Off The Track

Rio 2016 Olympics - Back-to-back races for rower Hamish Bond and his brother Alistair had their parents on edge.

Rio 2016 Olympics - The Kenyan athletics coach has been sent home from the Olympics for posing as an athlete and giving a urine sample. Audio

Rio 2016 Olympics - Tongan taekwondo athlete Pita Taufatofua is using his newfound fame to shine a light on his country and culture.

Rio 2016 Olympics - Russia's swimming chief describes the atmosphere surrounding his team at the Olympics as similar to the Cold War

Rio 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'.

Rio 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.

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.

Rio 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.

Satire - 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.

Sports 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.

If 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

Sports 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.

The Rio Olympics will be a particularly memorable occasion for the Nicholas family from Cook Islands.

First 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.

Zika, 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…

Sports 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

Sports 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.

The 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

A record contingent of 292 women will be part of a powerful 555-strong United States team at next month's Rio Olympics.

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