While the fate of the Tokyo Olympics seems unclear, we are sure that fans are excited to see what the gymnasts whip up. This must be one of the most popular sports in the games, which says a lot! In 2016, American gymnast Simone Biles had been the most decorated female competitor in Rio. She brought home four medals, one of which was gold. We can’t wait to see what she has planned for this iteration of the Olympics! The same goes for fellow US team standouts such as Olivia Greaves, Jordan Chiles, and Amari Drayton. It is always worth taking a look at the retired ones, however! Let us see where they are now.
Find Out What Our Favorite Olympic Gymnasts Have Been Up To Lately
Gabby Douglas – Then
This former “Fierce Five” member joined the 2012 Olympic Games in London. Gabby Douglas had been the first African-American gymnast to bring home an all-around Olympic gold! She was the sole member of the US team to participate in four events of the team’s all-around competition. Let us not forget that she also bagged gold medals in the team competitions during the 2016 Olympic Games in Rio de Janeiro.
Gabby Douglas – Then
Gabby Douglas – Now
The athlete revealed that she also suffered sexual abuse at the hands of Larry Nassar. Even though she no longer trained after the Rio Olympics, she did not announce her retirement right away. At any rate, she has kept herself busy by writing an autobiography, speaking at events, and launching a Barbie doll!
Gabby Douglas – Now
Shawn Johnson East – Then
A lot of people cannot believe that Shawn Johnson East only joined the Olympic games once. That was for the 2008 Olympics in Beijing. On top of that, she only has one gold medal to her name. This took them by surprise as she is one of the best-known gymnasts in the world! In 2009, she was declared the winner of the eighth season of Dancing with the Stars. It was an amazing feat as she was the youngest competitor of the show at the age of 17. She started to train for the 2012 Olympics, but she went on to announce that she was retiring because of her knee injury in June of the same year.
Shawn Johnson East – Then
Shawn Johnson East – Now
What has she been up to? Well, she has become a social media influencer who takes to YouTube to vlog about her life with Andrew East, her spouse. “We’re so happy to have you join us on our journey. We promise to bring you with us on all of our crazy adventures,” they said in a video. They have a little girl by the name of Drew! In January 2021, they announced that there was a second kid on the way.
Shawn Johnson East – Now
Shannon Miller – Then
With seven Olympic medals to her name, Shannon Miller is one of the most decorated gymnasts in the United States. She was also a part of the “Magnificent Seven” that bagged the gold model in the 1996 Olympics in Atlanta. She bagged five more in the 1992 Olympics in Barcelona and became the all-around champion during the Worlds in 1993. It would take us a lot of time to go on and on about all of them!
Shannon Miller – Then
Shannon Miller – Now
When she retired from the sport, Shannon Miller attended college and earned her law degree. She did not put it to use, however, and went on to work in broadcasting and give gymnastics clinics. At the age of 33, she found out that she had ovarian cancer. It was a good thing that they detected it early! She is now cancer-free and delivers motivational talks about her journey. We are impressed by the Shannon Miller Foundation, whose goal is to prevent childhood obesity. Though Shannon Millar Lifestyle, the former gymnast also works with different organizations in the hopes of promoting healthy habits and regular exercise. The list includes FARE (Food Allergy Research and Education) and Active Schools.
Shannon Miller – Now
Dominique Dawes – Then
Sometimes called “Awesome Dawesome” in the gymnastic community, Dominique Dawes made history as the first African-American to bag an Olympic gold medal in the sport. She was a member of the “Magnificent Seven,” which is the U.S. team that bagged the gold medal in the 1996 Olympics in Atlanta. Oh, and she was the only gymnast that saw her scores across eight events count toward her final score.
Dominique Dawes – Then
Dominque Dawes – Now
At the moment, Dominique Dawes is the proud owner of a gymnastic academy. Her goal is to inspire new athletes “in a safe, caring and uplifting environment.” She is a motivational speaker and has been on the Broadway stage. In the past, she was the co-chair for the Council on Fitness, Sports and Nutrition during the Obama presidency. She now has four kids with Jeff Thompson, her husband. He is a teacher.
