If seeing all those toned bodies at this past summer’s London Games inspires you to go from spectator to contender, TIME has put together a list of equipment used in the Olympics and Paralympics. This way, even if you can’t compete like an elite athlete, you can at least look like one
Lists
20 Paralympic Athletes to Watch at London 2012
From Australia to Great Britain, South Africa to the U.S., TIME takes you around the globe to meet the compelling and inspiring athletes competing at the London Paralympics.
After London, It’s Back to Work: 10 Olympians Returning to Their Day Jobs
Not every athlete spends four years solidly training for the Olympics. Here’s our pick of the competitors who are keeping the amateur spirit alive in sport by going back to their day jobs.
The Best and Worst Moments of the Olympics
There were many memorable moments at the London Olympics, some heartbreaking and some baffling. But each of TIME’s correspondents at the Games has picked two that stood out the most, for better or for worse
Social Self Portraits: Olympic Athletes’ Best Photos From London 2012
Amazing photos from the track and the pool fill the pages of magazines and the front pages of newspapers every Olympics. But thanks to social media and some camera-happy athletes we’re now privy to some amazing behind-the-scenes …
Bring Back Tug of War, So Long Ping Pong: The Olympic Sports to Add — and Drop
Did you ever get that feeling, during London 2012, that there was something missing from your Olympics? Or that there was a sport dragging the whole thing down? Here, the TIME writers who covered the London 2012 Olympic Games …
Olympic Injuries in Action: When Athletes Play Through Pain
From American Manteo Mitchell running with a broken leg to Germany’s Matthias Steiner being felled by a falling weight, TIME looks at the Olympic competitors’ most memorable injuries and mishaps.
Twenty Gymnasts to Watch in the Women’s All-Around and Event Finals
The Americans won the team competition, but there are still 15 individual medals up for grabs. Meet the favorites.
The Quirky Art of Britain’s Cultural Olympiad
In order to showcase Britain’s arts and heritage during the Olympic Games, the U.K. government has bestowed $150 million on the Cultural Olympiad and its accompanying London 2012 Festival, which runs from June 21 to September 9. …
Olympic Security: The Machinery Guarding London 2012
As spectators watch the Olympic Games, Britain’s intelligence and military personnel are watching the skies, the water, and the roads.