away from thousands of people who'd come to see the Olympic flame.

Torchbearer Elated by Experience

Despite the disappointment many people felt, for those who got to carry the Olympic torch, the day was amazing. One of the torchbearers was ultra-marathoner Dean Karnazes. He talked to reporter Judy Campbell from the bus yesterday, as it zipped south for a quiet closing ceremony in a secret location.

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KQED Radio News | Thu, Apr 10 2008, 8:33 AM

Voices of the Crowd

Wednesday's Olympic torch run through San Francisco started as planned, but shortly after the torch was lit, Mayor Gavin Newsom and police chief Heather Fong made a dramatic change to its course. The relay ended up taking place far from the thousands of protesters and spectators crowded on the Embarcadero. Oanh Ha and Kelly Wilkinson talked to the crowd full of protesters and supporters.

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