The Olympic Games have a long history of incredible athletes and unimaginable triumphs. Thousands of athletes have competed and many hold iconic titles. So, where are they now, and what have they been up to?
Lindsey Vonn Then
Lindsey Vonn made her Olympic debut in 2002 at the young age of 17. She was the first American woman to take home the gold medal in the downhill event at the 2010 Winter Olympics. She also took home bronze in the Super-G race. That's one talented kid!
Lindsey Vonn Now
Vonn had to sit out of the 2014 Winter Olympics because of a knee injury. She was able to compete in the 2018 Olympics in PyeongChang, South Korea. She officially retired from competing in 2019 after coming in third at the FIS Alpine World Ski Championship in Sweden.
Michael Phelps Then
Michael Phelps loves to break records. He set the world record for the 200-meter butterfly at just 15-years-old. He broke his own record in 2003. In 2012, he swam the 4x100-meter medley relay at the London Games. At that point he brought his total Olympic medal wins to 22.
Michael Phelps Now
Phelps announced his retirement in 2012. Then, he took it back and competed in the 2016 Olympic Games. He won five gold medals and one silver and then retired. He got married and had three kids and is currently living it up in retirement.
Gabby Douglas Then
Gabby Douglas was a part of the Fierce Five on the U.S. Olympic Gymnastics team. She took home gold in the Women's All-Around gymnastics final in 2012 with her teammates Aly Raisman, McKayla Maroney, Kyla Ross, and Jordyn Wieber.
Gabby Douglas Now
Douglas went on to win medals in several competitions in 2015 and two more gold medals in 2016. She competed in the 2018 Rio de Janeiro Olympics and helped team U.S.A. win another gold medal. She also competed in the first season of Masked Dancer and won in 2020.
Hope Solo Then
Hope Solo has had quite a career. She was a superstar soccer player even before she went off to represent the U.S. during the Olympics. She helped them take home the gold. Her career went south when she was found using banned prescription medication and was put on the watch-list by the U.S. Anti-Doping Agency.
Hope Solo Now
In 2016, team U.S.A. lost to Sweden in the quarterfinals and Solo called them "a bunch of cowards." She was suspended by U.S.A. Soccer for six months before her contract was totally terminated. She got married to an NFL player in 2012 and welcomed twins in 2020.
Simone Biles Then
Simone Biles' talent was seen immediately by everybody watching her compete in the 2016 Olympic Games. She quickly became a household name as she took home gold in the team event, the individual all-around competition, the vault, and the floor exercise! She set an American record for most gold medals won at a single Olympic Games.
Simone Biles Now
Biles went on to compete on season 24 of Dancing with the Stars and went back to gymnastics in 2018. During the 2020 Olympic Games, she famously dropped out of her competitions citing her mental health. Her situation started a fire of conversations surrounding athletes and their mental health, hopefully turning things around for the better.
Shawn Johnson Then
Shawn Johnson was the definition of America's Sweetheart when she was a young gymnast. At 16, she won her first gold medal at the 2008 Beijing Olympics. Overall, she earned three silver medals for her team, individual all-around and floor exercise competitions.
Shawn Johnson Now
Johnson retired from competitive gymnastics in June 2012 after a knee injury. "My body is to the point where I need to rest and retire so I can be healthy for the rest of my life." She has two kids with her husband.
Aly Raisman Then
Aly Raisman is part of the Fierce Five U.S.A. gymnast team. She took home a gold medal on the floor, bronze on the balance beam, and gold with her team in the 2012 Olympic games.
Aly Raisman Now
After her time with the Olympics, she went to compete on season 16 of Dancing With the Stars with partner Mark Ballas. She came in fourth place. She competed in the 2016 Olympic Games and went home with a gold team medal and silver individual medals.
Caitlyn Jenner Then
In 1976, Jenner was the blueprint for what an Olympian should be, taking home gold in 10 different track and field events. Quickly dubbed "The World's Greatest Athlete," Jenner became the face of the Wheaties cereal. Success at its finest!
Caitlyn Jenner Now
Many years and kids later, Jenner came out as transgender on a 20/20 special with Diane Sawyer in 2015. Jenner introduced herself as Caitlyn for the first time on the cover of Vanity Fair. She went on to star in a reality series about her transition I Am Cait.
Ryan Lotche Then
Ryan Lochte made him Olympic debut in 2004. He took home his first individual gold in the men's 400-meter individual medley at the London Games in 2012.
Ryan Lotche Now
Lochte ended up finding fame outside of his Olympic career. He starred in a reality series on E! called What Would Ryan Lochte Do? which followed him as he trained for the 2016 Olympics. He also went on Dancing With The Stats and Celebrity Big Brother. He now has two kids with model Kayla Reid.
