American retired competitive swimmer Mark Spitz would not only become an outstanding Olympian and gold medalist, but he would forge on to set world records in seven of his events. He was a nine-time Olympic champion. Only Michael Phelps would break his record of winning seven gold medals during the 1972 Summer Olympics.
Perhaps Mark Spitz could have achieved more before he decided to retire after the Munich Olympics. He was only 22 years old at the time. He tried his hand at show business, worked as a commentator, and focused on his real estate business, and other entrepreneurial projects. He continues to travel around the world to give lectures based on his Olympic experiences.
Natalie Coughlin
American competitive swimmer Natalie Coughlin must have a huge room to stow all her medals and certificates. While studying at the University of California, Berkeley, she set a record in the 100 m backstrokes by being the first woman to complete it in less than a minute. Six years after that, she won six Olympic gold medals during the 2008 Summer Olympics, the first American female to do so in a single Olympiad.
Coughlin has won a grand total of 60 medals, all from international events. Thanks to her glitzy sports career, she’s become a brand ambassador. Her name is practically synonymous with victory. She’s also a business investor in a food corporation.
Kerri Walsh Jennings
During her college years at Stanford University, Kerri Walsh Jennings was considered to be among the best all-around players ever in collegiate volleyball. Her skills improved as she transitioned into beach volleyball, where she became a three-time Olympic gold medalist.
Along with her partner, Misty-May Treanor, the duo is considered to be the “Greatest Beach Volleyball Team” in history. Kerri Walsh continues to compete, and she also makes appearances on film and television. She holds a record for women’s career earnings — $2,561,635.
Nancy Kerrigan
Nancy Kerrigan is a famous former figure skater who won a bronze medal in the 1992 Winter Olympics, and a silver medal in the 1994 Winter Olympics. She also placed third in the World Championships in 1991. But perhaps Nancy Kerrigan will always be mentioned alongside her US rival Tonya Harding, whose ex-husband had orchestrated an attack against her.
The incident became highly publicized as a man hit her with a baton and hurt her knee. This was intentionally sabotaged and missed her chances of winning the figure skating competition. But Kerrigan would recover just in time to participate and earn a medal in 1994. In 2017, she took part in 'Dancing with the Stars', in Season 24. She also appears as a guest on various TV shows.
Nadia Comăneci
Retired Romanian gymnast Nadia Comăneci overcame many hardships but eventually became the first-ever gymnast to be awarded a perfect score in the Olympics. She was credited for making gymnastics a more popular sport in the international scene, and she went on to become a five-time Olympic gold medalist and a four-time world champion.
Nadia has lived in the US since 1989 and is married to Bart Conner, who was also an Olympic gold medalist gymnast. They own the Bart Conner Gymnastics Academy, several sports shops, and a production company.