Skip to content

Category: Athlete

Labeled the "greatest shooter in history," Lones Wigger Jr. won two gold medals and one silver over the course of three Olympic Games before becoming a director at the U.S. Olympic Training Center.
Mal Whitfield won gold in the 800-meter run and the 4x-400-meter relay at the London 1948 Olympic Games, becoming the first American active-duty service member to win an Olympic gold medal.
The first American woman to compete in five Olympic Games, Willye White won silver in long jump at the Melbourne 1956 Olympic Games and the 4x100-meter relay at the Tokyo 1964 Olympic Games.
Johnny Weissmuller took up swimming in an attempt to build stamina after contracting polio as a youngster. He won five Olympic gold medals before finding Hollywood stardom.
Peter Vidmar led the U.S. to the team all-around gold medal and scored a perfect 10 to win gold on the pommel horse in the Los Angeles 1984 Olympic Games; he won silver in the individual all-around.
Swimmer Amy Van Dyken overcame asthma to win six Olympic gold medals. In the Atlanta 1996 Olympic Games, she became the first American woman to win four gold medals in a single Olympics.
Wyomia Tyus won the 100-meter dash gold medal at the Tokyo 1964 Olympic Games. Four years later in Mexico City, she became the first person to repeat as Olympic gold medalist in the 100.
Despite a childhood injury that limited functionality in his right (throwing) hand, Bill Toomey set an Olympic record as he won a gold medal in the decathlon at the Mexico City 1968 Olympic Games.
The first Native American to win an Olympic gold medal for the U.S., Jim Thorpe won the pentathlon and decathlon at the Stockholm 1912 Olympic Games. He later played pro baseball and football.
Swimmer Jenny Thompson is the most decorated American female in Olympic history, winning 12 medals over the course of four Olympic Games: eight gold, three silver and one bronze.
SPONSORED BY