Then And Now: Former Olympic Medalists

Making it to the Olympics is the dream of many athletes and winning a medal, is an even bigger dream. Not many athletes get to achieve all this but, for those who do, it’s usually a life-changing experience.

Here’s a look at former Olympic medalists and what they look like today.

Greg Louganis

In 1984 Louganis won a gold medal at the Los Angeles Olympics and he has also received awards for his achievements as an amateur diver. Now retired, he has served as a mentor for the U.S. diving team in 2012 and 2016.

Mike Eruzione

Eruzione was the captain of the U.S. hockey team at the 1980 Olympics and he led them to a victory over the Russian team (which up until that point had been an undefeated team). That particular showdown became known an “Miracle on Ice” and resulted in a gold medal for team USA.

Kristi Yamaguchi

Yamaguchi won the World Figure Skating Championship in 1991 and 1992, and then at the 1992 Winter Olympics, she won gold. By 2005 she was inducted into the US Olympic Hall of Fame.

McKayla Rose Maroney

Maroney was part of the “Fierce Five” U.S. Women’s Gymnastics team that participated in the 2012 Summer Olympics. She won a gold medal for her team, as well as an individual silver medal for vaulting.

Mark Spitz

Swimmer, Mark Spitz, won a ton of medals during his career including 9 Olympic golds medals, one silver, one bronze, 5 Pan American golds, 31 Amateur Athletic Union titles and 8 National Collegiate Athletic Association titles. At the 1972 Olympics he won 7 gold medals, a record that was eventually broken by Michael Phelps in 2008 when he won 8. In 2002 Spitz became a stockbroker and he travels the world delivering motivational speeches.

Natalie Coughlin

When she was at the University of California, Coughlin set a record by becoming the first woman to swim the 100-meter backstroke in less than 60 seconds. She continued to set new records when she participated in the 2008 Summer Olympics and became the first U.S. female athlete to win 6 medals in a single Olympic game. And if that wasn’t enough, she was also the first woman to win gold for the 100-meter backstroke in two consecutive Olympic games.