Olympic medalists are among the most exceptional human beings on the planet. Unsurprisingly, these outstanding individuals often continue to excel later in life… Check out some of the greatest Olympians and how they’re doing nowadays.
Tara Lipinski
Tara Lipinski made history at just 14 years, nine months, and 10 days old when she became the 1997 World Figure Skating Champion. The following year, the American skating sensation converted this success to Olympic gold in the 1998 Olympics, but when she became professional that same year, it meant she could no longer compete in competitions. The media lambasted her, and one journalist likened it to joining the circus. Lipinski ended her professional career in 2002, but later said she was searching for something, so she launched a sports commentator career.
Simone Biles
Biles is considered one of the greatest gymnasts in the world, with four gold medals and a slew of other gymnastics medals that make her the most decorated American gymnast. Since bringing home those golds in Rio 2016, she took a break but couldn’t stay away from the sport forever. With the Tokyo Olympics postponed until 2021, there’s still uncertainty over what exactly will happen, but Biles will likely be the biggest face of those competing.
Brooke Bennett
American swimmer Brooke Bennett had lost her grandfather mere days before winning big at Atlanta 1996. Despite the tragedy, winning gold anyway was a huge success story, although this personal story might have been overshadowed by swimming star Janet Beth Evans’ last appearance at the Games. Bennett won two more gold medals at the 2000 Olympics but was unable to qualify for the 2004 Olympics. She retired from competitive swimming, yet she coaches high school, opened and runs the Brooke Bennett Swim School, and swims marathons.
Carly Patterson
Carly Patterson was inducted into the USA Gymnastics Hall of Fame thanks to her performances in the 2004 Athens Olympic Games, which was the first time an American won the all-around competition in a non-boycotted Olympics. After this, she was forced to retire because of an injury she realized she had in her back. “Carly,” she was told by her doctor, “you really need to stop if you want to be able to walk when you get older.” Patterson since then launched her music career as a singer/songwriter.
Nastia Liukin
Nastia Liukin is the daughter of two Russian gymnastic champions who had moved to the U.S., so she was fated to become a star gymnast from the start. Raised in America, she represented the U.S. in the 2008 Beijing Olympic Games, where she won five medals. Liukin didn’t make the team for the 2012 Olympics, though this didn’t stop her from branching out. She’s made many appearances at special events and on TV, including Dancing with the Stars and Ninja Warrior.
Dominique Moceanu
Dominique Moceanu became the youngest to compete for a medal in the Olympics when she arrived in Atlanta shortly after her 14th birthday, winning gold in the all-around competition. Unfortunately, injuries forced her to retire only four years later. Moceanu wrote a book about how training so hard from such a young age affected her.
Matt Biondi
Matt Biondi was overshadowed in his generation by Mark Spitz, but only ever so slightly. Biondi has 11 Olympic medals and eight of those are gold, one less than Spitz. Although competitive swimming is what Biondi’s name will be most connected to, he also played water polo. He swam at the Olympic games from 1984 to 1992, yet he is another athlete who decided to stay in his craft. Coaching kids for the local swimming team keeps him connected, but Biondi’s main profession is a math teacher.
Dominique Dawes
Another one of the “Magnificent Seven,” Dominique Dawes was the one who took home the all-around medal, but that’s not her only distinction. In fact, she’s the first American gymnast to win medals in three consecutive Summer Olympics after she came out of retirement to compete in the 2000 Sydney Games. Before her, no one of African descent had won a gold medal at the Olympics for gymnastics. Dawes has only become more of a national asset since then, having been appointed as a sports advisor to the U.S. government.
Greg Louganis
Gregory Louganis was the first diver in history to receive a perfect score from Olympic judges for one of his dives, so it’s no surprise he has won four gold medals. The first two were in 1984 and the rest in 1988, as he swept the men’s events. An LGBT activist whose endorsements were initially dropped when he came out of the closet, in the midst of the AIDS epidemic, he’s since then found acceptance and become a mentor for the U.S. diving team.
