Where Are The Most Famous Olympians Today?
These amazing athletes showed the world just how good they were in their sport by winning numerous medals- no matter how painful it was. So what happens to former Olympians after the Olympic games? This is what they’re doing now.
Dominique Moceanu
Dominique Moceanu was only 14 years old when she competed in the 1996 Olympics. She barely made the cut due to her age and was, therefore, the youngest out there fighting for gold. Although she was the youngest, her age didn’t get in her way of taking home the gold medal for individual all-around.
Dominique Moceanu
Only four years after winning, Dominique had to retire due to injuries. She decided to go to University where she received a Business Management degree. Later she would go on to write a book about the Olympic trials and about competing at only 14 years old.
Nadia Comaneci
Nadia Comaneci made history in the Montreal 1976 Olympic Games for scoring a perfect 10. The judges were so impressed by this young gymnast, they awarded her another perfect score during the same event. Nadia was the first to ever to receive a 10 in the world of gymnastics.
Nadia Comaneci
In the said Olympic games, Nadia walked away with gold and silver medals; the same goes for the 1980 Olympic games. Today, Nadia is recognized as one of the greatest to ever grace the sport. She and fellow gymnast Bart Conner tied the knot and currently work in fundraising for several charities.
Shannon Miller
Although it couldn’t have been done without the entire team, Shannon Miller was a big reason the “Magnificent Seven” entered the 1996 Olympic games. America fans weren’t disappointed and today she’s recognized as one of the best in the sport.
Shannon Miller
After receiving 5 medals at the 1992 Barcelona Olympics, it was only fair she was the star of the 1996 Olympic team. She showed up at her 2nd Olympics too, winning another two gold medals. These two Olympic games cemented her fame in the sport of gymnastics. Today, Shannon works with her foundation, working to decrease childhood obesity.
Shawn Johnson
When Shawn was only 3 years old, she joined her first gymnastics class. Her parents’ decision landed her in the 2008 Beijing Olympics. She snagged a gold medal on the balance beam and three silver medals for her team.
Shawn Johnson
Although Shawn wanted to try her luck again in 4 years, she endured a skiing accident and tore her ACL. The damage was too severe and her successful career was brought to a halt. She just gave birth to her first child, a baby boy.
Nastia Liukin
Since both of Nastia’s parents were Olympic medalists, it only made sense that she followed in their footsteps. The Russian-born gymnast moved to the U.S. when she was just 2 years old.
Nastia Liukin
At the Beijing Olympics, Nastia took home 5 medals but later retired after not making the Olympic team a second time. After leaving the world of gymnastics, she started a career in TV, appearing on Ninja Warrior and Dancing with the Stars.
Larisa Latynina
Before Michael Phelps wiped out her record in 2012, Laria Latynina had the most Olympic medals to her name. Between the 1956 and 1964 Olympics, Laria won 18 medals, nine of those gold.
Larisa Latynina
Larissa represented the Soviet Union and went on to coach the team after retiring as a gymnast. She led them to gold in the 1968, 1972 and 1978 Olympics…quite the track record! Today she is retired and lives a quiet life out of the spotlight.
Mary Lou Retton
In the 1984 Olympics, Mary Lou Retton made a name for herself. She became an American icon after winning gold in the individual all-around and getting a few silver and bronze medals, as well.
Mary Lou Retton
Just two years after winning it all, Mary Lou retired from the sport and moved onto the world of entertainment. She made cameo appearances in a few TV shows and movies before appearing on Dancing with the Stars in 2018. She was later eliminated after the 6th round.
Kerri Strug
Americans were searching for a hero to lead the team in the 1996 Olympic games in Atlanta. Although many athletes garnered the fan’s attention that year, Kerri Strug won their hearts.
Kerri Strug
Kerri was a member of the “Magnificent Seven”, a strong team expected to win it all. During a routine, Kerri actually got injured but remarkably came back and snagged the gold medal during the team event.
Paul Hamm
One of the most successful male gymnasts in American Olympic history is Paul Hamm. Paul is the only American to win a medal at both the World Championships and the Olympic games. He snagged gold and two silver for the team event and high bar at the 2004 Olympics.
Paul Hamm
Paul tried to make a comeback in 2008 and 2012 but failed to make the team. After leaving the world of gymnastics, he went on to appear on the TV show Ninja Warrior: Japan.
