The most famous Olympians from every state

Jesse Owens will always be famous. The athlete, from Oakville, Alabama, is best remembered for his epic performance at the 1926 Summer Olympics in Berlin. There, Owens became the first American track and field athlete to win four gold medals (long jump, 100m, 200m, and 4x100m relay) at a single Olympic Games.

Although born in Montana, Tommy Moe trained as a teenager in Alaska at the Glacier Creek Ski Academy. He represented Team USA at the 1994 Winter Olympics, where he became the first American male ski racer to win two medals in a single Winter Olympic Games.

Who could forget about Kerri Strug and Magnificent Seven? The gymnast became a household name after winning bronze in 1992. However, she's best remembered for clinching gold for Team USA in 1996 in Atlanta despite having an injured ankle.

There are a few Olympians from Arkansas, but Scottie Pippen has to be one of the most famous. In addition to his time in the NBA, where he won six championship rings and played in seven all-star games, the basketball legend competed in the 1992 and 1996 Summer Games, where he helped lead Team USA to gold.

Shaun White will always be known as a Winter Olympics legend. The athlete has competed in five different games and won gold in 2006, 2010, and 2018. In 2022, the snowboarder finished fourth at the Winter Olympics in Beijing, where he also announced his retirement.

Gus Kenworthy only competed in the 2014 Winter Olympics, where he placed silver. However, the skiing legend has acquired several other wins during his prestigious career. Since 2011, he's snatched seven gold medals throughout various competitions, including the New Zealand Winter Games, Winter Dew Tour, and Ski World Cup.

Liam Corrigan made his Olympic debut in 2020 when the rower and his teammates came in fourth in Tokyo. He, along with the others, used that as motivation and sought revenge in 2024 in Paris, winning gold during the men's Coxless four event.

Dionna Harris made a name for herself when she played softball for the Temple Owls in 1989 and 1990. Her impressive skills earned her the Player of The Year award and, later, a gold medal during the 1996 Games in Atlanta.

You know and love him — the fastest man on the planet. Noah Lyles will always be an Olympic legend, especially after his epic 100m win in 2024.

We don't talk much about the shooting events during the Summer Olympics, but Vincent Hancock deserves his flowers. The Georgia-raised Olympian has won five medals, four of which were gold (2008, 2012, 2020, 2024).

Carissa Moore is an American surfing legend. In addition to her five world championship titles, the Honolulu native won a gold medal during the 2020 Summer Games in Tokyo.

Picabo Street, from Triumph, Idaho, has two Olympic medals to her name, including a gold from the 1998 Nagano Games and a silver from the 1994 Lillehammer Games. She returned to the event in 2002, where she placed sixteenth, and later retired.

Not only is Jackie Joyner-Kersee a four-time world champion, but the track and field athlete is also a three-time Olympic gold medalist, winning first in the 1988 and 1992 Summer Games. The Illinois native also won silver in 1984 and bronze in 1992 and 1996.

Cole Hocker became one of Indiana's coolest gold-medal winners after his performance during the 2024 Summer Olympics. The runner had revenge on his mind.

Until Caitlin Clark makes an Olympic team, she'll have to bow down to Lolo Jones, who has competed in the Summer and Winter Olympic games. Additionally, she's been on TV shows like Dancing With the Stars and Big Brother.

Lynette Woodard had a decorated career as a basketball player. During her college days, she averaged 26 points per game and became the NCAA's leading scorer (before being passed by Caitlin Clark). After her time at the University of Kansas, Woodard joined Team USA for the 1984 Olympic games in Los Angeles, where she helped lead the team to gold. She then played in the World Cup and Pan American Games, where she earned gold, silver, and bronze medals. 

Although born in Cleveland, Lee Kiefer grew up in Lexington, Kentucky, and represented her state as part of the USA fencing team in 2012, 2016, 2020, and 2024.

Emmett Toppino is an American track and field runner who won gold at the 1932 Olympics in Los Angeles. He ran the second leg of the 4x100m in 40 seconds flat, setting a new record and helping his team take home the dub. 

American rower Elle Logan put the state of Maine on her back during the Summer Olympics. She won gold in 2008 in Beijing, 2012 in London, and 2016 in Rio.

Michael Phelps needs no introduction. With his 28 Olympic medals, the legendary swimmer is nicknamed "The Baltimore Bullet" for a reason.

The sport of track and field has found a new "it girl." Gabby Thomas, whose hometown is Northampton, won five medals at the 2024 Summer Olympics, three of which were gold.

NBA superstar Devin Booker was born in Grand Rapids, Michigan, and the Michigander has two Olympic gold medals to his name. He won his first in 2020 in Tokyo and his second in 2024 in Paris.

Suni Lee has been a star gymnast since she was a little girl. Her biggest dream came true in 2020 when she won her first gold medal in Tokyo for the All-Around team event. Later, she'd win five additional medals: one gold, one silver, and three bronze.

Valerie Brisco-Hooks' name has been in the history books since her performance at the 1984 Olympics in Los Angeles. The track and field sprinter's fast speed has earned her three gold medals and one silver. Plus, she's still one of the fastest women to run the 400m in Olympic history.

