Famous American Olympic athletes: Where are they now?
The Rio Olympics will send a new generation of athletes into the record books and the headlines. Ever wonder what's become of some of the most memorable U.S. athletes from past Olympics? Check out what these Olympic stars have been up to since the days when they set records, defied expectations and changed the games forever.
Pictured: Carl Lewis of Team USA flies through the air on his way to a gold medal in the long jump competition at the 1992 Olympics in Barcelona.
Nancy Kerrigan, then
Kerrigan won the bronze medal in figure skating at the 1992 Winter Olympics. In 1994, Kerrigan was the victim of an attack later connected to associates of rival skater Tonya Harding. She was clubbed in the knee and had to miss the U.S. national championships, but still made the Olympic team. Kerrigan went on to win the silver medal that year.
Nancy Kerrigan, now
Kerrigan has competed in Ice Wars, a team figure skating competition, and performed in ice shows. She has also appeared in the comedy Blades of Glory and worked as a correspondent for Entertainment Tonight.
Tonya Harding, then
Harding, the first woman to complete the notoriously difficult triple axel jump, finished fourth at the 1992 Olympics. She's best known for pleading guilty to knowledge of her husband and bodyguard's plan to break Kerrigan's leg to prevent her from competing in the Olympics.
Tonya Harding, now
Banned for life from the U.S. Figure Skating Association after the 1994 Olympics, Harding was forced to pursue a different career: She was a professional boxer from 2002 to 2004. Today, she's married and raising her first child.
Kerri Strug, then
In 1996, a U.S. gymnastics team known as "the Magnificent Seven" stormed the games. Strug was a part of that team, and famously competed with an injured ankle. With encouragement from famed coach Béla Károlyi, Strug landed on both feet after performing a vault with that bad ankle.
Though she immediately collapsed, her incredible performance helped win a gold medal for the women's gymnastics team. In this photo, Károlyi carries an injured Strug to the podium for the medal ceremony.
Kerri Strug, now
Since her historic performance, Strug has worked as a staff assistant in the Presidential Student Correspondence office at the White House and covered gymnastics for Yahoo!. Today, she is married and lives in Arizona.
Greg Louganis, then
Louganis earned a spot in sports history when he won gold medals in springboard and platform diving competitions at the 1984 and 1988 Olympics.
Greg Louganis, now
Louganis was diagnosed with HIV before the 1988 Olympics, but he didn't publicly discuss it until 1995. Since then, Louganis has vocally supported gay rights and HIV awareness. He also published a well-received autobiography, "Breaking the Surface."
Tommie Smith, then
Smith won the gold medal in the 1968 Olympics for the 200-meter dash. He's equally famous for his Black Power salute at the awards ceremony, joined by bronze medal winner John Carlos.
Tommie Smith, now
Though Smith received death threats and was banned from the Olympics after his controversial gesture at the awards ceremony, the moment became a symbolic milestone in civil rights history.
Since then, Smith has since worked as a track coach and a sociology professor. Smith (left) and Carlos (right) won the Arthur Ashe Award for Courage at the ESPYs in 2008.
Michelle Kwan, then
This beloved figure skater won the silver medal at the 1998 Olympics and the bronze at the 2006 Olympics.
Michelle Kwan, now
Kwan never officially retired. Instead, she shifted focus toward her education, enrolling in an undergraduate program at the University of Denver and pursuing a masters in law and diplomacy at Tufts University. Today, Kwan works for the U.S. Bureau of Education and Cultural Affairs.
Carl Lewis, then
He's one of the most famous Olympic track and field athletes ever, having set the records for the 100-meter and 200-meter sprinting events and the long jump. In total, Carl Lewis won nine gold medals between 1984 and 1996.
Carl Lewis, now
Lewis has been named World Athlete of the Century by the International Association of Athletics Federation and Sportsman of the Century by the International Olympic Committee. He has made movie and TV appearances and run for a a seat in the New Jersey Senate in 2011, though he was unsuccessful.
