There is something special about watching an American athlete step onto the Olympic podium. From record-breaking swimmers and legendary track stars to gymnastics icons and winter sports champions, these athletes gave millions of Americans something to cheer about. With unforgettable performances, historic victories, and medals to show for it, these 25 U.S. Olympians gave us plenty of reasons to feel proud.
Michael Phelps — Swimming
Michael Phelps became the most decorated Olympian in history, winning 28 medals across five Olympic Games, including a record 23 gold medals. At the 2008 Beijing Games, he also won eight golds in a single Olympics, breaking Mark Spitz’s previous record of seven.
Simone Biles — Gymnastics
Simone Biles has won 11 Olympic medals, including seven golds, making her one of the most decorated gymnasts in Olympic history. Her performances have also inspired several gymnastics skills to be officially named after her.
Jesse Owens — Track and Field
Jesse Owens won four gold medals at the 1936 Berlin Olympics, dominating the 100 meters, 200 meters, long jump, and 4×100-meter relay. His four golds made him one of the defining stars of those Games.
Carl Lewis — Track and Field
Carl Lewis won nine Olympic gold medals across four Games, establishing himself as one of track and field’s greatest champions. He won four consecutive Olympic golds in the long jump, an unprecedented achievement at the time.
Allyson Felix — Track and Field
Allyson Felix won 11 Olympic medals across five Games, including seven golds. She became the most decorated female track and field athlete in Olympic history and one of the most successful American Olympians ever.
Jackie Joyner-Kersee — Track and Field
Jackie Joyner-Kersee won six Olympic medals across four Games, including three golds. Her 7,291-point heptathlon performance from 1988 remained the world record decades later, making her one of the sport’s most enduring record holders.
Wilma Rudolph — Track and Field
Wilma Rudolph became the first American woman to win three gold medals in a single Olympics when she dominated the sprint events at the 1960 Rome Games. She won the 100 meters, 200 meters, and 4×100-meter relay.
Mark Spitz — Swimming
Mark Spitz made Olympic history at the 1972 Munich Games by winning seven gold medals, all with world-record times. His record for most gold medals at a single Olympics stood for 36 years until Michael Phelps surpassed it in 2008.
Katie Ledecky — Swimming
Katie Ledecky has become one of the most successful swimmers in Olympic history, collecting 14 medals, including nine golds. She has also set numerous world records in distance freestyle events and dominated the 800-meter freestyle across multiple Games.
Mary Lou Retton — Gymnastics
Mary Lou Retton became the first American woman to win the Olympic all-around gymnastics title when she took gold at the 1984 Los Angeles Games. She also won four additional medals, becoming one of the biggest American stars of those Olympics.
Gabby Douglas — Gymnastics
Gabby Douglas made history at the 2012 London Olympics as the first American gymnast to win individual all-around gold and team gold at the same Games. She later helped the U.S. team win another gold medal at the 2016 Rio Games.
Aly Raisman — Gymnastics
Aly Raisman won six Olympic medals across the 2012 and 2016 Games, including three golds. She became the most decorated American gymnast at the 2012 London Olympics and helped lead the U.S. team to consecutive team titles.
Dominique Dawes — Gymnastics
Dominique Dawes competed at three consecutive Olympics from 1992 through 2000, winning four medals along the way. She took team bronze in Barcelona, then struck gold in Atlanta in 1996 as part of the Magnificent Seven, the first U.S. women’s team to win Olympic gymnastics gold.
Shannon Miller — Gymnastics
Shannon Miller won seven Olympic medals across the 1992 and 1996 Games, making her the most decorated American gymnast at the time. Her five medals at the 1992 Barcelona Olympics also made her the most successful U.S. athlete at those Games.
Florence Griffith Joyner — Track and Field
Florence Griffith Joyner won three gold medals and one silver at the 1988 Seoul Olympics. Her 100-meter and 200-meter world records from that year still stand, with her 10.49-second 100-meter mark remaining the official world record.
Greg Louganis — Diving
Greg Louganis won four Olympic gold medals across the 1984 and 1988 Games. At Seoul in 1988, he became the first male diver to sweep both individual diving events at consecutive Olympics.
Kerri Walsh Jennings — Beach Volleyball
Kerri Walsh Jennings won three consecutive Olympic gold medals with Misty May-Treanor from 2004 through 2012 before adding a bronze medal in 2016. Her four Olympic medals make her one of the most decorated beach volleyball players in history.
Misty May-Treanor — Beach Volleyball
Misty May-Treanor and Kerri Walsh Jennings dominated Olympic beach volleyball, winning three consecutive gold medals from 2004 through 2012. The pair went undefeated in Olympic competition across their three title-winning Games.
Serena Williams — Tennis
Serena Williams won four Olympic gold medals, including three in women’s doubles alongside her sister Venus. She also won singles gold at the 2012 London Games, completing an Olympic singles and doubles career that made her one of tennis’s most successful Olympians.
Venus Williams — Tennis
Venus Williams won five Olympic medals, including four golds. She claimed singles gold at the 2000 Sydney Games and three doubles gold medals alongside her sister Serena, making them one of the most successful sibling duos in Olympic history.
Shaun White — Snowboarding
Shaun White won three Olympic gold medals in the halfpipe at the 2006, 2010, and 2018 Winter Games. His 2018 victory made him the first snowboarder to win three Olympic gold medals in the halfpipe.
Lindsey Vonn — Alpine Skiing
Lindsey Vonn won three Olympic medals, including downhill gold at the 2010 Vancouver Games. She became the first American woman to win Olympic gold in the downhill and went on to become one of the most successful female alpine skiers in history.
Apolo Ohno — Short Track Speed Skating
Apolo Ohno won eight Olympic medals across three Winter Games, including two golds. He became the most decorated American Winter Olympian at the time, making him one of the defining stars of U.S. short track speed skating.
Dan Jansen — Speed Skating
Dan Jansen finally captured Olympic gold in the 1,000-meter speed skating event at the 1994 Lillehammer Games. He had previously experienced heartbreaking Olympic disappointments, making his final victory one of the most memorable stories of those Games.
Michelle Kwan — Figure Skating
Michelle Kwan won two Olympic medals, including silver at the 1998 Nagano Games and bronze at the 2002 Salt Lake City Games. She also won five world championships and nine U.S. titles, establishing one of the longest careers in American figure skating.