Dominque Dawes – Now
Carly Patterson – Then
In the 2004 Olympics in Athens, Carly Patterson brought home the all-around gold. However, her win had been overshadowed by her performance in the team competition. The US team had been unable to defend its gold medal that year. Doctors also diagnosed her with a couple of bulging discs in the back. In the end, she was told to retire. Otherwise, she might suffer grave problems with mobility.
Carly Patterson – Then
Carly Patterson – Now
What did Carly Patterson do after her retirement? Well, she pursued her dreams of a music career and signed a deal with MusicMind Records in 2008! “Back to the Beginning,” her album, came out in 2009. Three years after that, she tied the knot with a strategic consultant by the name of Mark Cladwell. The two of them have three children together. The youngest one was born just this February!
Carly Patterson – Now
Peter Vidmar – Then
At the age of 18, Peter Vidmar qualified for the national team. Sadly, it was the same one that boycotted the 1980 Olympics in Moscow. After that, he enjoyed a great college career at UCLA. During his time there, he was the all-around champion at the NCAA during his senior year. He joined the 1984 Los Angeles Olympics and helped the national team bring home the all-around gold. He also scored a 10!
Peter Vidmar – Then
Peter Vidmar – Now
When he retired from his sports career, Peter Vidmar went on to serve as the U.S. Gymnastics Board of Directors chairman from 2008 to 2015. The next step was to be the mission president of the Church of Christ of Latter-day Saints in the land down under. He and Donna, his wife, have a total of five kids.
Peter Vidmar – Now
Mary Lou Retton – Then
In 1984, Mary Lou Retton blew everyone away with her historic performance at the Olympic Games in Los Angeles. It turned her into a global superstar! She also made history as the first American to bring home an individual gold medal in the sport. This was done by achieving a 10 in two events: floor and vault. In 1985, she secured the American Cup in Indianapolis. As if those things were not impressive enough, she was also the first gymnast to make it to the U.S. Olympic Hall of Fame.
Mary Lou Retton – Then
Mary Lou Retton – Now
In 1986, Mary Lou Retton retired from the sport at the tender age of 18. She went on to be a TV commentator, as well as a motivational speaker. You might have also seen her on the 27th season of Dancing with the Stars! She finished in 9th place in 2018. She is the mother of four girls, and one of them is a gymnast as well. Their father is a real estate developer called Shannon Kelley.
Mary Lou Retton – Now
Aly Raisman – Then
Without a doubt, Aly Raisman is among the most influential gymnasts in the history of the Olympics. She led the “Fierce Five” at the 2012 Olympic Games in London. Together with McKayla Maroney, Kyla Ross, Jordyn Wieber, and Gabby Douglas, she bagged the team gold. It was a first for the United States in nearly a decade. She also earned the gold medal in the individual floor exercise category. She also joined Dancing with the Stars a year after the Olympics. Even though she reached the finals, she finished in fourth. In 2016, she returned to the Olympics to compete in Rio de Janeiro.
Aly Raisman – Then
Aly Raisman – Now
In 2017, she joined other gymnasts by accusing the USA Gymnastics team doctor Larry Nassar of sexual abuse. The year after that, he was sentenced to spend as many as 175 years in prison on these charges. This was followed by 125 more years behind bars for other sexual assault charges. A lot of people were sad when Aly Raisman took to Instagram to share that she was retiring from the sport in January 2020.
Aly Raisman – Now
McKayla Maroney – Then
We are sure that this face looks familiar to you at the very least. McKayla Maroney sure made it big at the 2012 Olympic Games in London. While she helped the team win gold and bagged the silver medal for her individual vault performance, her facial expression earned more attention. She did not look very impressed when she heard that she earned second place. You might have used this meme in the past!
McKayla Maroney – Then
McKayla Maroney – Now
She did not disappear from the spotlight after that. In fact, McKayla Maroney was in a music video for Thirty Seconds to Mars and was a recurring star in Hart of Dixie. She was among those who accused Larry Nassar of sexual abuse. She also released a debut single called “Wake Up Call” in 2020.
McKayla Maroney – Now
Bart Conner – Then
Here is the only male gymnast from the United States to win gold at every single level of both national and international competitions. Bart Conner joined the Olympics three times. During the 1984 Olympics in Los Angeles, he had a dramatic comeback after his second injury with torn biceps. He impressed us all by winning two Olympic golds! He earned one of them by earning a score of ten on the parallel bars.
