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
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
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
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.
Dominique Moceanu
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.
Dorothy Hamill
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.
Paul Hamm
Paul Hamm
After Paul Hamm won gold at the all-around in the 2004 Athens Olympics, he became the only American gymnast to have won the all-around in both the Olympics and the Gymnastics World Championships. This gold medal was controversial because of a scoring error that happened to one of his competitors, but the medal remained with Hamm, who also won a pair of silvers. After he failed to make the team both in 2008 and 2012, he made appearances on the Japanese version of Ninja Warrior
Bart Conner
Bart Conner
Bart Conner took home two gold medals in 1984 for the American team, solidifying his place among the country’s preeminent gymnasts. He was inspired by Nadia Comaneci and arranged to appear on The Pat Sajak Show after learning that his idol was due to appear on it. The two hit it off and Comaneci was impressed by Conner. They started dating and married in 1996. He founded the Bart Conner Gymnastics Academy, which he runs with his fellow Olympian wife.
Scott Hamilton
Scott Hamilton
Most people can’t even do a backflip, but Scott Hamilton can do one on skates! It’s actually against the rules in competitive skating, so that’s not the reason he’s on this list. Not just an acrobat, his footwork wowed judges at international competitions in the early ’80s. He won his gold at the 1984 Olympics after dominating the competition for years. Since then, he’s skated with Stars On Ice and the like, as well as branching out into charity and writing books.
Brian Boitano
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
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.
Edwin Moses
Edwin Moses
Edwin Moses knows no defeat – he took home two gold medals at two Olympic Games in both 1976 and 1984. The champion hurdler’s discipline was the 400m hurdles, and between 1977 and 1987, Moses won a total of 107 finals in a row! The hurdler has set four world records in his lifetime and retired from the racing track in the early 2000s. A true enjoyer of competition, Moses still enjoys racing – now he let’s gravity do the work seeing as he participates in bobsleigh events.
Usain Bolt
Usain Bolt
Usain Bolt became the fastest man in the world when he broke the world record on the way to his 100m victory. The former sprinter holds world records for 100m, 200m, and the 100m relay. He is considered to be the greatest sprinter of all time and won Jamaica a gold medal for every Olympic event he competed in, taking a total of eight golds from 2008 to 2016. When Bolt retired, he tried his best to make his way into another sport, even making his way onto a professional soccer team. It turns out, soccer wasn’t his forte, and he officially retired from sports in 2019.
Sanya Richards-Ross
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.
Kelly Holmes
Kelly Holmes
Kelly Holmes became a hero after her success at the 2004 Olympic Games in Athens, winning a double gold medal for the 800m and 1,500m events. In 2005, the middle-distance runner received the highest honor one can receive in England. The Queen made Holmes a dame and, in 2008, she founded the Dame Kelly Holmes Trust. The charity supports young athletes and helps the lives of young people facing disadvantage across the UK.
Linford Christie
British sprinter Linford Christie became a national hero after winning gold in the 100m dash in 1992. He is one of Britain’s most celebrated athletes, being the only British man to have won gold medals in the 100m at all four major competitions open to British athletes. Christie also became the first European to break the 10-second barrier in the 100m dash. Since his retirement, the former athlete has worked as a TV presenter for BBC as a TV, and in 2010 was featured on the reality show I’m a Celebrity… Get Me Out of Here!
Cathy Freeman
Cathy Freeman
Cathy Freeman became the first indigenous athlete ever to win an Olympic medal. The Australian runner’s main discipline was the 400m sprint, and after she won a silver in 1996, she was ready to earn gold at the next Olympics. Freeman brought home a gold medal in front of her home crowd at the 2000 Sydney Olympics and has become an Australian icon since. After hanging her running shoes up for good in 2003 in hopes of spending more time with her family, Freeman started the Indigenous Education Foundation to help children in need.
George Foreman
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.
Michael Jordan
Michael Jordan
Michael Jordan may be referred to as the greatest basketball player of all time. He won every medal there is to win in basketball, two Olympic gold medals, one in 1984 and his second in 1992. His NBA career is nothing short of fascinating, and Jordan became the first NBA player to become a billionaire – gaining this title in 2014. After retiring, Jordan continued developing his brand and is the principal owner of the franchise, Charlotte Hornets.
Venus & Serena Williams
Venus & Serena Williams
Sisters Venus and Serena Williams have made themselves stars, and what helped them launch their career into stardom was the Olympics. They competed together in doubles, winning three golds as a team. The sisters each have an individual gold to her name. Serena has won 23 Grand Slam singles titles, the most any woman has won in the Open Era. The unstoppable duo has been playing tennis together for decades and is not planning on stopping anytime soon. Serena, in particular, is still making headlines and is very active on social media.