Dorothy Hamill
Dorothy Hamill first started skating when she was eight, which isn’t the youngest the world has seen, but by the age of 12 she was beating other girls at competitions. In the 1976 Winter Olympics, she wowed the world with her routine and won a gold medal. Hamill has her very own skating move called the Hamill Camel, which is when the skater changes a camel spin to a sit spin. She remained one of the most popular athletes decades after her performance and made quite a lot of TV appearances over the years.
Summer Sanders
The first memory you may have of Summer Sanders might be when she appeared on TV as the host of a Nickelodeon show Figure It Out, which premiered in 1997. Her start, though, was winning four medals swimming at the 1992 Barcelona Olympics. The camera liked her a lot and, with her experience as an Olympic champion, she is the perfect sports commentator. In fact, Sanders was still competing when she began giving commentary for various sporting events, but she’s since retired from competitive swimming.
Dara Torres
Dara Torres has more medals than most Olympians with 12 to her name, four of them gold. That’s more success than most of us can hope for, and she was only cut short when injuries forced her to stop. Torres had to undergo surgery for her knees and stopped competitive swimming. Ever since then, in 2012, she’s pursued modeling as a career, in addition to being a TV correspondent. Torres still swims as a celebrity swimmer for a cancer research-funding charity called Swim Across America.
Allison Schmitt
Allison Schmitt has won eight Olympic medals by swimming for the US team so far, and there’s a chance we’ll see even more medals in the future. In 2008’s Beijing Games, she won only a bronze medal, but in 2012 in London she won five medals. Three were gold and Schmitt helped set a world record in a relay race. Besides international competitions, she was a four-time NCAA swimming champion in the 200 and 500-yard races.
Ryan Lochte
Ryan Lochte has appeared in the media in recent years with several controversies, including one claim from the Brazilian police that the authorities vehemently denied and which cost him his spot on the US Team in the 2016 Rio Olympics. Despite this, he’s a champion swimmer that holds the record in the 200-meter and 400-meter individual medley. All in all, he has 12 Olympic medals to his name, six of them gold. Besides swimming, Lochte appeared on TV in 2019 for Celebrity Big Brother.
Katie Ledecky
American Katie Ledecky currently holds records in several races, the 1500-meter, 800-meter, and 400-meter freestyle. Throughout her career, she’s broken 14 world records, many of them her own, and Ledecky is still young enough to break more before she’s done. Just 15 when she debuted in London 2012, she won a gold medal in the 800-meter freestyle race. The next Olympics, the 2016 Rio Games, Ledecky won four more gold medals. In the voting for Associated Press’s Female Athlete of the Decade, only Simone Biles and Serena Williams came before her.
Chen Ruolon
Chen Ruolon is a powerhouse in the diving world, with five gold medals to her name, but injuries to her neck in 2016 have forced her out of competing for good, it seems. Ruolon has competed in three Olympics, though, and is one of only three Chinese athletes with five gold medals. The 10-meter dive is a serious one with a lot of competition, but she dove ahead of the other contenders and won a pair of gold at each of her Olympic appearances except for her final one.
Katarina Witt
Katarina Witt is one of the legendary names in figure skating, having won a couple of gold medals at the 1984 and 1988 Olympic Games for East Germany. After the fall of the Berlin Wall, it came out that the secret police had given her cars, accommodations, and traveling perks to keep her from defecting. Now defunct, East Germany’s archives opened up, and Witt found 3,000 pages on her dating from back when she was eight years old. Since then, she’s modeled and had cameo appearances in several movies, such as Jerry Maguire.
Yuna Kim
Yuna Kim has had one of the most remarkable runs in figure skating in recent years, winning gold in 2010 and silver in 2014 in the individual competition. “Queen Yuna,” as she’s been dubbed, elevated her home country, South Korea, to a status hitherto unknown in the skating world and become one of (if not the) most widely recognized South Korean athletes in the world. Although she has retired and didn’t compete in 2018 when the Winter Games came to South Korea, she lit the Olympic cauldron that year. Her many endorsements and TV appearances keep her busy nowadays.
