
Lisa Leslie
A four-time Olympic gold medalist, Lisa Leslie owns 10 U.S. Olympic records, including most points in a game (35). Leslie was a three-time WNBA Most Valuable Player and two-time WNBA champion.
A four-time Olympic gold medalist, Lisa Leslie owns 10 U.S. Olympic records, including most points in a game (35). Leslie was a three-time WNBA Most Valuable Player and two-time WNBA champion.
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.
After falling short of his goals at the Mexico City 1968 Olympic Games, Mark Spitz won seven gold medals in eight days at the Munich 1972 Olympic Games, setting a world record in each event he entered.
Marla Runyan, the first legally blind athlete to compete in the Olympics, broke barriers with a career that includes six Paralympic medals—five of them gold.
Mary Lou Retton scored perfect 10s on the floor exercise and vault to win the individual all-around gold medal at the Los Angeles 1984 Olympic Games.
Mary T. Meagher set her first world record before she began high school and Madame Butterfly, as she was known, won three gold medals at the Los Angeles 1984 Olympic Games.
Matt Biondi was a late bloomer before finding his stride and leaving his mark as one of the most accomplished swimmers of all time, with eight Olympic gold medals, two silvers and one bronze.
Unable to get a job as a New York City policeman, Mel Sheppard focused on training for The Olympics and won four gold medals and one silver as a middle-distance runner.
After World Cup success, Hamm and the U.S. won gold medals in the 1996 and 2000 Olympics, and a silver in 2004. She is included in FIFA’s Top 100 Players in the World.
Michael Johnson was one of the world’s best sprinters of his time, capturing four Olympic gold medals over three Olympic Games and maintaining his speed even as he aged.
Michael Phelps, with an astounding 6 feet, 7-inch wingspan, won an Olympic record 28 medals, which included 23 golds, more than double any other Olympic athlete.
Michelle Kwan sits as the most decorated figure skater – male or female – in the United States, having won 43 championships.
Micki King hit her arm on the board on her ninth dive of the 3-meter springboard at the Mexico City 1968 Olympic Games and finished fourth. She won gold at the Munich 1972 Olympic Games.
Mike Krzyzewski served as head coach of the U.S. Men’s Olympic Basketball Team, guiding them to gold medal victories at the Olympic Games Beijing 2008, London 2012, and Rio 2016.
Milt Campbell’s first-ever decathlon was at the 1952 U.S. Olympic Trials. He went on to win silver at the Helsinki 1952 Olympic Games. Campbell won gold at the Melbourne 1956 Olympic Games.
Misty May-Treanor was a college star at indoor volleyball, then successfully transitioned to one of the best beach volleyball careers of all-time, teaming with Kerri Walsh Jennings to win three Olympic gold medals and retiring with a then-record 112 wins.
Muffy Davis competed in Paralympic alpine skiing and para cycling, winning a total of seven Paralympic medals, three of which are gold medals.
He won a gold medal at the Rome 1960 Olympic Games while known as Muhammad Ali, but perhaps his most iconic moment came when lighting the Olympic Flame at the Atlanta 1996 Olympic Games.
Daughter of two acclaimed gymnasts forged her own career, winning the women’s individual all-around gold medal at the Beijing 2008 Olympic Games, where her five medals equaled the most ever in a single Olympics by an American female gymnast.
One of the best swimmers who has ever competed for Team USA, Natalie Coughlin won 12 medals over the course of three Olympic Games (2004, 2008, 2012).
Oscar De La Hoya first donned boxing gloves at age 4. A decorated amateur, “The Golden Boy” won gold at the Barcelona 1992 Olympic Games and shined as a pro before becoming a boxing promoter.
After quitting his college football team, Parry O’Brien became the most dominant shotputter of his time, winning 116 consecutive meets, including two Olympic gold medals.
Pat McCormick swept the 3-meter springboard and 10-meter platform diving events at the Helsinki 1952 Olympic Games and Melbourne 1956 Olympic Games, the first to accomplish that feat twice.
Pat Summitt led the U.S. women’s basketball team to Olympic gold in Los Angeles 1984. She was the first female coach to be inducted into the U.S. Olympic & Paralympic Hall of Fame.
Peggy Fleming made her Olympic debut at the Innsbruck 1964 Olympic Winter Games and won gold at the Grenoble 1968 Olympic Winter Games. She is credited with reviving American figure skating.
A former collegiate water polo player, Peter Ueberroth went into business after college and eventually served as president of the Los Angeles Olympic Organizing Committee for the incredibly successful Los Angeles 1984 Olympic Games.
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.
Phil Knight, co-founder of Nike and a lifelong champion of innovation and athlete empowerment, has transformed global sport through his enduring support of Team USA and the Olympic and Paralympic movements.
Phil Mahre navigated the slalom course at the Sarajevo 1984 Olympic Winter Games to become just the second American to ever win a gold medal in Alpine Skiing.
Picabo Street won a silver medal in the downhill at the Lillehammer 1994 Olympic Winter Games and recovered from a knee injury to win gold in the Super-G at the Nagano 1998 Olympic Winter Games.