Greg Louganis Then
Greg Louganis is highly regarded as one of the best drivers out there. He won gold at the 1984 LA Olympics and the 1988 Seoul Games, despite suffering a major concussion. He was also best known for being an openly gay Olympian and an HIV-positive one at that.
Greg Louganis Now
After he retired from diving, he began competing in dog agility competitions. He married his partner Johnny Chaillot in October 2013. Sadly, they separated in 2021.
Michael Jordan
Before he was the Greatest of All Time, he was an Olympian. Michael Jordan entered his first Olympics straight out of college in 1984. He helped Team USA take home the gold in 1984 and 1992. He was welcomed into the NBA with open arms and won six championships with the Chicago Bulls. He retired in 2003, but he's been quite busy! He has an incredibly successful sports apparel line and received the title of a billionaire in 2015.
Rhonda Rousey
Rhonda Rousey is known for a lot of things, but she went to the Olympics for Judo. She was only 17 when she entered the 2004 Olympics (following in her mother's judo footsteps!) She earned a bronze medal in the 2008 Olympics. She started her MMA career in 2011 and became a household name due to her flawless fighting and 12-match winning streak. She retired from UFC and entered a career in the WWE.
Nancy Kerrigan
Nancy Kerrigan represented the U.S. in 1992 and took home the bronze. In 1994, she was leaving a practice run for the Figure Skating Championships when she was attacked by a man who struck her in the knee with a police baton. Investigators believe that Tonya Harding's ex-husband had hired the assailant. Kerrigan was so badly injured that she missed the championships but competed in the 1994 Olympics. She took home silver. She ended up going on Dancing With The Stars later in life.
Tonya Harding
Tonya Harding is one of the most notorious names in figure skating history. She was a team member at the 1992 Olympics and 1994. She allegedly had a role in the attack of her rival, U.S. skater Nancy Kerrigan. Harding has said she had no role in the attack that her ex-husband organized. Nonetheless, Harding was banned for life from skating competitively or coaching. She tried boxing from 2003 until 2004 with a 3-3 record but retired. In 2017, biopic I, Tonya was released telling the story.
Apolo Ohno
Apolo Ohno competed in his first Olympic Games in 2002 in Salt Lake City, Utah. He took hoe a silver and a gold. He competed in 2006 and 2010 as well. He won season 4 of Dancing With the Stars and even returned for season 15 in 2012. He retired from speed skating in 2013.
Mary Lou Retton
Women's U.S. gymnastics would not be the same without Mary Lou Retton. She made her Olympic debut in 1984 in LA where she won five medals: two bronze, two silver, and one gold. She was the face of Dairy Queen and Wheaties, among others. Since she retired, she's been working as a fitness ambassador for Nature's Bounty. She also appeared on Dancing With The Stars.
Shaun White
Shaun White took home gold in the halfpipe competition in his first two Games: 2006 and 2010. In 2014, he competed in Sochi but fell just short of winning bronze. He suffered a horrific accident that resulted in 62 stitches in his face which halted his snowboarding progress. He competed in 2018 and took home the gold. 2022's Games will be his last run.
Usain Bolt
The world was obsessed with Usain Bolt between 2008 and 2016. He was quickly called the fastest man in the world due to his insane speed at the Games. He won eight gold medals as a sprinter and set world records in the 100m, 200m, and 4x100m races. He retired in 2017 but has enjoyed working with endorsements and brands since then.
Ashley Wagner
Ashley Wagner placed first in 2012 and competed in 2014. She made headlines after saying that the judges need to "get rid of" their anonymity. She placed seventh in the ladies' individuals despite not falling once. She placed behind three people who did fall during their routine. Since then, she became the first American woman since Michelle Kwan to qualify for three Grand Prix Finals in a row. She won silver in 2016 and retired in 2019.
Kerri Walsh Jennings
Kerri Walsh Jennings, alongside partner Misty May-Treanor, took home gold medals in 2004, 2008, and 2012. She returned to the Olympics in 2016 and brought home the bronze. In 2012, she announced that she was pregnant with her third child and gave birth to Scout in 2013. She also has two sons, Joseph and Sundance with fellow volleyball star Casey Jennings.
Carl Lewis
Carl Lewis won nine Olympic gold medals and one silver medal over the span of his career. He retired from competitive track and field in 1997 and has appeared in TV shows and movies since then. He was voted Sportsman of the Century, World Athlete of the Century, and Olympian of the Century. As of 2018, he's been assistant coaching at the University of Houston.
Tommie Smith
Two USA athletes took spots on the podium for the 1968 200m dash: Tommie Smith for gold and John Carlos for bronze. The men used their position to silently gesture their support for the Civil Rights movement by using the Black Power gesture while wearing black gloves. The gesture itself made waves across the world and Smith and Carlos will never be forgotten because of it. Later in life, Smith went to coach track at Oberlin College and taught sociology. He then went to teach at Santa Monica College in 2007 and has been teaching ever since.
