Grand Finale (14.4 | 28.8) -- After two weeks of spectacle, fierce competition, and scandal, the 27th Summer Olympic Games closed Sunday in Sydney on an appropriately grand note. They ended with a lavish and humorous ceremony that rivaled Barnum and Bailey as the greatest show on Earth. Listen as NPR's Tom Goldman reports on the closing from Sydney, Australia, for Morning Edition.

Meting Out Medals (14.4 | 28.8) -- Nearly 1,000 medals were awarded at the Games. At the start of the competition 16 days ago, Morning Edition host Bob Edwards spoke with Meghan Busse, an economics professor at Yale's School of Management, and Andrew Bernard, from Dartmouth's Tuck School of Business, who tried to predict scientifically how many medals each country would win. Listen as Morning Edition checks back with Dr. Barnard to see how well they did.

The Final Day (14.4 | 28.8) -- Competition is over at Sydney. NPR's Tom Goldman reviews the highlights of the past two weeks with Weekend Edition Sunday host Frank Stasio. (3:00)

Kind of a Drag (14.4 | 28.8) -- NPR's Eric Weiner reports that drag queens will be a feature of the Olympic closing ceremonies in Sydney. The thought that somehow drag queens are associated with all things Australian has a lot of people up in arms but others say female impersonation has a long history in Australia and deserves to be represented in tomorrow's events. (4:00)

Big Day In Sydney (14.4 | 28.8) -- Howard Berkes reports on the biggest day of the competition -- 41 gold medals were handed out Saturday, including five to the United States. (3:00)

Marion's Quest (14.4 | 28.8) -- Weekend Edition Saturday host Scott Simon speaks with sports commentator Ron Rapoport about the week's biggest Olympics stories and about Marion Jones's quest for five Olympic gold medals. Rapoport is Jones' biographer (5:00)

Disappointment on the Track (14.4 | 28.8) -- Marion Jones won Olympic Bronze in the long jump, finishing three inches behind Germany's Heike Drechsler. It was her third medal in these games, but ends her quest for five gold medals. Jones has already won two golds -- in the 100 and 200 meters. She still plans to run in two relays tomorrow. In an even bigger surprise, NPR's Eric Weiner reports, Morocco's Hicham el Guerrouj suffered a bitter defeat in the 1500 meters. He'd been virtually unbeatable since getting tangled with another runner and finishing last at the Atlanta Olympics in 1996. (3:30)

Jones Falls Short (14.4 | 28.8) -- Host Bob Edwards talks to N-P-R's Tom Goldman about Olympian track star Marion Jones. Her bid for become the first Olympic female to win five golds ended today when she took bronze in the long jump. She still has the two relay events to compete in before the end of the games. (3:30)

Successes and Surprises (14.4 | 28.8) -- At the Olympics in Sydney, the fabled American women's soccer team lost the gold medal game in overtime to Norway. Marion Jones easily won her second gold medal, in the 200 meter dash. Her win was widely anticipated. But as NPR's Howard Berkes reports, there was a major surprise in the men's 200 meters. Konstantinos Kenteris won the gold medal, becoming the first Greek ever win a sprint medal. It was the first time the US didn't take a medal in the event since 1928. (3:45)

Olympic Collections (14.4 | 28.8) -- The Olympics bring out the most devoted collectors: scavengers who scoop up spent shotgun shells, lapel pin traders, and high rollers who shell out 100-thousand-dollars for a gold medal winner's swim trunks. At Sydney Olympic Park, just about anything with five rings or a connection to an Olympic athlete seems to be selling. NPR's Eric Weiner reports. (4:15)

Golden Games for U.S. (14.4 | 28.8) -- NPR's Tom Goldman reports on a day of startling upsets by US athletes at the Olympics in Sydney. First, Rulon Gardner, a Greco-Roman wrestler of modest prior accomplishment, defeated the Superman of his sport, Alexander Kareline of Russia. Three-time gold medal winner Kareline had not lost a match since 1987. Later in the evening, the American baseball team shut out Cuba in the gold medal game. The favored Cubans had won the last two Olympic titles. (5:00)

Hometown Hero (14.4 | 28.8) -- All Things Considered host Noah Adams talks to Assistant Principal Athletic Director Richard Hoopes of Star Valley High School, in Afton, Wyoming. Hoopes used to coach Rulon Gardner in wrestling. Gardner has won Olympic gold in Greco-Roman wrestling. Hoopes says his former student called him this morning at 2:30 to tell him about his win. (3:00)

