Navigation for News Categories
Off The Track
Off The Track headlines with summaries.
-
Olympic athletes go dotty for cupping
9 Aug 2016Michael Phelps is among Olympic athletes spotted sporting the tell-tale red marks left by the traditional Chinese practice of 'cupping'.
-
Sport: Tongan flagbearer to refocus on training
Tongan flagbearer Pita Taufatofua is refocusing on training following the overwhelming global response to his entrance at the Rio Olympics Opening Ceremony.
-
She ain't afraid of no ghosts, but our sevens team...
9 Aug 2016Rio 2016 Olympics - The New Zealand women's rugby sevens team has a new fan - Ghostbusters star Leslie Jones. But she finds the players a little 'intimidating'.
-
Olympic venues contend with alligators, capybaras
8 Aug 2016Rio 2016 Olympics - Alligators, sloths, capybaras and snakes are some of the unexpected visitors showing up at Olympic venues built in areas surrounded by lagoons and vegetation.
-
'Stray' bullet at Rio could have been far worse
8 Aug 2016Opinion - Everyone was already touchy about security at the Rio games, even before a stray bullet was fired, writes Joseph Romanos.
-
Russia banned from Rio Paralympics over doping
8 Aug 2016Rio 2016 Olympics - The International Paralympic Committee has banned Russia from the Rio 2016 Paralympics because of the country's doping scandal.
-
Rio games off to shaky start
7 Aug 2016Rio 2016 Olympics - Security has emerged as a top concern at the 2016 Olympics after a string of killings, kidnappings and robberies in Rio de Janeiro in recent days.
-
2016 Olympics opens in Rio
6 Aug 2016Rio 2016 Olympics - The 2016 Rio Olympics have officially begun, with the Olympic Cauldron now alight at Maracana Stadium.
-
LIVE updates - Rio 2016 opening takes off
6 Aug 2016Rio 2016 Olympics - The Olympics' Opening Ceremony is underway at Rio de Janeiro's Maracana Stadium in Brazil.
-
Pele pulls out of lighting Olympic cauldron
6 Aug 2016Rio 2016 Olympics - Brazilian football legend Pele will not light the Olympic cauldron at the Rio opening ceremony today due to poor health.
-
Russian whistleblower won't appeal ban
6 Aug 2016Rio 2016 Olympics - The Russian whistleblower, Yulia Stepanova, won't appeal to the Court of Arbitration for Sport over her ban on competing as an independent athlete at the Rio Olympics.
-
Fun and Games - Your guide to the Olympics like you've never seen
6 Aug 2016Satire - The Olympics is always evolving. This is your guide to the new events - and some novel takes on old ones - that will be staged at Rio.
-
Rio set for world stage, but not everyone is celebrating
Rio 2016 Olympics - With Rio's Olympic opening ceremony set to kick off in just a few hours' time, protesters opposing the government are making the most of the international media attention.
-
Stars about to dominate Olympic playground
6 Aug 2016Sports Call - The stars are about to come out in Rio as the best sports people in the world descend on the Brazilian City for the Olympic Games.
-
Rio athletes seek finest edge through technology
4 Aug 2016Sports Call - The difference between winning and losing at the Rio Olympics will come down to just hundredths, if not thousandths, of a second for many athletes.
-
Rio is only half ready
3 Aug 2016First person- With two hour traffic delays, poor plumbing and dodgy wiring, it'll take more than a few finishing touches to get Rio ready for the Olympics, writes RNZ's Stephen Hewson.
-
A social media user's guide to Rio 2016
5 Aug 2016If you're about to go without sleep to catch the trampolining, you're going to need Megan Whelan's guide to hot takes and second screens. Video
-
Sport: Family affair for Cook Islands' Nicholas family in Rio
4 Aug 2016The Rio Olympics will be a particularly memorable occasion for the Nicholas family from Cook Islands.
-
Zika, sewage, superbugs: Rio is a test of athletes' survival skills
1 Aug 2016Zika, superbugs, sewage and security concerns all stand in the way of success for New Zealand athletes at the Rio Olympics - and that's even before they have got to the starting line to take on the…
-
Will the Rio games be clean?
28 Jul 2016Sports Call - This week the International Olympic Committee stopped short of handing Russia a blanket ban from next month's Olympics, so how clean can we expect the Rio Games to be? Audio
-
Have the Olympics lost their way?
28 Jul 2016Sports Call - The biggest show on Earth kicks off in Rio shortly, and while one survey suggests NZ could enjoy its most successful Olympics ever, there is also scepticism about the Games themselves.
-
Record number of US women going to Olympics
24 Jul 2016A record contingent of 292 women will be part of a powerful 555-strong United States team at next month's Rio Olympics.
-
Sky's the limit for Olympic media war
Mediawatch - Some of New Zealand's media publishers are refusing to send reporters to the Rio Olympics over a broadcasting stoush. Why, and how will it affect coverage? Audio
-
Australian team refuse to move into Olympic village
25 Jul 2016The Australian team has refused to move into the Olympic Village for the Rio Games because of problems including "blocked toilets, leaking pipes and exposed wiring", the delegation head says. Audio
Top News stories
- Inflation drops, borrowers take a gamble: Here's what moved the housing market this week
- Man who torched John Key’s electorate office admits $650k arson of Huntly Railway Building
- The places where you're most likely to pass your driving test
- Shortland Street: South Pacific Pictures pushes for change to govt screen rebate
- Israel attacks Iran, sources say, drones reported over Isfahan
Subscribe
Get the top 8 headlines each day at 8am with our daily email newsletter.