Sports

Fireworks are seen above the Olympic Stadium on August 24, 2021 in Tokyo, Japan, during the opening ceremony of the Tokyo 2020 Paralympic Games.

The Differences Between The Olympics, Paralympics And Special Olympics

12:18pm August 24, 2021

by Rachel Treisman

The Olympics and Paralympics have for decades been held in tandem, and both celebrate world-class athletic achievement. The Special Olympics differs in key ways.

Peruvian Para badminton player Pedro Pablo de Vinatea trains during government-ordered coronavirus lockdown on June 13, 2020, in Lima, Peru. Badminton is making its debut at the Paralympic Games this summer in Tokyo.

Badminton And Taekwondo Are Making Their Paralympic Debuts In Tokyo

12:17pm August 24, 2021

by Joe Hernandez

The two new sports are among the 22 that athletes will be competing in during this year's Summer Games. Taekwondo will be the first full-contact Paralympic sport ever.

Yui Kamiji of Team Japan in action during a training session ahead of the Tokyo 2020 Paralympic Games at Ariake Tennis Park on August 22, 2021 in Tokyo, Japan.

The Tokyo Paralympic Games Have The Most Athletes — And The Most Women — In History

11:29am August 24, 2021

by Joe Hernandez

There are 4,403 athletes taking part in the international competition getting underway Tuesday, according to the organizing committee for the Tokyo 2020 Paralympic Games.

Alaysia Mondon, 14, baits her hook with a worm while fishing on Lake Lashaway.

Camp Atwater Offers Black Children A Chance To Make Friends And Make Plans

6:45am August 24, 2021

by Quincy Walters

At 100-year-old Camp Atwater, Black children can enjoy life away from the city, playing sports, making friends and spending time discussing their futures.

The Pressures Of Kicking For An Icon: Xavier Beitia Reflects On His Field Goal Miss

4:41pm August 23, 2021

by Jason Fuller

NPR's Jason Fuller talks with Xavier Beitia, former Florida State University kicker and New York Jet, about persevering through his missed field goal kick against the Miami Hurricanes back in 2002.

A general view of action during a New Zealand Wheelchair rugby practice session ahead of the Tokyo 2020 Paralympic Games at Yoyogi Sports Arena on August 22, 2021 in Tokyo, Japan.

A Record Number Of Out LGBTQ Athletes Will Compete In The Tokyo Paralympics

11:30am August 23, 2021

by Joe Hernandez

At least 28 publicly out Paralympians will be competing in the summer games in Tokyo, more than double the number that took part in the Rio 2016 Paralympic Games, according to the website Outsports.

Sports

Saturday Sports: Baseball Ramps Up, And The U.S. Open May Be Facing The End Of An Era

10:01am August 21, 2021

ESPN's Michele Steele discusses the Chicago Bears and Buffalo Bills' game, Shohei Ohtani's performance, and the future of the U.S. Open.

A young fans searches through Topps Baseball cards prior to the game between the Los Angeles Angels and the Kansas City Royals on Sunday April 28, 2019, at Kauffman Stadium in Kansas City, Mo.

MLB Is Ending Its 70-Year Partnership With Baseball Card Manufacturer Topps

10:12am August 20, 2021

by Jaclyn Diaz

Fanatics is expected to be the new partner with MLB to manufacture trading cards, edging out baseball's long-time partner, Topps.

Poland's Maria Magdalena Andrejczyk celebrates her silver medal in the javelin throw at the Olympic Stadium in Tokyo on Aug. 7. She auctioned the medal to help fund heart surgery for an 8-month-old; the buyer decided to let her keep it.

An Olympian Sold Her Silver Medal To Fund A Boy's Surgery. The Buyer Let Her Keep It

4:50pm August 19, 2021

by Joe Hernandez

Maria Magdalena Andrejczyk of Poland announced she would sell her medal in the javelin throw to help fund heart surgery for an 8-month-old. A convenience store chain had the winning bid of $125,000.

Tokyo's Rainbow Bridge is bathed in purple light on Thursday as part of the WeThe15 campaign. Launched ahead of the Tokyo Paralympic Games, the movement calls for an end to discrimination against people with disabilities.

More Than 125 Landmarks Around The World Will Be Bathed In Purple For A Night

4:19pm August 19, 2021

by Bill Chappell

Rome's Colosseum, the London Eye and the Empire State Building and other iconic buildings will be lit in purple on Thursday, to highlight visibility and equal treatment for people with disabilities.