In addition to his NBA championship ring, Jayson Tatum has a gold medal from the 2020 and 2024 Olympic games. Hopefully, he can continue his run in 2028 in Los Angeles. 

Pat Piney's Olympic run didn't last long; however, she didn't need it to. The 59-year-old became an icon when she was named the first Olympic gold medalist in the Air Rifle for Women contest in 1984 in Los Angeles.

Jordan Larson, from Fremont, Nebraska, represented Team USA on the women's volleyball team in 2012, 2016, 2020, and 2024. Since her Olympic debut, she's won one gold, two silver, and one bronze medal.

Although Connor wasn't born in Nevada, the BMX rider graduated from Green Valley in Henderson. In 2016, he became the first American to win the gold medal in the BMX Olympic contest. Pretty historic, right?

Like Phelps, Jenny Thompson is another Olympic swimmer that needs no introduction. She's secured 12 medals during her run — eight gold, three silver, and one bronze.

Like his partner Devin Booker, Bam Adebayo has two gold medals from the 2020 and 2024 Olympic Games. How many more might the NBA star add to his collection? 

If you need help understanding just how famous Trent Dimas is, all you need to know is that the Olympic gymnast won gold in 1992 and was inducted into the US Gymnastics Hall of Fame 10 years later.

We all know about Caitlyn Jenner. The Olympian, who is also a veteran reality star, won gold at the 1976 Summer Olympics in the decathlon contest.

Kaylyn Brown's fast speed and record-breaking performances landed her a spot on the 2024 Olympic track and field team. The sprinter won gold in the 4x400 meter relay and silver in the 4x400 meter mixed relay.

Jocelyne Lamoureux-Davidson and Monique Lamoureux-Morando are twin ice hockey players from North Dakota. They made their Olympic debut in 2010 and 2014, winning silver for Team USA. In 2018, their biggest wish came true when they snagged gold after their win against Canada.  

In addition to being a four-time NBA champion and four-time NBA MVP, LeBron James has four Olympic medals, including three gold and one bronze. They don't call him the greatest of all time for nothing.

Before there was Simone Biles, there was Shannon Miller. The Olympic gymnast has seven medals, including two gold from her performance at the 1996 Summer Games in Atlanta.

If you tuned into the 2024 Summer Olympics during the track and field events, you most likely heard the commentators talking about Ryan Crouser. The Portland native is a shotput beast, having won gold in 2016, 2020, and 2024.

Although Jonny Weir has no Olympic gold medals, he has been praised as Olympic royalty since his debut in 2006. The figure skater also made an appearance at the 2010 Winter Games before retiring shortly after. Since then, he's appeared on TV shows like Family Guy and often offers commentary as an analyst.

Sara DeCosta-Hayes was an ice hockey player in two Olympic Games. She and the rest of Team USA won two gold medals during the 1998 and 2002 Games.

In addition to having three WNBA MVP awards, two WNBA championships, and an NCAA championship, A'ja has two Olympic gold medals from the 2020 and 2024 Summer Games.

There aren't many Olympians from South Dakota, but there is Jana Lindsey. In fact, she was the second South Dakota native to make the US Winter Olympics Team. The American freestyle skier competed at the 2006 Games and returned in 2010, where she placed 17th.

Wilma Rudolph, from Saint Bethlehem, Tennessee, whose turbo jets awarded her the nickname The Black Gazelle, was the first American to win three gold medals in an Olympic year (1960) for the 100m, 200m, and 4x100 meter relay.

Texas has seen no greater Olympian than Simone Biles. The gymnast, who also has five skills named after her, has 11 medals, seven of which are gold.

Park City native Steven Holcomb joined Team USA for the 2010 Vancouver Winter Games, where he won gold in the four-person bobsledding race. He also won a bronze in 2014 for his work in the two-person bob-sleigh events. 

Ilona Maher has certainly made a name for herself as one of the toughest American rugby players the sport has ever seen. The Olympian competed in the 2020 Tokyo Games, where she posted a handful of TikToks that went viral; however, her big win came in 2024 when she and her teammates won bronze in Paris. 

Gabby Douglas defied the odds during her Olympic run. However, nothing will be better than her three gold medals from her time in the 2012 and 2016 Summer Games.

Although born in Oregon, Jordan Chiles grew up in Vancouver, Washington. The gymnast rose to fame as part of Team USA's silver-winning team in 2020. In 2024, she won gold with the rest of the team in Paris.

Mary Lou Retton had already become a household name when she won two bronze and two silver medals at the 1984 Los Angeles Olympics. However, she became a legend as the first American woman to win the gold medal in the all-around competition.

From Madison, Wisconsin, Eric Heiden was the most successful athlete during the 1980 Winter Olympics. That year, he won five gold medals in the 500m, 1000m, 1500m, 5000m, and 10,000m speed skating events.

As his autobiography Never Stop Pushing describes, Rulon Gardner grew up on a dairy farm in Wyoming, but he always had bigger dreams than that. In 2000, he stamped his name in the Olympic history books with his gold medal win in Sydney. He returned to the games in 2004, where he won bronze.