Carly Patterson
Carly Patterson started out her career as a successful gymnast. Not only did she win the all-around in the 2004 Athens Olympics, but she’s also a member of the USA Gymnastics Hall of Fame. Now, she’s known for her singing and songwriting abilities.
Carly Patterson
Shortly after the 2004 Olympics, Carly discovered an injury in her back and decided to retire from the sport. Just 3 years later, she signed a record deal with MusicMind Records and recorded two hits. Her songs “Temporary Life” and “Here I Am” made it to the top of the charts.
Annia Hatch
Annie Hatch won two silver medals for the United States in the 2004 Olympic games. The Cuban-American started her gymnastics career at only 4 years old and achieved her lifelong dream of appearing in the Olympics.
Annia Hatch
After retiring from gymnastics, Annia decided to take up coaching instead. She works with future gymnasts and serves as their mentor and coach. Hatch also designed her own clothing line and in 2016, she created the Annia Cares Foundation.
Kyla Ross
Kyla was an elite gymnast all her life before competing in the 2012 London Olympics. She was a member of Team USA, earning herself a gold medal alongside old friend and teammate McKayla Maroney.
Kyla Ross
Kyla and McKayla met in the gym and later carpooled to training after finding out they lived so close to one another. Kyla stopped competing shortly after the Olympic games and now spends her time competing in college.
Simone Biles
Simone Biles is arguably the best gymnast to grace the world of gymnastics. She has become one of the most famous in the sport thanks to her five gold Olympic medals. But, that’s not all we’re seeing from Simone.
Simone Biles
In the 2016 Olympics, Simone snagged four gold medals- floor exercise, vault, all-around and team. She earned another medal for her balance beam performance- this time bronze. After the games, she took some time off to compete on Dancing with the Stars where she finished 4th. Simone is back in the game and is expected to win it all in Tokyo 2020.
Jordyn Wieber
Artistic gymnast Jordyn Wieber became popular after winning a gold medal in the team event at the 2012 Olympic Games. Fans were shocked to hear the gymnast had been competing with a stress fracture, making her win even more impressive.
Jordyn Wieber
Jordyn retired from the sport in 2015 and began coaching the Arkansas Razorbacks gymnastics team during her senior year of college. She has been the head coach since April 2019 and is currently the first former Olympian to hold the position.
Dominique Dawes
Dominique Dawes was an impressive member of the 1996 “Magnificent Seven”. She won gold in the women’s all-around and became the first Olympian ever to win three medals in three separate Olympic games.
Dominique Dawes
Dominique earned a spot in the U.S. government as a sports supervisor. She was also the commentator at the 2012 Olympic Games in London. Today, the 43-year-old is retired and enjoying life.
Bart Conner
Two-time Olympian Bart Conner won gold in the 1984 Olympic games. He was a standout on the parallel bars and his performance has influenced athletes even today. Many young gymnasts aspire to reach his caliber of expertise.
Bart Conner
Even before Bart met Nadia Comaneci, he admired her. When he found out she would be on the Pat Sajak Show, he decided to make an appearance as well! He made sure to impress the gymnast, and he sure did! They later married in 1996 and created the Bart Conner Gymnastics Academy.
Gabrielle Douglas
Gabrielle Douglas first entered the world of gymnastics thanks to her sister who began teaching her the basics. When she was only three years old she already showed potential and a few years later won a few awards in Virginia.
Gabrielle Douglas
Winning was ingrained in Gabby’s DNA. She went to the2012 London Olympics where she helped her team win gold. She went back to the Olympics in 2016 and won another gold! She then starred in her very own reality TV show entitled Douglas Family Gold.
Summer Sanders
Summer Sanders enjoyed success at the 1992 Barcelona Olympics; the swimming champion won four gold medals that summer. This win set up a successful career for the mermaid.
Summer Sanders
Summer then moved onto a career in front of the camera becoming a kids’ game show host. She was the first female host of the TV show ‘Figure It Out’ in 1997. Since retiring from competitive swimming, she has also worked as a sports commentator.
Chad Le Clos
When Chad made his way into the Olympics, everyone thought Michael Phelps would get a run for his money. Le Clos made it known that he wanted to race Phelps, and in 2012 he did just that. The South African beat the American that year and stole the gold medal right out of his hands.
Chad Le Clos
Le Clos supposedly retired in 2012, but he then made another appearance in the 2016 games. Who knows, maybe this was why Michael Phelps also came out of retirement that very same year!