Brian Boitano
Long before Trey Parker and Matt Stone immortalized Brian Boitano in the South Park: Bigger, Longer, & Uncut, he came up against Brian Orser in the 1988 Winter Games. Both figure skaters had won World Championships, and it was Boitano that came out on top. Boitano said South Park changed his life as kids completely ignorant about figure skating now saw him as a hero. Parker and Stone have expressed their admiration for him, and Boitano has benefited. Besides skating, he’s now a motivational speaker and chef who appeared on the TV show What Would Brian Boitano Make?
Oksana Baiul
Oksana Baiul was the first Ukrainian to win gold at the Olympics, just a few short years after an independent Ukraine joined the international sporting community. In fact, she’s still the only Ukrainian figure skater to win gold at the Olympics. She picked up skating because she was told she wasn’t suited to ballet. After returning home from the Games to difficult prospects at home, she moved to America and started a professional skating career in ice shows, including Broadway on Ice. She also launched her own fashion and jewelry lines.
Gracie Gold
Gracie Gold has a name that predicted the gold she’d win in skating competitions, but one gold that eluded her is an Olympic gold medal. Hers must have been a confusing name to announce when she was called to stand at the podium after winning bronze in the 2014 Winter Olympics for the team event. Gold didn’t compete at the 2018 Games and started coaching. However, this didn’t last and she was soon back training to compete, with the goal of making the U.S. team for the 2022 Winter Olympics.
Kaetlyn Osmond
Winning three medals for Canada at the 2014 and 2018 Winter Olympics, Kaetlyn Osmond has the complete set of Olympic medals. The competitive skater took home the gold, silver, and bronze medals during her career. Following her Olympic success, Osmond had an ice skating rink named after her in 2014. The skater ended her career on a high note after winning first place at the 2018 World Championship. In 2019, at the age of 23, Osmond decided to make the bold move and announced her retirement from competitive skating.
Michael Johnson
Once you win your first gold, it’s hard settling for anything less – that stands true for Michael Johnson, who won three. He won his first gold medal in the 4X400m relay in 1992, before moving onto conquering the 400m and 200m solo events in 1996. Johnson’s final gold came in 2000 as he maintained the title as king of the 400m. Since retiring, Johnson works as a commentator for athletics. In 2018, the former athlete suffered a stroke but has fought to get back to normal since the incident.
Mohamed ‘Mo’ Farah
One of the most successful runners in Olympic history is long-distance runner, Mohamed ‘Mo’ Farah. Farah won his first gold medals for 5,000m and 10,000m events at the 2012 Olympic Games in his home country, Great Britain. Four years later, Farah won both medals once again, making him the second athlete to win successive Olympic doubles in both events. The long-distance runner has transitioned into marathon running and is preparing for the competition at the 2021 Games in Tokyo.
Sanya Richards-Ross
United States pride, Sanya Richards-Ross, is a widely successful 400m runner. She has won gold medals at three different Olympic Games! She won her first gold in 2004 and last in 2012. Ranked best 400m runner in the world for a decade from 2005 to 2009, Richards-Ross rose to the top again in 2012. Richards-Ross’s career came to a sudden halt in 2016 when the runner suffered from a devastating injury to her hamstring, forcing her to retire.
Joanna Hayes
Joanna Hayes’s speed ensures that she doesn’t miss a step while hurdling. The sport is a tricky one, leaping over a fence while running – but Hayes is a pro at it. She hurdled her way to the gold medal at the 2004 Summer Olympics in the 100m hurdles. She started as a 400-meter hurdler, but her pace meant that the 100m was better suited to her skills. Since her retirement, Hayes has focused on coaching, and she teaches track and cross country.
DeeDee Trotter
Running the relay is a team effort – you have to hope that everyone on the team runs their best. DeeDee Trotter was one of the most consistent 400m relay runners in the history of America, winning multiple gold medals at both the World Championships and Olympics. She won her first gold in 2004, maintaining an excellent pace through her last Olympic gold in 2012. She has since retired, working as an ambassador for Education First. Trotter has also found a passion for motivational speaking and gives talks around the world.