Michelle Kwan
Michelle Kwan is known as one of the greatest ice dancers in the world despite never winning Olympic gold. She earned silver in 1998 and bronze in 2002. Sadly, she was injured for the 2006 Olympics and had to cut her career short. She went on to get a law degree from Tufts University and is now working in the U.S. State Department's Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs.
McKayla Maroney
McKayla Maroney was a part of the Fierce Five during the 2012 London Olympics. She took home a silver medal on the vault, but her scowling face as she received her medal made more headlines than her win. She quickly became a meme. She made her acting debut on Hart of Dixie and served as a judge in the 2013 Miss America pageant. She retired in 2016 and released her first single in March 2020.
Alex and Maia Shibutani
The brother and sister duo competed in 2014 and 2018. They won an individual and team bronze medal. They took a break from competitive ice dancing after 2018 and focused on Youtube. Their channel, ShibSibs, has just over 150k Subscribers.
Katie Ledecky
Katie Ledecky debuted at the Olympics at the 2012 Games in London. She returned in 2016 and took home four gold medals, one silver, and two world records. That same year, she joined the Stanford University swim team as a freshman. She is still competing.
Gus Kenworthy
Gus Kenworthy is a superstar skier who found his claim to fame in the 2014 Winter Olympics. Fans loved him for his silver medal and his adoration of the stray dogs in Sochi. He ended up staying an extra month in the country to help bring four puppies and their mother to the U.S. He adopted two of the pups himself! He is still competing and won his first gold medal in 2020.
Adam Rippon
Did you even watch the Olympics if you didn't watch Adam Rippon on the ice? The captivating skater took home bronze in 2018 for team U.S.A. and left a long-lasting impression on Olympics fans because of his charisma. He, also, was cast on Dancing With The Stars and won the competition with partner Jenna Johnson. He's been retired from competitive skating since 2018.
Meryl Davis and Charlie White
Meryl Davis and Charlie White have been a dance duo since 1997. They won silver together in the 2010 Olympics and took home the gold in 2014. They both competed in Dancing With the Stars and went on tour with Stars on Ice. They both retired from competitive ice dancing in 2017.
Lolo Jones
Lolo Jones is a decorated track and field star. She was favored to take home the gold for the 100-meter hurdles in 2008 but lost when she stumbled. In 2012, she placed fourth. Jones pivoted to bobsledding after the 2012 Olympics and was put on the U.S. national bobsled team in October of that year. She and her teammates placed 11th at the Sochi Games in 2014. She appeared on Celebrity Big Brother, Dancing With the Stars, and The Challenge. She faced backlash after The Challenge when she rage-quit the show because she didn't like her teammate but said that the producers "forced" her to quit.
J.R. Celski
Celski is a three-time Olympic speed skater. He took home silver in 2014 and two bronzes in 2010. He was also active at the 2018 games but did not place on the podium. He retired in 2018 with a heartfelt message on his website. "To the future generation of speed skaters, I look forward to watching you reach new heights, break boundaries and set new records. The advancement of the sport is in your hands, and I know it's going to be great. Keep it fun and light, work harder than you thought you could, and learn how to sharpen your own damn blades."
Nathan Adrian
Adrian is a five-time Olympian. He won his first gold in 2008 and proceeded to take home two golds and a silver in 2012 and two golds and two bronzes in 2016. In 2019, he was diagnosed with testicular cancer. He returned to the water four months after his surgery. He got married in 2018 and welcomed his first child in 2021.
Missy Franklin
Missy Franklin is a record-setter, that's for sure. She set two world records, two American records, and one Olympic record at the London Games. She won bronze and four golds in 2012. Franklin retired in 2018. She got married in 2019 and had her first child in 2021.
Chloe Kim
Chloe Kim was the youngest woman to win an Olympic snowboarding medal in 2018. She was 17 and took home the bronze. She was also a decorated X Games athlete and was the first American to win gold in snowboarding at the Winter Youth Olympic Games. She won three ESPYs: in 2018. She was accepted to Princeton but deferred the offer a year because she wanted to study science. She lives in LA with her boyfriend, skateboarder Evan Berle.
Ted Ligety
Ted Ligety is an alpine racer who won gold in 2006 and 2014. He retired in 2021 and is fully involved with his company, Shred Optics. He produces ski gear, so he's still very much in the scene! He has a son with his wife, Mia.
Diana Taurasi
Diana Taurasi is one of the WNBA's greatest, so much so that Kobe Bryant himself called her "White Mamba." She has competed in four Olympic Games (2004 -2016) and helped team USA bring home the gold. Taurasi is still playing in All-Star tournaments. She is married to her former teammate, Penny Taylor, and they have two children together.