Dara Torres
Dara Torres had one of the best swimming careers compared to any other athlete. Her professional career lasted for 20 years where she racked up 12 Olympic medals in total, four of those gold.
Dara Torres
If it weren’t for her double knee surgery, Dara may still have been competing today. After retiring in 2012, she has become a TV reporter and model. She also write a book titled “Age Is Just A Number”.
Mark Spitz
American hero Mark Spitz is actually, get this, Russian! When he was only two years old he moved to the United States and began swimming in Hawaii. He then moved to Sacramento, California to train. The decision was clearly a good one seeing his large collection of gold medals: 9!
Mark Spitz
Spitz was one of the most successful in the sport, that is, until Michael Phelps came around. He’s currently retired but keeps busy with commercial work and sports commentary.
Matt Biondi
Although Matt Biondi won the same number of medals as Mark Spitz, he is often overlooked. Matt won 11 medals in total throughout his career, eight of which were gold. He swam in the Olympics from 1984 until 1992.
Matt Biondi
After going into retirement, he has decided to become a coach and pass his knowledge onto the younger generation. He teaches the local swimming team in his area and is also a math teacher.
Michael Phelps
If you’ve watched the summer Olympics in the past few years, then you’ve seen Michael Phelps dominate the sport of swimming. There has yet to be someone as great as this record-breaker. Michael holds the record for the most gold medals for an individual athlete: a whopping 23! He also holds the record for the most medals with a large collection of 28.
Michael Phelps
Phelps went into a brief retirement before coming back and dominating in the 2016 Rio Olympics. He went on to break even more records at the 2016 games. He’s retired for real now, enjoying family time with his wife and three young boys.
Brooke Bennett
In 1996, Brooke Bennett won her first gold medal, but it wasn’t easy. Her grandfather passed away a few days before her big race. Heartbroken, she decided to channel her shock and sadness into winning.
Brooke Bennett
Brooke’s success was caught in the shadows as Janet Beth Evans’ last race took precedence. In 2000, however, Brooke hit her peak and won 2 gold medals in Sydney. She tried for a third Olympics but fell short and was unable to qualify for the 2004 games. She then went into retirement.
Amanda Beard
In the 1996 Olympic games in Atlanta, Amanda Beard was a mere 14 years old. Notheless, she won a gold medal and two silvers! Amanda was the second-youngest American in history to cinch a medal.
Amanda Beard
She then broke the 200m breaststroke world record at the 2004 Sydney Olympics- adding another gold to her collection. After retiring from swimming, she became a model and a PETA (People Against the Unethical Treatment of Animals) activist.
Allison Schmitt
Allison Schmitt has been in 3 Olympics and won a total of 8 medals. Her first Olympics games and medal lacement was in 2008 where she won bronze. It wasn’t until the London Olympics, however, that she achieved real success.
Allison Schmitt
Allison took home three gold medals in 2012. At the 2016 Rio Olympics, she snagged another gold and silver medal alongside teammates Leah Smith, Katie Ledecky and Mata DiRado.
Ryan Lochte
Although he did find himself in hot water after the 2016 Olympic games in Rio, Lochte’s swimming talents are undeniable. He holds the world record for the 200 and 400m individual medley races.
Ryan Lochte
The Olympic champion has 12 medals in total, but he was banned from the national team a few years ago. This occured after he lied about being held up at gunpouint in Rio. Ryan recently appeared on ‘Celebrity Big Brother’, but lost the competition after only 13 days.
Katie Ledecky
Katie Ledecky made quite the impression during her Olympic career. She’s currently the 1500-, 800- and 400-meter freestyle world record holder. She also won 5 gold medals at the 2016 London Olympics.
Katie Ledecky
2012 was Ledecky’s Olympic debut…at just 15 years old! She came back in 2016 a stronger swimmer, showing the world just how talented she is. We’re expecting to see her in Tokyo 2020 seeing as she’s as good as ever!
Chen Ruolin
Chinese diver Chen Ruolin was only 26 years old when she went into retirement. She could have potentially made it to another Olympic games, but didn’t due to an injury.
Chen Ruolin
Diving from 10m high is super scary, but Chen dominated in both synchonized and individual events in the last 3 Olympic games. Ruolin has 5 medals in total, but after hurting her neck, she won’t be making an appearance in 2020.
Inge De Bruijn
Inge De Bruijn didn’t discover her favorite sport for awhile, and once she did, it took the Dutch swimmer quite a long time to succeed.
