These strange Olympic facts are pure gold. But you can read on to find out how much pure gold is actually in a gold medal.

Davidson College Visiting Assistant Professor of Classics Allison Smith examines the "distant echoes" of the original Olympic Games and how they compare to the modern global competition. The discussion explores the evolution of the games from a sacred religious sanctuary at Olympia to today's "moving circus" of international host cities.

Kirsty Coventry, the multi-Olympic swimming champion who last year became the first woman to lead the International Olympic Committee, addressed the General Assembly at the latest vote in November. Watching peaceful competition, she said, inspired her to begin her gold-medal journey as a young girl in Zimbabwe.

Here is the order in which countries will march out for the Parade of Nations at the Opening Ceremony for the 2026 Milan Cortina Games.

Keep your shirt on, Olympics fans. Pita Taufatofua of Tonga is returning to the opening ceremony after being absent in the last two Olympiads. The Milan Cortina Olympics website announced this week that Taufatofua had been chosen as an Olympic flag bearer along with nine others.

The 2026 Winter Olympics in Milan Cortina, Italy, is finally here. Here is the schedule for events for Thursday, Feb. 5 and Friday, Feb. 6, including the Opening Ceremony. Start the day smarter. Get all the news you need in your inbox each morning.