Lauryn Williams
Lauryn Williams has the unique privilege of being one of just five athletes to win medals at both the Summer and Winter Olympics, being the first American to do so. Making a name as a 100m sprinter in the United States, Williams won a silver medal in Athens and a gold medal in the relay in London. Interestingly enough, Williams left the running track behind and began her career as a bobsleigh competitor. Her speed helped the United States win a silver medal in 2014 in the two-woman bobsleigh event.
Shaun White
Everyone has heard of Shaun White – he has become more than an athlete, he is an icon. He debuted at the Winter Olympics in 2006 at the age of 20. Everyone knew that Shaun White was going to win a medal for snowboarding at every Olympic event he played. Of his four Olympics, White won a gold medal at three of them and shocked the world when he came home empty-handed in 2014. White is also known for being a pro skateboarder and the guitarist for the band Bad Things.
Sir Chris Hoy
Racing was Sir Chris Hoy’s destiny – he has been a winner for most of his life. At the 2000 Games in Sydney, he received a silver medal and won gold at the 2004 Olympic Games. After tasting success, Hoy kept his game strong. In total, he won six gold medals at the Olympics. After leaving his velodrome days behind, Sir Chris got behind the wheel of a race car, the need for speed was something he just couldn’t let go of.
Sir Steve Redgrave
Although it is a rare phenomenon, some athletes come back every four years and compete at the highest level – Sir Steve Redgrave is one of them. The rower earned his knighthood after taking home a gold medal in five different Olympic Games. He earned his first gold in 1984, and his last in 2000 at the Olympic Games in Sydney. He is considered one of the greatest male rowers of all time. He was given the BBC Sports Lifetime Achievement Award in 2011 and was a torchbearer at the 2012 Olympics.
Jackie Joyner-Kersee
One of the greatest Olympic athletes in United States history will go down as Jackie Joyner-Kersee. Along with the three gold medals she won throughout her career, she may best be remembered for her achievement in the heptathlon event. In 1986, Joyner-Kersee scored a world record of a total of 7,000 points at the Goodwill Games – her record still stands today. Joyner-Kersee started the Jackie Joyner-Kersee Foundation, a nonprofit that gives support to families affected by poverty.
George Foreman
The heavyweight boxing champion, George Foreman, put himself on the map after winning a gold medal at the 1968 Olympics in Mexico City. That gold medal started his path to greatness, putting him on the radar of Muhammad Ali – the two boxers faced each other in “The Rumble in the Jungle.” Although he didn’t beat Ali in that contest, Foreman made his mark as a boxing legend. Since his retirement, he has become the face of the George Foreman Grill company, making 40 percent of the profit.
Birgit Fischer
Birgit Fischer stayed at the top of her sport for longer than many people say they did. The German kayaker competed in a total of eight Olympic Games, making her both the youngest and the oldest to compete in the sports competition. Interestingly enough, Fischer retired from kayaking twice, but couldn’t stay away from the sport for long. Since retiring, Fischer found herself behind the lens – she is a photographer who displays her artwork through the Art of the Olympians Foundation.
Charles Barkley
Basketball fans will most likely associate Charles Barkley with the NBA, what they may not know is that he is also an Olympic gold medalist. He played for the United States team in both 1992 and 1996 – winning in both tournaments. Barkley was the NBA’s MVP in 1993 and retired in 2000. Barkley has made a name as one of the best broadcast analysts in basketball. Since his retirement, he has written several books and showed an interest in politics.
Sergey Bubka
The Ukrainian pole vaulter who represented the Soviet Union, Sergey Bubka took home Olympic gold in 1988. His achievements in pole vaulting are as impressive as they get and broke the world record 35 times throughout his career. Bubka was named Athlete of the Year by Track & Field news twice, and in 2012 he was inducted as an inaugural member of the International Association of Athletics Federations Hall of Fame. Since retiring, he has become the president of the International Association of Athletics Federations.