Jackie Joyner-Kersee, then
Joyner-Kersee was voted the Greatest Female Athlete of the 20th Century by Sports Illustrated for Women. She's competed in four Olympics from 1984 to 1996, winning three gold medals, one silver and two bronze in the heptathlon and the long jump.
Jackie Joyner-Kersee, now
Since her 1996 Olympic appearance, Joyner-Kersee played basketball for the Richmond Rage in the American Basketball League, a professional women's basketball league that went bankrupt in 1998. She also co-founded Athletes for Hope, a charity dedicated to connecting fellow athletes with needy non-profits.
Muhammad Ali, then
Three-time world heavyweight boxing champion Muhammad Ali is considered one of the greatest athletes of the 20th century. It was his victory in the 1960 Olympics in the heavyweight division that made 18-year-old, then known as Cassius Clay, an international star.
Muhammad Ali, 1942-2016
Ali spent the years after his retirement from the ring focusing on peace activism and humanitarian causes. After suffering from Parkinson's for many years, the beloved boxer passed away on June 3, 2016.
Misty May-Treanor, then
May-Treanor is one of the most successful beach volleyball players ever: Along with teammate Kerri Walsh Jennings, May-Treanor won Olympic gold medals in 2004, 2008 and 2012.
Misty May-Treanor, now
After retiring in 2012, May-Treanor completed a graduate degree program in coaching. She's also working to get families to be more active with a video series called "Full-Life Hacks," as well as spending time with her daughter.
Michael Jordan, then
With an incredible NBA career that spanned over fifteen seasons and two teams, Jordan is considered the best basketball player of all time. He won Olympic gold medals in 1984 and again in 1992, when he was part of the "Dream Team" that also included superstars Magic Johnson, Larry Bird, Charles Barkley, Scottie Pippen and David Robinson.
Michael Jordan, now
Since his retirement in 2003, Jordan bought a majority stake in the Charlotte Hornets. Thanks to endorsement deals and the success of Air Jordans, Jordan has achieved huge, lasting financial success. In 2015, Forbes calculated that Jordan is worth more than $1 billion.
Lisa Leslie, then
Leslie has won four Olympic gold medals playing for the U.S. women's basketball team in 1996, 2000, 2004 and 2008. She played for the Los Angeles Sparks for 11 seasons.
Lisa Leslie, now
Since retiring from professional basketball in 2009, Lisa Leslie was inducted into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame. Leslie also has pursued an acting career, appearing in the movie "Think Like A Man" and various TV shows.
Mark Spitz, then
Mark Spitz won seven gold medals at the 1968 Olympics -- a record that stood for 40 years until Michael Phelps topped it with eight gold medals in 2008. Spitz won two more golds at the 1972 Olympics and set world records in seven different swimming events.
Mark Spitz, now
Spitz retired from competitive swimming in 1972, but attempted to make a comeback in 1992, though he failed to qualify for the Olympics. He appeared on a number of TV shows and covered the 1976 and 1984 Olympic games. Today, Spitz runs a real estate company in Beverly Hills.
Michael Johnson, then
The only male athlete to win the 200- and 400-meter dash competitions in the same Olympics, Michael Johnson is a record-breaking American sprinter. He has four Olympic gold medals.
Michael Johnson, now
After the 2000 Olympics, Johnson worked as a BBC commentator and started his own sports management company, which manages other Olympic athletes. He also released a documentary called "Survival of the Fastest" about African-American runners.
Bruce Jenner, then
In 1976, Bruce Jenner was hailed as "the world's greatest athlete" after winning a gold medal in the Decathlon at the Olympics. The record-breaking performance made Jenner America's golden boy, famously appearing on the Wheaties cereal box.
Caitlyn Jenner, now
In 2015, Jenner went public as transgender and changed her name to Caitlyn Jenner. She recently starred in a documentary series called "I Am Cait," after many years on the reality show "Keeping Up with the Kardashians."