All good things come to an end. Through delay, innumerable challenges in just putting on the games and the actual sporting competition itself, the 2020 Tokyo Olympic Games and all involved have excelled beyond expectation. Now, the world unites to celebrate the end of a shared moment: the last of the first global sporting event in over 18 months. Brittney Reese reflects on a sport-defining career in women’s long jump and Mike Tirico give us a parting thought before going into the booth the call the closing ceremony. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

The sting of missing out on Olympic glory can be a hurdle to overcome as well as a fuel for future success. Ultimately, delayed gratification may just be the ultimate prize. We speak with the second American woman to win a wrestling gold, Tamyra Mensah Stock, about how previous failures motivate her on and off the mat. Keni Harrison was the favorite coming into US Olympic Track & Field Trials in the 100 meter hurdles for Rio, but had to watch the Games on TV. She leveraged that into record- setting times that set her on the rhythm that clinched a medal in the 2020 Tokyo Games. Listen to The Podium daily during the 2020 Tokyo Olympic Games for new insight into the stories you know and the ones you’ll be happy to discover.  See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

From using your podium performance to speak for a wider group or simply turning your chopsticks around for a shared platter, gestures big and small are a defining feature of the 2020 Tokyo Olympic Games. Hear from Women’s Shot put Silver-medalist Raven Saunders about how her personal style speaks volumes and explore the Japanese world of social gestures with etiquette expert Ben Sparrow. Listen to The Podium daily during the 2020 Tokyo Olympic Games for new insight into the stories you know and the ones you’ll be happy to discover.  See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Running from steeple to steeple in the Irish countryside, over fences and through streams might seem like a task far removed from the 2020 Tokyo Olympic Games. And yet 2 events, run on 2 or 4 legs, remind us that utility is at the core of the Olympics, and that manufacturing once-natural challenges may seem a little forced, but that finding our force is why we compete in the first place. We speak to women straight off of their 3000 meter Steeplechase heats to discover what attracts them to this event. Doug Payne of Team USA’s Eventing squad tells us why equestrian sports, especially the cross country discipline, are as beautiful as they are complex. Listen to The Podium daily during the 2020 Tokyo Olympic Games for new insight into the stories you know and the ones you’ll be happy to discover.  See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

The 2020 Tokyo Olympic Games feature the most sports and events in any modern Olympics. Organizing and participating, notably, in Track and Field and Water Polo, involves mastering a lot of pandemonium. Athletes like Maggie Steffens and Valarie Allman join us from their chaotic fields of play to explain why chaos creates additional challenges for the athletes, but that having a lot going on is part of the culture that make these events so exciting. Listen to The Podium daily during the 2020 Tokyo Olympic Games for new insight into the stories you know and the ones you’ll be happy to discover.  See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.