Famous Olympic Athletes and What They’re Doing Today
Dominique Moceanu
The cut-off age for the Olympics in 1996 was 14, and Dominique Moceanu became the youngest to compete for a medal in the Olympics when she arrived in Atlanta shortly after her birthday. She didn’t win just any individual medal, but she won gold in the all-around competition.
Unfortunately, injuries forced her to retire only four years later. Moceanu got a degree in Business Management later and wrote a book about how training so hard from such a young age affected her body.
Nadia Comaneci
Nadia Comaneci made waves in 1976 when she competed at the Olympics in Montréal. She went down in history when the judges gave her a perfect score — the first time this had ever happened. She managed to snag a gold and a silver medal in both the 1976 and 1980 games, and is widely recognized to be among the greatest Olympians.
Comaneci married American gymnast Bart Conner, who is also an Olympic gold medalist. Today, the couple runs their gyms and are involved in philanthropy.
Shannon Miller
The media have always called U.S. gymnasts by creative names, and Shannon Miller was one of the so-called “Magnificent Seven” who competed in Atlanta in 1996. She was returning after bringing home five medals in the 1992 Barcelona Olympic Games and took home two more golds in ’96.
Miller is deservedly considered one of the greatest gymnasts who competed at the Olympics. After her achievements, Miller has spent her time starting a foundation whose stated intent is to combat childhood obesity.
Shawn Johnson
Shawn Johnson’s parents made a very fateful decision when they took her to a gymnastics class. She was just three years old, and it kicked off a successful career that culminated in grabbing gold at the balance beams and three silver medals in the 2008 Beijing Games.
A torn ACL she suffered in a skiing accident cut short her gymnastics career, but she has remained in the public eye. Besides Dancing with the Stars, Johnson’s made regular appearances on TV whether it be talk shows or commentary and is growing her family.
Olympic medalists are among the most exceptional human beings on the planet. It’s a very special thing to be one of the top three in the world, and achieving such an honor brings pride to the athlete’s country. Not surprisingly, these outstanding individuals often continue with excellence later in life too. These are some of the greatest Olympians and what they’re doing nowadays.