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Introducing... the Particle Olympics!

neutrino dreams of Olympics

With the 2012 Summer Olympics under way, we at symmetry have just one question on our minds: Which particle would win which Olympic event?  Here’s our roundup; we look forward to hearing which particles you expect to win in the comments below, on Facebook and on Twitter!

Over at London’s Olympic Stadium, neutrinos would zip right through the competition in the 100-meter dash—so long as they didn’t get disqualified for changing flavor along the way.

In the weightlifting competition, there’s a new champion in town: the Higgs boson, who could use all the mass in the universe to his advantage.

A gluon dreams of the Olympics

With the ability to never let go, the gluon would dominate the wrestling card.

With their very long (some would say infinite) lifetimes, protons could go the distance in the marathon.

On the uneven bars, the electron has the advantage—so long as the audience includes photons to cheer her to a new energy level.

Who will win the gold in archery, beach volleyball, canoe slalom, judo, synchronized swimming, trampoline, water polo and more?  You tell us!