"The Big 5-0" Olympic Rings Crossword Puzzle Sunday July 28 2024 New York Times

Solve Time: 21:23
Constructor: Paolo Pasco
Gratitude: Alone time today
Word of the Day: JOSE Rizal, national hero of Philippines
The theme for this puzzle jumps out at you from the get-go - The visibility of the Olympic rings built into the grid! The way it works is, entries along the rings begin with the color of the ring. The BLUE ring features the answers bluePRINT, blueBAYOU, blueSTATE, blueBIRDS.
The YELLOW ring has yellowPAGES, yellowSTONE, yellowCARDS, yellowBELLY
etc.
Also, to enhance the immersive theme, several of the clues refer to Olympic sports / athletes. And to put a bow on it, the themed entry OLYMPIC FLAG is featured, with punny descriptions RING BEARER and COLOR WHEEL also appearing. A truly beautiful, remarkable puzzle