2004 Athens Summer Games | U.S. Olympic & Paralympic Museum

Marla Runyan

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.

Allyson Felix

Across five Olympic Games—from Athens 2004 to Tokyo 2020—Allyson Felix won 11 Olympic medals, including seven gold, the most ever by a female track and field athlete.

Kerri Walsh Jennings

Kerri Walsh Jennings redefined excellence in the sport of beach volleyball, winning three consecutive gold medals (2004, 2008, 2012) and a bronze in 2016.

Natalie Coughlin

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).

Mia Hamm

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 Phelps

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.

2004 Softball Team

Perhaps the most dominant team in any sport in Olympic history, the 2004 U.S. Softball Team earned its nickname The Real Dream Team by outscoring opponents by a combined 51 to 1.

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.

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.

Jenny Thompson

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.

Olympiad: 2004 Athens Summer Games