Andre Agassi
Tennis icon and Olympian Andre Agassi had ups and downs throughout his career, one that spanned over two decades. In singles, Agassi is an eight-time Grand Slam champion, and he took first place at the 1996 Olympic Games. He is remembered not only for his tennis abilities but for his bold fashion choices. Agassi retired in 2003, and along with his former tennis player wife, Steffi Graf, is enjoying life away from the competition.
Rulon Gardner
Former American wrestler Rulon Gardner achieved greatness in his career. Competing in the heavyweight category, he won a gold medal in the 2000 games, defeating Russia’s Aleksandr Karelin. He won bronze at the 2004 Games and was unbeaten for 13 years in international competition. Gardner has had a tough life and uses his experiences in his motivational speeches. A couple of hardships he endured throughout his life are the separation from his friend after falling through ice on a frozen river and surviving being punctured by an arrow.
Kerri Walsh Jennings
Kerri Walsh Jennings is one of the United States’ most successful beach volleyball players thanks to her hard work and dedication. She has won three gold medals and is best-known for the bond she shares sith her long-term volleyball partner, Misty May-Treanor. The team competed in four Olympic Games together, from 2004 to 2016. Apart from her volleyball career, Jennings has also modeled and appeared on the reality TV show, Celebrity Wife Swap.
Aly Raisman
Aly Raisman was on the path to greatness even before the 2016 Olympics. She is considered a part of the “Fierce Five” and is the first American to win gold for the Individual Floor Routine in 2012. She is one of the more experienced members on the team but managed to find time for fun. While focusing most of her attention on being a part of the 2016 Olympic Team, Raisman found the time to compete in Dancing with the Stars between games.
Kerri Strug
Another one of the “Magnificent Seven” that Americans rested their hopes for gold on during the 1996 Atlanta Olympics, Kerri Strug didn’t disappoint. In fact, she injured herself during her routine right before the finals, yet she overcame that and took gold in the team event. This made her a national heroine, as the story of her overcoming this difficulty to help snag gold was one of the most memorable from the tournament that year. Now retired, she’s been an elementary school teacher, a correspondent for later Olympics, and more.
Nadia Comaneci
Nadia Comaneci made waves in 1976 when she competed at the Olympics in Montréal. She went down in history when the judges gave her a perfect score — the first time this had ever happened. She managed to snag a gold and a silver medal in both the 1976 and 1980 games, and is widely recognized to be among the greatest Olympians. Comaneci married American gymnast Bart Conner, who is also an Olympic gold medalist. Today, the couple runs their gyms and are involved in philanthropy.
Chad Le Clos
Chad Le Clos was a serious contender during the Michael Phelps era, and he made no secret of his desire to take the king’s crown. In the end, he managed to defeat his rival and win gold, bringing it back home to cheering crowds in South Africa. Although he retired that year, he returned in 2016 to compete again. It might not be substantiated, but rumors have it that’s the reason Phelps came out of retirement to compete, too.
Mark Spitz
People might forget how incredible it was to see Michael Phelps crushing Mark Spitz’s swimming records, but don’t forget that the ’70s American superstar athlete was considered untouchable for decades. Listening to him speak might seem as American as apple pie, but Russia was where he was born. He moved to America at the age of two, dipping his arms in the water and learning strokes for the first time in Hawaii. Later, he moved to Sacramento, California, and perfected his art. All in all, he won nine gold medals.
McKayla Maroney
Gymnast McKayla Maroney became a worldwide sensation after pulling a funny face when taking silver at the 2012 London Olympics. The American athlete took the gold in the team all-around event in the same games. Unfortunately, Maroney had to cut her gymnastics career short due to an injury. Although she cannot compete, she is still very involved in the sport, she is a commentator and plans to start a music career soon.
Amanda Beard
At the young age of 14, Amanda Beard won a gold and two silver medals at the 1996 Atlanta Olympic Games. Images of her clutching her teddy bear at the podium are some of the most memorable pictures from the Games, when she became the second-youngest American to win a gold medal. Beard continued to compete at the Olympics until 2012, when she didn’t qualify. She managed to win seven Olympic medals all in all. Besides her career in sports, she’s worked as a sports correspondent, model, and as an animal rights activist.