Cathy Freeman
Every Australian knows the namy Cathy Freeman. She was one of the most decorated Olympians of all time as the first Indigenous Australian woman to compete. She took home silver in 1996 and gold in 2000. She started the Cathy Freeman Foundation in 2007 to work to improve educational programs in Indigenous communities. She's been working hard there ever since!
Richard Fosbury
Ever heard of the "Fosbury Flop"? That's because of Richard Fosbury! Despite all odds, he was able to craft his own high jump style which ended up becoming the blueprint technique for high jumping. He won a gold medal at the 1968 Games. After his retirement, he became the co-owner of Galena Engineering and is an active e-board member of the World Olympians Association.
Mark Spitz
"Mark the Shark" became a household name thanks to his Olympic swimming career. He won nine medals between the 1968 and 1972 Games. He retired from his career at a very young 22-years-old. Instead, he went into show business. Now, at 71, he travels the world as a lecturer.
Kerri Strug
Kerri Strug made national headlines for her insane dedication to the sport during the 1996 Olympics. She gravely injured her ankle during her first vault and fluffed the landing. Her second vault was literally the line between silver and gold. She fought through the pain and landed her vault perfectly on one foot, winning the gold. Her career was done after that and she went to college and eventually joined the U.S. Department of Justice's Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention.
Nadia Comaneci
Nadia Comaneci was only 15-years-old when she entered the Olympic Games in Montreal back in 1976 for Romania. She earned five medals that year and earned the Olympics' first-ever perfect 10. In 1980, she left Romania to marry former Olympic gold medal gymnast Bart Conner. They started the Bart Conner Gymnastics Academy, Perfect 10 Production Company, and other ventures.
Sugar Ray Leonard
Sugar Ray Leonard won Olympic Gold in 1976 and went on to have quite a decorated career in boxing. He became the first boxer to earn over $100 million before retiring with a 36-3-1 record. He's remained active in the sport and is currently working as an analyst with multiple networks that cover boxing.
Jackie Joyner-Kersee
Between 1984 and 1996, Jackie Joyner-Kersee took home six medals in the heptathlon and long jump. She earned the title Greatest Female Athlete of All Time y Sports Illustrated. She quickly became the blueprint for track-and-fields finest. She has served as a member of the USA Track & Field Board of Directors since 2012.
Shannon Miller
Shannon Miller was a part of the women's gymnastics team that took gold in 1996 called the Magnificent Seven. Miller is the all-time leading medalist in gymnastics for the U.S. She attended the University of Houston and Boston College Law School. She went on to teach gymnastics and make celebrities appearances. She is now the president of Shannon Miller Lifestyle and the Shannon Miller Foundation, which promotes healthy living and fighting against childhood obesity.
Larisa Latynina
Larisa Latynina totally dominated the gymnastics floor in the Games between 1956 and 1964. She collected medals every year she competed and took home 18 medals from the 19 routines she competed. To this day, she is the only female athlete to have nine gold medals to her name. She officially retired in 1966 and went on to coach Russia's Olympic gymnastics teams. Now, she is enjoying the rest of her life in a small country town of Semenovskoye, right outside of Moskow.
Princess Anne
The daughter of Queen Elizabeth is quite the decorated Olympian! In 1976, she became the first British Royal Family member to compete in the Olympics. She never earned a medal, but her high-profile status brought a lot of intrigue to the Games. She has always maintained an active role in the Olympics and was hands-on with organizing things for the 2012 Games in London. She also served as the British rep on the International Olympics Committee at the 2014 Games in Sochi.
Dick Button
Dick Button took home gold twice in the men's singles event in 1948 and 1952. He was a pioneer of the sport and the first skater to land the double axel in competition and the first-ever triple jump. He also invented the camel spin. After the Olympics, he went to Harvard and earned his JD at Harvard Law. He has been commentating on the Winter Olympics since 1960.
Michael Johnson
Michael Johnson was the only man to win gold medals in the 200 meters and 400 meters in 1996. In 2007, he went on to open up the Michael Johnson Performance which provides training and support to new and professional athletes. He often serves as an Olympic Commentator.
Dan Jansen
Dan Jansen had a difficult journey to Olympic gold. He failed to get a medal in 1984, 1988, and 1992. Finally, in 1994, he got a gold medal and a world record. He now works as a commentator and hockey coach.
Nikolai Andrianov
Nikolai Andrianov has 15 medals under his name, which was a record until Michael Phelps went and smashed it with his 28 medals 40 years later. He medaled in every men's gymnastics event including floor, rings, vault, parallel bars, pommel horse, horizontal bar, all-around, and teams. AFter the Olympics, he went on to teach and coach children in the sport. He passed away in 2011 at the age of 58.