1965 Flashback: Water Polo (14.4 | 28.8) -- The last time Australia hosted the Olympics, in 1956, Hungary was a power in water polo, and scored a victory over the Soviet Union. It was important because at the time, Hungary was trying to win a real war back home against the Soviets. All Things Considered host Robert talks to Ervin Zador, who was injured in that 1956 game. Since then he's been coaching water polo and swimming in the United States. (4:45)

Drugs and Sports (14.4 | 28.8) NPR's Howard Berkes reports from Sydney, Australia that the issue of drugs continues to overshadow the games. Romanian gymnast Andreea Raducan was striped of her gold medal after taking two cold pills containing a banned substance. The Court of Arbitration for Sports will decide whether the IOC should return the medal.

Softball Victory (14.4 | 28.8) -- The U.S. women's softball team won a gold medal at the Sydney Olympics Tuesday in the hardest possible fashion. As NPR's Tom Goldman reports, the team was considered unbeatable after a two-year winning streak of 112 games. But it lost three straight games in the early round of competition, nearly putting it out of medal contention. The U.S. then fought back and swept the three teams -- China, Australia and Japan -- it lost to earlier in the tournament. (3:30)

Baseball Scouts (14.4 | 28.8) -- NPR's Uri Berliner reports from Sydney, Australia that most of the major league baseball teams have sent scouts to the Sydney games. The scouts are there to evaluate players especially pitchers in an effort to find new talents from various countries around the world. (3:44)

Lost Gold (14.4 | 28.8) -- NPR's Eric Weiner reports that the issue of drugs continues to overshadow the Summer Olympic games. Today, sixteen-year old Romanian Andreea Raducan was stripped of her all-round gold medal after she took a banned stimulant contained in two cold medicine pills that was given to her by the team doctor. (4:14)

C.J. Hunter (14.4 | 28.8) -- C.J. Hunter, the world champion in the shot put and the husband of sprinter Marion Jones, has tested positive for steroids. As NPR's Tom Goldman reports, U.S. track officials were aware of Hunter's test result in mid-August but kept it confidential. Now that it has been disclosed in the middle of the Olympics, the news could become a major distraction to Jones in her pursuit of five gold medals. (3:45)

Johnson and Freeman (14.4 | 28.8) -- In two of the most anticipated races of the Olympics, Michael Johnson and Cathy Freeman triumphed in the men's and women's 400 meters, fulfilling historic expectations. Freeman, the Australian who lit the Olympic cauldron, became the first Aboriginal athlete to win an individual medal. Johnson succeeded in defending his 400 meter title, the first male sprinter to do so. NPR's Howard Berkes reports. (3:45)

Doping Charges (14.4 | 28.8) -- N-P-R's Tom Goldman talks with host Mike Shuster about the news from the Sidney Olympics that at least one American athlete has been involved in a doping cover-up. (5:00)

Star and Symbol (14.4 | 28.8) -- Australian sprinter Cathy Freeman has captured the interest of many at these Summer Olympic Games: she's the favorite in the women's 400 meter race and she is also Australia's best-known aboriginal woman. That's made her - unexpectedly - a national symbol. NPR's Howard Berkes has a profile. (4:45)

The Week Ahead (14.4 | 28.8) -- What's ahead at the Olympics, where track and field events will dominate this week. Marion Jones will continue her quest for five gold medals. Soccer, softball, and Greco-Roman wrestling will also be featured this week. Weekend Edition Sunday host Liane Hansen talks with NPR's Tom Goldman in Sydney as week two of Olympic competition begins.(6:15)

Cuba-U.S. Baseball (14.4 | 28.8) -- NPR's Tom Goldman reports on the first encounter between Cuba's powerful baseball team and a U.S. squad that is using professionals for the first time. (5:30)

Marvelous Marion (14.4 | 28.8) -- Marion Jones has completed the first step of her vaunted "drive for five" by winning the gold medal in the women's 100-meter dash. Listen as Weekend Edition Saturday host Melinda Penkava discusses Jones with her biographer, commentator Ron Rappaport. (5:30)

100-Meter Heroes (14.4 | 28.8) -- NPR's Howard Berkes reports on the 100-meter dash victories of Americans Marion Jones and Maurice Greene, who can now call themselves the world's fastest humans. (5:30)

Medal Roundup (14.4 | 28.8) -- U.S. weightlifter Tara Nott gets a gold medal, albeit a bit belatedly, and American swimmers tie for 50-meter title. (3:00)