Inge De Bruijn
With hardwork and dedication, Inge snagged a gold medal at the 2000 Olympic games. The talented woman won three events and grabbed second place in another. At the next Olympic games, she took home another stack of medals: one gold, one silver and two bronze. After retiring from swimming, she went on to become a model for a Dutch lingerie company.
Gary Hall Jr.
Gary Hall Jr. won 10 medals in his Olympic swimming career, 5 of those gold. Gary’s father, Gary Hall Sr., was also an Olympian, so he was destined for greatness!
Gary Hall Jr.
Gary was 21 at his very first Olympics and had only been competing at that level for 6 years. Later in life, he heroically saved his sister from a shark attack by punching the shark in the face until it let her go.
Amy Van Dyken
Amy Van Dyken made a huge impact on the Olympic games at her first event in 1996. No one had any idea what her achievements would do to the world of swimming. She won four gold medals in a single Olympics, the first female athlete to achieve such a feat.
Amy Van Dyken
Despite struggling with injuries at the 2000 Olympics, she left Australia with 2 gold medals. In 2014, the swimmer was involved in an ATV accident that left her paralyzed from the waist down. Amy currently competes in adaptive CrossFit competitions.
Missy Franklin
Back in 2012, at only 17 years old, Missy Franklin made her Olympic debut. The swimmer came home from London with 5 medals in total: 4 gold and 1 bronze. On top of that, she broke two world records.
Missy Franklin
In 2016 she won gold again, but this time in the 4 x 200m freestyle relay. The swimmer didn’t cut it for the individual events, struggling to regain the pace. At 23 years old, she decided to retire from elite swimming.
Janet Beth Evans
Janet Beth Evans had a rather unorthodox freestyle technique that made her swim extremely fast. This peculiar stroke led her to win four Olympic gold medals.
Janet Beth Evans
She won 2 gold medals in the 1988 games and did the exact same thing in 1992. Janet was a major proponent of bringing the Olympics back to the United States, and it will be hosted in LA in 2028.
Ian Thorpe
Ian Thorpe began swimming in the 2000 Olympics in Sydney where he was cheered on by a huge group. He broke three world records and took home 3 gold medals, solidifying his stature as a champion.
Ian Thorpe
Even Michael Phelps looks up to Ian Thorpe! He also won gold back in 2004 before retiring from the sport. Ian achieved all of this despite being allergic to chlorine! Pretty impressive. Today he’s an Armani ambassador and an activist for the LGBT community.
Natalie Coughlin
During her college days, Natali Coughlin won 12 NCAA titles and 5 national titles. She gave fans a glimpse of her potential as a swimmer.
Natalie Coughlin
Back in 2004, Natalie joined the Olympic team, winning two gold medals. She broke the world record for the 100m backstroke in 2008 and became the first woman to ever swim it in under 1 minute. She currently works as an investor and brand ambassador.
Gregory Louganis
Gregory Louganis was a professional swimmer and a professional diver. He dove for Team USA in the 1984 and 1988 Olympics. Gregory snagged two gold medals during his time on the team.
Gregory Louganis
Gregory made history when he became the first diver to ever be awarded a perfect score of 10 from every judge on the panel. After retiring from the sport, he became a mentor for the US diving team and an LGBT rights activist.
Nancy Kerrigan
Nancy Kerrigan showed the world that you can overcome even the biggest bumps in the road. She found herself at the center of a scandal when her rival’s husband attempted to cripple her, affecting her ability to compete.
Nancy Kerrigan
Her rival was Tonya Harding, but the attack didn’t stop Nancy from going to the 1994 winter Olympics and snagging a silver medal. Kerrigan has since retired and is currently a TV host. She has also been a contestant on Dancing with the Stars.
Dorothy Hamill
Dorothy Hamill is one of those people we like to call a natural. She first began skating at just 8 years old and just one four years after, she won a competition.
Dorothy Hamill
In the 1976 Winter Olympics, the figure skater took home a gold medal at just 20 years old. Dorothy also created her own move, donned the “Hamill Camel”, a camel spin that goes into a sit spin. After going into retirement, she joined the cast of Broadway on Ice.
Peggy Fleming
Peggy Fleming was a star during the 1960s, becoming the women’s Olympic figure skating champion. She snagged this coveted title in 1968, becoming one of the top competitors to beat.
