Find uplifting stories about heroes, innovations, and solutions
33 results for "american athletes"
Filipino-American athletes are reaching the highest levels of competition across basketball and esports, breaking through old barriers with genuine dominance. From Dylan Harper's historic NBA scoring to championship esports teams, a new generation is rewriting what's possible.
The United States will make soccer history this summer when 26 athletes take the field as co-hosts of the 2026 FIFA World Cup. These players from small towns and big cities across America are preparing to compete in the world's biggest sporting event on home soil. --- ##
Indian-American golfer Manav Shah is heading to his first Major championship after 11 years as a professional, with his wife as his caddie. The 34-year-old never stopped believing in himself, even through the tough years.
American swimmer Anna Moesch just became the second-fastest woman in history, blazing through 100 meters in 51.94 seconds at a London meet. She shattered a record that stood for seven years and now sits just 0.23 seconds behind the world mark.
After growing up watching World Cup Finals on worn-out VHS tapes, American equestrian Kent Farrington finally claimed his first individual title in front of a roaring home crowd in Texas. The 45-year-old world number two led the competition from start to finish with two exceptional mares across three intense days.
Down 5-3 in the final set with three championship points against him, American tennis player Tommy Paul refused to quit and stormed back to win his first clay court title in Houston. The 28-year-old's gutsy comeback keeps an incredible five-year winning streak alive for American players at the tournament.
American ski racer Mikaela Shiffrin just made history by securing her 110th World Cup victory, more than any alpine skier ever. The 29-year-old also clinched her ninth slalom season title at the World Cup Finals.
In 1992, figure skater Kristi Yamaguchi made history as the first Asian American to win Winter Olympic gold. Thirty-four years later, she reflects on making history without even knowing it and what today's athletes mean to her.
Team USA claimed second place at the 2026 Winter Paralympics with 24 medals, including a historic fifth straight gold in sled hockey. American athletes shattered records and made debuts that proved determination knows no boundaries.
American ski star Mikaela Shiffrin just claimed her 109th career World Cup victory in Åre, Sweden, moving closer to a record-tying sixth overall title. The win puts her 140 points ahead with just one event remaining in an electric finish to the season.
Four American athletes brought home medals in banked slalom at the 2026 Paralympics, with two golds and two bronzes capping an emotional final day of competition. The podium finishes showcased both rising stars and retiring legends in Para snowboarding.
The United States overcame early setbacks at the 2026 Winter Olympics to claim 12 gold medals, including historic victories in both men's and women's hockey. Despite a rough start with injuries and falls, American athletes rallied to their best Winter Games performance in decades.
Three American athletes just made Olympic history by defending their country's title in freestyle skiing mixed team aerials. The victory marks Team USA's second consecutive gold medal in the event since it debuted at the 2022 Beijing Olympics.
American athletes just made history at the 2026 Winter Olympics, earning their 11th gold medal to break the nation's all-time Winter Games record. Three freestyle skiers clinched the milestone victory in the mixed team aerials event as snow fell in Italy.
American athletes are bringing the heat on day 15 of the 2026 Winter Olympics with two major medal opportunities. The U.S. women's curling team faces Canada for bronze while freestyle skiing star Eileen Gu competes in the halfpipe final.
American speedskater Jordan Stolz claimed his third medal at the Milan Olympics, adding silver in the 1500m to his two golds. The 21-year-old phenom has one more chance Saturday to make history as the first American since 1980 to win three golds at a single Winter Games.
After watching figure skater Ilia Malinin struggle at the Winter Olympics, gymnastics legend Simone Biles immediately reached out with support drawn from her own experience. The two American athletes connected over the invisible weight of competing under immense pressure.
%2Fhttps%3A%2F%2Ftf-cmsv2-smithsonianmag-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Ffiler_public%2Fdc%2Fb2%2Fdcb21f7f-8162-492b-9752-bb840d9a1a2e%2Fgettyimages-2203076079.jpg)
Ski mountaineering, a sport born from survival thousands of years ago, will explode onto the Olympic stage for the first time next month. Two American athletes are bringing this grueling uphill-downhill race to the world's biggest winter stage.
From Madison's frozen lakes to West Allis rinks, Wisconsin has turned winter into a training ground for Olympic greatness. Six homegrown athletes have combined for 11 gold medals and multiple world records across five decades.
The U.S. women's hockey team crushed Italy 6-0 and now faces Sweden in the semifinals, bringing the nation one step closer to Olympic gold. With multiple American athletes competing for medals across curling, bobsled, and figure skating, Team USA is having a stellar week in Milan Cortina.
Showing 20 of 33