Mysterious Perec (14.4 | 28.8) -- French runner Marie-Jose Perec left Sydney a day before her first heat, claiming an intruder forced his way into her hotel room and threatened her. Perec, the defending Olympic champion in the 200 and 400 meters, avoided all public appearances in the weeks before the Games, communicating only through her Web site. NPR's Howard Berkes reports(3:30)

U.S. Softball Team (14.4 | 28.8) -- Morning Edition host Bob Edwards talks to NPR's Tom Goldman about some of the events and results at the Summer Olympics in Sydney. The U.S. softball team lost its third straight extra-inning marathon. This time Australia beat the Americans 2-1 in 13 innings. (4:15)

Misty's Gold (14.4 | 28.8) -- Misty Hyman, an American, defeated Australia's Susie O'Neill Wednesday for the gold medal in the 200 meter butterfly. O'Neill, nicknamed Madame Butterfly by her countrymen, was heavily favored in the race, and Hyman, a first-time Olympian, reacted to her victory with joyous disbelief. NPR's Howard Berkes reports. (4:00)

Anti-Tobacco Ads (14.4 | 28.8) -- NPR's Debbie Elliot reports that the national anti-smoking initiative that was created by the tobacco industry's settlement with states is running ads during the Olympics. The controversial ads, spoofs of industry ads, feature body bags to portray tobacco's death toll. The industry says it is being vilified in violation of the agreement. Ad analysts say the ads are effective and reach an unprecedented audience for a public health message. (5:00)

Tennis Troubles (14.4 | 28.8) -- NPR's Eric Weiner reports from Sydney, Australia on the disappointment in today's tennis competition at the Olympics. Three of the four members of the U.S. men's team lost. The women's team did much better than the men, with all four players winning their early round matches. (4:16)

Talking Gymnastics (14.4 | 28.8) -- Morning Edition host Bob Edwards talks to Christine Brennan, sports columnist for USA Today about men's and women's gymnastics at the Summer Olympics. (4:04)

Softball Loss (14.4 | 28.8) -- The U.S. softball team loses to Japan, breaking a 112-game winning streak in international play. Howard Berkes reports for Morning Edition on the extra-inning upset. (4:05)

Olympic Mood (14.4 | 28.8) -- A festive atmosphere has taken hold in Sydney's Olympic Park. As NPR's Eric Weiner reports, fans are giving high marks to the compact layout of the park and the genial hospitality of the Australian hosts. (4:30)

Weightlifting Controversy (14.4 | 28.8) -- Tom Goldman sorts out the confusion over Romania's weightlifters for Morning Edition. First they were thrown out for drug violations. But several have been reinstated. (4:10)

More Records Fall (14.4 | 28.8) -- Three more world records fell Sunday in the Olympic pool. NPR's Howard Berkes looks at why these Olympics are producing such fast times. (4:00)

Olympic Field Marshal (14.4 | 28.8) -- Geraldine Brooks, a Wall Street Journal reporter in Sydney, found herself serving as a field marshall for the lavish Olympic opening ceremonies. She had to herd athletes into position after they had marched into Stadium Australia. She discusses her job with Weekend All Things Considered host Jacki Lyden. (3:00)

Swimmers Make Splash (14.4 | 28.8) -- Three more world records fall at the Summer Olympics as swimming captures center stage early in the games. Weekend Edition Sunday host Liane Hansen talks with Tom Goldman, reporting from Sydney. (4:45)

Aussie Adventures (14.4 | 28.8) -- The Summer Olympics in Sydney will surely attract travelers to Australia. Weekend Edition Sunday host Liane Hansen talks to Bill Bryson, author of In a Sunburned Country about his adventures down under. He says there's a lot more to this vast continent than kangaroos and Crocodile Dundee. (8:00)

Boycott Revisited (14.4 | 28.8) -- Twenty years ago, following the Soviet invasion of Afghanistan, President Jimmy Carter announced the United States would boycott the 1980 Summer Olympics in Moscow. The boycott affected 200 U.S. athletes, many of whom remain bitter about being denied their only chance to compete for their country in the Olympics. Nancy Greenleese of member station KPBS reports. (9:45)

The Thorpedo (14.4 | 28.8) -- In the first day of Olympic swimming competition, five world records fell. Australian teen Ian Thorpe thundered through the water with victories in single and relay events, stirring hopes that the Australians can replace America as the sport's dominant team. NPR's Howard Berkes reports on Australia's passion for swimming. (4:30)

