We're coming down the homestretch of the competition now, having completed 12 of the 18 days of competition (while the Olympics are "officially" 16 days long, there were two days of preliminary action before the opening ceremonies). And while China has dominated the gold medal count, Team USA continues to maintain a slight overall lead over the host nation. A few Chicago-area athletes were in action today, doing their part to help the US maintain that edge. Results, as always, after the jump. more ›

We've hit the half-way point for the Olympics but there's still plenty of excitement, including Michael Phelps heart-stopping gold medal race. At this point, we suspect he may just be toying with our emotions just to keep us interested. But our Chicago-area Olympians, including Christine Loukas and Dwyane Wade, are providing some fireworks of their own and keeping us glued to our televisions. Which is a good thing, right? Screw it. Go Team Chicago! more ›

The 2008 Summer Olympics in Beijing are getting ready to start have already kicked off and, well, it seems that not many folks are as enthusiastic about it as some of us are (one of us has even participated in an Olympic Torch relay). So forgive us if we seemed a bit excited this morning because we dig that time every four two years when the world comes together to celebrate the pageantry and athleticism of sports we otherwise never care about. Handball? Field hockey? The modern pentathlon? It can't all be swimming and track. And don't forget about trampoline! And as Chicago tries to lure the 2016 Summer Olympics, it seems only right that we focus on our own area athletes who are competing in this year's games. We've compiled a list of area athletes and their events and throughout the Olympics, we'll do our best to keep you posted on how our Chicagoans are faring. more ›