inside the rings

The Olympics aren’t just a collection of events. They are a stage where history breathes, heroes rise—and rivalries ignite. Across track, pool, and ice, the greatest Olympic showdowns have been about more than medals. They’ve embodied national pride, personal redemption, and the timeless pursuit of excellence.

Few athletes have ever entered the Olympic Games bearing as much symbolic significance as Freeman did in Sydney. She wasn’t just Australia’s best hope for gold in the women’s 400 meters—she was the face of a modern Australia grappling with its colonial legacy and ongoing reconciliation with its Indigenous peoples.

In the history of the Olympic Games, few names shine as brightly or as boldly as Allyson Felix . She is not just a sprinter. She is not...