Focus on Swimming (14.4 | 28.8) -- The first medals of the Sydney Olympics were handed out. The first gold medal was won by a relatively unknown American, but it's swimming that is attracting the most attention right now. NPR's Tom Goldman reports. (4:00)

Future Olympic Sports (14.4 | 28.8) -- Weekend Edition Saturday host Scott Simon talks with author and Olympic historian David Wallchinsky about what it takes to add a new sport to the Olympics, and which sports are currently contenders for future games. (6:05)

Opening Ceremonies (14.4 | 28.8) -- NPR's Tom Goldman reports on the Opening Ceremonies of the Summer Olympics in Sydney, Australia. The event ceremony celebrated Australia's rich and strange history, with a lawnmower ballet, displays of horsemanship and tributes to the island nation's Aboriginal history. But it was the selection of Australian sprinter Cathy Freeman, an Aborigine and gold medal favorite, as the final torch bearer, that provided the emotional highlight of the 4-hour event. (4:00)

Olympic Canoeist (14.4 | 28.8) -- All Things Considered Host Noah Adams profiles Olympian David Hearn, eighteen times the U-S national solo whitewater canoe champion. He's in his third Olympics in Australia. He's trained on the Potomac River for twenty-five years. Now, his wife, Jennifer, is one of his coaches. He's 41-years-old, twice the age of many of his competitors. Hearn says that the slalom course imitates a real whitewater river. (8:30)

Olympics by Tape Delay (14.4 | 28.8) -- Sportswriter Stefan Fatsis tells All Things Considered host Linda Wertheimer why NBC, holder of U.S. broadcast rights to the Sydney Olympics, intends to provide only tape delayed coverage. The 15-hour time difference between Sydney and the eastern U.S. and the fact that the network's exclusivity agreement ends after the first broadcast of an event are the main factors. The result is that records set overnight will not be seen in the U.S. till prime time the next day. (4:00)

Olympic Timing (14.4 | 28.8) -- Most events at the Olympics are timed to one-hundredth of a second, some even down to one-thousandth of a second. Robert talks with Tom Westenburg about how they determine athletes' finishing times so precisely. Westenburg is an electrical engineer in the Sports Science Division of the U.S. Olympic Committee. He is working with the Organizing Committee for the 2002 winter games. (4:00)

Opening Ceremonies (14.4 | 28.8) -- Morning Edition host Bob Edwards talks to NPR's Tom Goldman about the opening ceremonies at the 2000 Summer Olympics in Sydney, Australia. Today, an estimated crowd of 110-thousand cheering fans welcomed athletes from around the world as they marched into the newly minted stadium. (4:30)

Settling into Competition (14.4 | 28.8) -- NPR's Eric Weiner reports that despite the taint of drugs and Olympic scandals, the 2000 Summer games have begun and the opening ceremonies is reflecting on positive aspects of the Olympics. Athletes from North and South Korea marched today under one unification banner. (4:05)

Medal Math (14.4 | 28.8) -- Host Bob Edwards talks with Andrew Bernard, an associate business professor at Dartmouth, about his predictions for which country will take home the most Olympic medals. Bernard bases his results on each country's population, wealth and past Olympic performances. He says the US will win 97 medals, followed by Germany with 63 and Russia with 59. (3.30)

Olympic Triathalon (14.4 | 28.8) --- Women are competing in Olympic triathlon for the first time and their race will determine the first medal winners of the Games. As NPR's Tom Goldman reports, the competition begins at the foot of the Sydney Opera House. Swimmers will plunge into the chilly waters of the harbor and then bike and run around Sydney's picturesque central business district. (5:15)

Olympic Alternates (14.4 | 28.8) -- Commentator Diana Nyad highlights the struggles of the unsung Olympic athletes...the alternates. These world-class competitors will sit on the sidelines for the next two weeks, waiting for their chance to compete. (3:58)

Women's Olympic Soccer (14.4 | 28.8) -- Host Bob Edwards talks to Christine Brennan sports columnist for USA Today, about U.S. women's soccer match against Norway. The American women beat Norway 2 to 0 in the their tournament opener at the Summer Games in Sydney. (3:00)

Ever Growing Olympics (14.4 | 28.8) -- NPR's Howard Berkes reports from Sydney, Australia that some members of the International Olympic Committee feel that the games have become too big. In Olympic circle it's referred to as gigantism. Within the last ten years the number of nations participating in the Olympics has doubled. (3:38)