Maggie Steffens cements her all-time goal-scoring prowess in Team USA's latest water polo win.

Estonia's surprise gold in fencing was its first Olympic title since 2008.

Anastasiia Logunova: Team Russia's 3x3 basketball star also has an Olympic engagement story...

Steffi Graf remains the only 'Golden Slam' champion in tennis.

Meanwhile,  Michael Venus' family sacrifices have paid off with a medal in doubles.

Team Australia's Cate Campbell found musical inspiration as she swam to another Olympic medal.

New Team South Africa champion Tatjana Schoenmaker prefers to let her swimming do the talking.

Will Abraham Kibiwott be able to back up his Team Kenya steeplechase victory promise?

Get to know Lovlina Borgohain, Team India's newest women's boxing medalist.

Two medals not enough for gold-expectant Team Great Britain in rowing.

An San defended her top seed - and her hairstyle - with her gold medal archery win.

With All-Star Game and World Series experience, Edwin Jackson sees a gold medal for Team USA baseball as "icing in the cake".

Team India's Fouaad Mirza has made a mark in early equestrian eventing competition at Tokyo 2020.

Track sprint favorite Trayvon Brommell takes a different approach to the role than his predecessor.

Beach volleyballer Brandie Wilkerson is relishing her Olympic experience after serving as alternate for Team Canada five years ago.

Get to know Team USA skateboarder Mariah Duran, through her clothes.

Team Slovenia's Janja Garnbret is a legitimate favorite in women's sport climbing.

Gymnast Alexa Moreno, of Toyota commercial fame, is headed to her second Olympic vault final.

Team Ireland makes a surprise booking into the landmark mixed 4x400 track relay.

Jessica Fox is a champion (again).

Gwen Berry takes a stand.

Portrait of a triathlete...

Marcos Grimalt is pumped with a win.

Aidan Walsh jumps for medal joy.

Shooter Alessandra Perilli wins San Marino its first ever medal; it's the smallest country to have one.

"(Teeing off at Tokyo 2020) was probably the coolest thing I've ever done in golf." Team Great Britain's Paul Casey is enjoying the Olympic spirit.

Team Spain's Pedri Gonzalez's game count in soccer has now reached 70 in just 11 months, after starring at the recnt Euros and now Tokyo 2020.

Meanwhile, Crystal Dunn is confident that Team USA can right its ship in time for its quarterfinal match.

Sunisa Lee's gymnastics all-around gold brings a spotlight on the Hmong community in the U.S.

Oranje Hockey takes a moment to stand for equality.

Friends Amber English and Vincent Hancock both won skeet shooting gold within hours for Team USA.

Team China's Yang Qian sparks a fashion run after her 'lucky charm' helps her to shooting gold.

After a women's bronze the day before, Team Ireland wins its first-ever rowing gold in men's doubles.

A little pre-race jitters didn't stop Team Australia's Jessica Fox from securing a landmark canoe gold.

Katie who? Team China's Zhang Yufei wins two gold medals within an hour in the swimming pool.

59th-ranked Guatemalan Kevin Cordon makes a splash as he goes into the badminton quarterfinals.

161st-ranked Sepp Straka of Team Austria won the first round of men's golf, surpassing all the top 10 ranked players coming into the competition.

Guinean wrestler Fatoumata Yarie Camara keeps her Olympic dreams alive, despite severe bureaucratic bungling.

Can sprinter Noah Lyles find the fun again as he strives to fulfill gold medal expectations?

No pressure: Can Dina Asher-Smith answer Team Great Britain's hopes in the sprints?

Team Switzerland's surprising tennis star Belinda Bencic has the chance for two golds at Tokyo 2020.

Simone Biles gives thanks.

Jorge Urena gets ready.

Andras Szatmari gets some medal love.

Paola Egonu is focused.

Logan Martin flies high in training.

(+1) Denis Almas enjoys my kind of cool down.

The Austerity Olympics (2008)
A Quick Book Review

It took me 13 years and three Summer Olympics later, but I finally sat down with Janie Hampton's The Austerity Olympics: When the Games Came to London in 1948, originally published as an early primer for London 2012. Better late than never, they say, though. And, I'll pat myself on the back for managing to do so during the first week of Tokyo 2020 competition!

In short, I found a rich detail of London 1948, exceedingly researched and engaging, reminiscent of the much-loved work of David Wallechinsky.

I was spurred to dive in while watching the current Olympics, as I thought that London 1948 - similar to Antwerp 1920 -  might be viewed as a comparison to Tokyo 2020. Those post-World War Games offered an opportunity for the global community to collectively regroup and be inspired after a period of conflict. Similarly, Tokyo 2020 has been positioned as the Games to inspire and provide hope as the world grapples with Covid recovery attempts.

Of course, Hampton's work was published in 2008, without any premonition of what 2020 would bring upon the Olympics. But The Austerity Olympics does provide some similar context - an English public and press skeptical of holding a Games in the aftermath of global conflict, and, specifically to the hosts, within a massively still rebuilding London. Critics decried the perceived allocation of resources while Britons struggled with on-going rationing and reconstruction.

Hampton does a strong job setting that 1948 context, detailing post-war London as the host city tries to accommodate housing, transportation, nutrition, and venue needs for participants.