Rafer Johnson started on the UCLA basketball team and was drafted by the NFL’s Los Angeles Rams. He took silver in the decathlon at the Melbourne 1956 Olympic Games and won gold at the Rome 1960 Olympic Games.
Relatively unknown until a tuneup meet prior to the Rome 1960 Olympic Games, long jumper Ralph Boston broke Jesse Owens’ long-standing world record and went on to win Olympic gold.
After losing use of his legs in a farming accident, Randy Snow once again became an elite athlete, winning two Paralympic gold medals and one bronze.
Ray Ewry was orphaned and contracted polio as a youngster, but worked hard to develop into a world-class athlete and won eight gold medals over three Olympic Games.
Robert J. Kane served as president of the U.S. Olympic Committee from 1977 to 1981, a period that included the U.S. boycott of the Moscow 1980 Olympic Games.
Roger Kingdom won gold at the Los Angeles 1984 and Seoul 1988 Games, becoming the second man to win back-to-back Olympic titles in the 110m hurdles.
After narrowly missing qualifying for the Rome 1960 Olympic Games, Ron O’Brien became one of the sport’s finest coaches. His divers won 154 gold, 90 silver and 78 bronze medals in major Olympic, world, national, NCAA and Big Ten Conference diving championships in his first 25 years of coaching.
Television executive Roone Arledge created Wide World of Sports and Monday Night Football and produced 10 Olympic television broadcasts.
“Swimming’s Greatest Ambassador,” Rowdy Gaines tried lots of other sports before falling in love with swimming and winning three gold medals at the Los Angeles 1984 Olympic Games.
Diver Sammy Lee overcame racial prejudice while growing up to become the first Asian-American man to win an Olympic gold medal.
Sarah Will was paralyzed from the waist down in a skiing accident, but she returned to the slopes to become one of the greatest Paralympic skiers, winning 12 gold medals and one silver.
Doctors were unable to determine the cause of Scott Hamilton’s childhood illness; but his recovery included ice skating — the impetus for his gold medal at the Sarajevo 1984 Olympic Winter Games.
With four Olympic gold medals and 23 Grand Slam singles titles, Serena Williams stands among the most iconic athletes in sports history.
Shannon Miller won five medals in the Barcelona 1992 Olympic Games and returned four years later to lead the United States to the team all-around gold medal at the Atlanta 1996 Olympic Games.
Shirley Babashoff won three Olympic gold medals and six silver medals, but might be better known for her willingness to speak out against suspected doping by East German swimmers.
Steve Cash made his Paralympic debut at the Torino 2006 Games, later becoming a Paralympic gold medalist and legend sled hockey goaltender, redefined excellence in adaptive sport.
One of the best boxers of all-time, Sugar Ray Leonard beat each of six opponents by 5-0 scores en route to winning the light welterweight gold medal at the Montreal 1976 Olympic Games.
Susan Hagel, a six-time Paralympian, competed in wheelchair basketball, Para archery, and Para track and field between 1976 and 1996, earning four gold and two bronze medals.
A U.S. senator for more than 40 years, Ted Stevens wrote the Amateur Sports Act, which established the U.S. Olympic Committee and established National Governing Bodies for each Olympic sport.
Tenley Albright contracted polio at age 11 and doctors wondered whether she would walk again. Six years later, she won an Olympic silver medal in figure skating and would win gold four years after that.
One of the great shooters of her generation, Teresa Edwards played in five Olympic Games and led the U.S. women’s basketball team to four gold medals.
Tim Nugent was known as the “Father of Accessibility” for his contributions to bringing equal rights for the disabled.
Tommie Smith’s courage to protest for racial equality continues to be remembered throughout the sports landscape.
It was at an internment camp in the desert during World War II that Tommy Kono’s asthma dissipated and he was introduced to weightlifting, eventually winning two Olympic gold medals and one silver.
A swimmer who excelled at every stroke, Tracy Caulkins won gold medals in the 200- and 400-meter individual medley races as well as the 4×100 medley relay at the Los Angeles 1984 Olympic Games.
Swimmer Trischa Zorn-Hudson is the most successful athlete in the history of the Paralympic Games, having won 55 medals, including 41 gold medals, over seven Paralympics.
A successful businessman and philanthropist, William Simon was active in the U.S. Olympic Committee for three decades. He served as U.S. Olympic Committee President from 1981 to 1984, then served as first chairman of the U.S. Olympic Foundation.
Willie Davenport ran the 100-meter hurdles in four Summer Games and won one gold medal. At the Lake Placid 1980 Olympic Winter Games, he was part of the U.S. four-man bobsled team.
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 4×100-meter relay at the Tokyo 1964 Olympic Games.
U.S. Olympic & Paralympic Museum offers parking in the adjacent Park Union District lot for $7.50 per-day. Metered parking is also available on Sierra Madre and Vermijo.
Subscribe now to keep up to date on Museum news and events!
Olympic Marks are used under license from the U.S. Olympic & Paralympic Committee. 36 U.S.C. 220506
Website development supported in part by a grant from the Colorado Tourism Office.