Peggy Fleming
Peggy is also a 3-time world champion. After making it big in the world of figure skating, she went on to skate in ice shows and serve as a commentator in the winter Olympics.
Scott Hamilton
Ever dream of doing a backflip on ice? Scott Hamilton does, and he executes it flawlessly. This difficult move became his signature and he used it when winning the U.S. Championships from 1981-1984. He then headed to the Olympics and won gold that very same year.
Scott Hamilton
Scott wasn’t just known for his acrobatics, his incredible footwork was also noteworthy. Upon retiring, Scott has written three books and been an active member of the charity world. He is also a 3-time diagnosed cancer survivor, his most recent a brain tumor in 2016.
Sarah Hughes
In Salt Lake City in 2002, Sarah Hughes clinched the Olympic figure skating medal. She began skating at only three years old and in 1998, won the United States Championships Juniors.
Sarah Hughes
After winning in 2002, she stepped away from the elite figure skating stage. Sarah went on to get a college degree and ended up skating in a professional ice dancing tour in 2005.
Sasha Cohen
Sasha Cohen became the last American female to take home an individual medal in the Olympic games. She grabbed the silver medal, but since then no other American female has won a medal in the Olympics.
Sasha Cohen
Sasha took a break from competitive skating after the Olympics and joined the Stars on Ice Tour instead. She tried to compete in the 2010 Olympics but unfortunately didn’t end up making the cut.
Tara Lipinski
Tara Lipinski was just 14 years, 9 months and 10 days when she took home the World Figure Skating Championships. This win made her the youngest skater ever to snag the title!
Tara Lipinski
She took home that title in 1997 and the next year, she took home gold in the Winter Olympics. Not long after standing n the podium, Tara developed hip problems. She retired and began working in TV, guest-starring on TV sitcoms and sports commentating.
Meryl Davis
Sochi 2014 was a great Olympic games for Meryl Davis and her partner Charlie White. The duo won gold in 2014 and silver in 2010. This couple was the one to beat.
Meryl Davis
After earning much success in the competitive world of skating, Meryl retired in 2017. Fans were disheartened but glad they could catch still watch her perform in ice shows with her partner.
Charlie White
Meryl’s partner is none other than Charlie White. They have the exact same number of medals since they only competed together. Their win in Sochi was the best moment in his life thus far.
Charlie White
Charlie also left skating when Meryl did, it was a joint decision. The two battled it out on Dancing with the Stars, but Meryl ciched the win and the entire show!
Katarina Witt
German figure skater Katarina Witt is one of the most successful to grace the sport. She took home two Olympic gold medals in 1984 and 1988 for East Germany. She also went on to win 4 World Championships and 6 consecutive European Championship titles.
Katarina Witt
Katarina retired from skating, but she didn’t step out of the spotlight. She appeared in Everybody Loves Raymond and Jerry Maguire. Witt landed her first leading role in 2013 playing a figure skater on a German TV show.
Yuna Kim
You’d think competing as a singles figure skater could get lonely, but not for Yuna Kim; this star always had the audience behind her. She took home gold at the 2010 Vancouver Olympics and silver at the games in 2014.
Yuna Kim
After winning in 2014, Yuna retired from skating entirely. She’s currently a role model in her country, South Korea, and she stars in many commercials. The figure skater also lit the Olympic flame at the 2018 Rio games.
Brian Boitano
Everyone loves a close race in sports, right? Well, that’s exactly what happened to Brian Boitano in the 1988 Winer Olympics. The figure skater went head to head with Brian Orser, dubbed “The Battle of the Brians”.
Brian Boitano
The two men were both World Title champions and so, they battled it out on the Olympic stage. Boitano came out on top and retired a few years later. Today, Boitano has his own cooking show, “What Would Brian Boitano Make?”.
Oksana Baiul
Oksana Baiul is a hero to Ukrainians; she is the first and only skater to ever win gold. Baiul was also the first Ukrainian to win a medal, in any sport.
Oksana Baiul
After winning gold in 1994, she turned pro and started working on a skating tour. After going into retirement, the skater created her own fashion line and married her manager Carlo Farina.
Gracie Gold
Gracie Gold snagged the bronze medal in the team event in the 2014 Olympic games. She began skating at 8 years old and took up ballet to perfect her craft; it certainly paid off!
Gracie Gold
She didn’t place in the 2018 games, so she took a coaching job instead. Gracie decided to begin competing once more and hopes to make the Winter Olympics in 2020.