But the real strength of the book comes as she moves into the Games itself, with deep accounts of all the action, from the Olympic Torch Relay and the Opening Ceremony, to athletics, gymnastics, rowing, soccer, and all the rest. Making London 1948 come alive for the reader is the inclusion of many, many historical firsthand accounts from competitors, and even spectators, as we revisit the exploits of Fanny Blankers Koen, Emil Zatopek, Bob Mathias, Paul Elvstrom, Vicki Draves, and more.

Along the way, a picture of London 1948 is clear. Aside from operational innovations debuted at the Games - the first photo-finish use, the first track starting blocks, the first female gender testing - the real power of the Games success (even the previous critics came around as the Games progressed) was that they went on at all. Holding an Olympics when they could at a time of upheaval provided a moment of inspiration and community. London 1948 was the first Olympics held after 1940 and 1944 editions had been cancelled. What would have happened to the Olympic movement had organizers given in and cancelled again?

Perhaps there is a connection to be seen through to Tokyo 2020. That the current Summer Games are being held, despite an on-going level of crisis and diminished capability, is testament to the strength and need of Olympism to persevere. Time will tell, perhaps in just about a week's time as these Games close, whether today's Games will similarly be seen as a positive marker as London 1948.

Primoz Roglic cements a Slovenian 'summer of cycling' with his time trial victory.

Team Japan gymnast Daiki Hashimoto wins the men's all-around - and the mantle of heir apparent to legend Kohei Uchimura.

Boxer Carlo Paalam nearly lost his first match after a severe misunderstanding with his coach.

Hayato Sakamoto rescues a possibly disastrous home opener for Team Japan in baseball.

Judoka Martyna Trajdos defends her unique pre-game ritual with her coach.

Siobhan Haughey's swimming silver medal gives Hong Kong its best Olympic performance, and confidence in its sports program.

Allisha Gray provides a good tear-jerker moment after Team USA's gold medal in 3x3 basketball.

Meanwhile, take a peek at a feel-good sports inspiration, courtesy Team Latvia's 3x3 success.

Lucy Bronze has 'gold in her sights' after leading Team Great Britain into the quarterfinals in soccer.

Irish boxer Kurt Walker is onto a strong start as he defeats the gold medal featherweight favorite.

Military exemption: golfers Sungjae Im and Si Woo Kim have extra incentive to medal at these Olympics.

Portuguese race walker Joao Vieira won a first major global medal at age 43 two years ago. Why not again at Tokyo 2020?

Will a 'rejuvenated' Sunita Puspure of Team Ireland find rowing medal success after years of perseverance?

​​Long-dstance runner Luis Grijalva had some unique legal - and life - challenges on his way to represent Team Guatemala at Tokyo 2020.

Team Australia's rugby sevens captain Sharni Williams approaches these Games with a new, openly LGBTQ mindset.

Team Brazil's Douglas Souza has become volleyball's breakout star - on social media - during Tokyo 2020.

Charlotte Dujardin and Pumpkin celebrate.

Erica Wiebe is raring to go.

Italo Ferreira brings the heat.

Damian Quintero is focused.

Katinka Hosszu reflects.

(+1) John John says goodbye.

Isabell Werth secures a twelfth Olympic medal, with a little help from a record-breaking teammate, in equestrian dressage.

Rio 2016 veteran Angelina Melnikova composedly leads Team Russia to gymnastics gold in a chaotic, unexpected competition.

Italo Ferreira: A son of fisherman won surfing's first-ever Olympic gold medal.

Marketa Vondrousova acknowledges the moment of significance in her victory over Naomi Osaka.

Australia vs Croatia in water polo: Was this the Games' biggest upset so far?

Edgar Cheung Ka-Long's fencing win brings celebration to the streets in Hong Kong.

Pole vaulter Harry Coppell is 'toothless' no more, after recovery from a freak training accident.

Team USA's Anastasija Zolotic sees the bigger picture of sacrifice in her taekwondo gold.

Once on track to be in the circus, Maude Charron is now an Olympic weightlifting champion.

Five years after a gutting miss at Rio 2016 competition, kayak slalomist Ricard Funk scores gold in Tokyo.

Team USA's Xander Schauffele heads into Tokyto 2020's golf competition with his father's past own Olympic hopes in mind.

Team Kenya's Rio 2016 champion - and world record holder - Eliud Kipchoge is eager to start his marathon title defense.

Ireland's shooter Derek Burnett is at his fifth Games, and still carries medal hopes.

Can Niek Kimman overcome an odd, unfortunate knee injury in time for his first BMX run?

Ygor Coelho is taking Brazilian badminton to new heights in Tokyo after his Rio 2016 Olympic debut.

Jiri Priskavec looks to banish his Rio 2016 demons as he tackles Tokyo 2020's kayak slalom.

Swedish single sculler Lovisa Claesson has learned that being coached by her father brings a lot of rowing conversation home.

Alexander Choupenitch celebrates a bronze.

David Nyika takes one on the ear.

Jesse Smith is focused with Team USA.

Pavlos Kontiudes is sitting pretty at this moment.

Jolanda Neff with the win...and a Swiss sweep.

Bonus: Don't forget..Kevin Mayer is on his way.