Bart Conner – Then
Bart Conner – Now
In 1996, he went on to marry a fellow Olympic champ called Nadia Comaneci. The two of them have a son called Dylan Conner. They are now involved in a couple of charities such as the executive board of Special Olympics International and a few sports organizations in Oklahoma City with the aim to promote sports and fitness among children. The couple also works as motivational speakers. They like to use their stories of becoming Olympians as a way to encourage and inspire other people.
Bart Conner – Now
Nastia Liukin – Then
Born to gymnastics champions Valeri Liukin and Anna Kotchneva, Nastia Liukin was almost made to be a gymnast! The child prodigy might have been too young to join the 2004 Olympics in Athens, but her scores at the U.S. Championships that year would have given her the third spot in the senior category. She got to represent the nation at the 2008 Olympics in Beijing. While the national team did not bring home the gold medal, she bagged five different ones. Among others, we have her individual all-around gold medal, her silver medal for the balance beam, and her bronze one on the floor.
Nastia Liukin – Then
Nastia Liukin – Now
She was 22 years old when she retired from the sport. Nastia Liukin wanted to focus on her business endeavors. The gymnast launched a tech platform that will help fellow female athletes get in touch with mentors, nutritionists, recruiters, and psychologists. She has since become an influencer who works with wellness, lifestyle, and fashion brands as well. She also launched a product for Volition Beauty in 2019!
Nastia Liukin – Now
Jamie Dantzscher – Then
It was hard to find a more famous gymnast than Jamie Dantzscher in the early ‘00s. She helped the US team get the fourth place at the 2000 Olympics in Sydney. A decade after this, the team bagged the bronze medal when it came out that the Chinese team had been dishonest about the ages of its members. She went on to compete in the NCAA when she attended UCLA and bagged gold in seven championships.
Jamie Dantzscher – Then
Jamie Dantzscher – Now
Did you know that she was the first one to go on record about the sexual abuse she suffered at the hands of Larry Nassar? Jamie Dantzscher talked about it in a Netflix documentary called Athlete A as well. You should watch it if you want to learn more about it! She now has a YouTube channel called “From Inside Out.” Make sure to check it out when you have the time!
Jamie Dantzscher – Now
Alicia Sacramone – Then
At the age of 11, Alicia Sacramone began to compete. She became a part of the US team the year after that. She joined the 2008 Olympics in Beijing and earned a silver medal during the games. The gymnast proved her worth by winning ten World Championship medals. At the moment, she is considered the second most decorated gymnast in the history of the United States!
Alicia Sacramone – Then
Alicia Sacramone – Now
In 2013, Alicia Sacramone quit the sport after she was not chosen to be a member of the national team for the 2012 Olympics. She went on to marry Brady Quinn, the former QB of the St. Louis Rams. In 2016, the lovely couple welcomed a daughter into the world. They have since had two more!
Alicia Sacramone – Now
Jordyn Wieber – Then
When she was 17 years old, Jordyn Wieber made up the “Fierce Five” at the 2012 Olympics in London. She had been the reigning all-around world champion at the time! During the qualification round, she finished fourth but could not join the final as her teammates Gabby Douglas and Aly Raisman scored better. She went on to study psychology at UCLA when the Olympic games wrapped up.
Jordyn Wieber – Then
Jordyn Wieber – Now
She was the first member of “The Fierce Five” to leave the world of competitive gymnastics behind her. Jordyn Wieber also revealed that Larry Nassar sexually abused her. She testified against him and the USA Gymnastics on the Senate floor in 2018. The year after that, she started working as the head coach of the gymnastics team of the Arkansas Razorbacks.
Jordyn Wieber – Now
Simone Biles – Then
It is pretty impressive to hear that Simone Biles joined the gymnastics world at the age of 6. She is now a certified superstar in the sport! She spent her formative years in the foster system. Luckily, her grandparents adopted her and encouraged her to keep training. In 2013, she scored a spot on the national team and became the all-around champion in the senior category at the P&G Gymnastics Championships. She went on to win five medals at the Rio Olympics. Four of those were gold, which makes it even more impressive in our eyes.
Simone Biles – Then
Simone Biles – Now
The gymnast is set to go back to the mat in the Tokyo Olympics. As we all know, it was postponed due to the pandemic. In April, Simon Biles appeared on The Tonight Show and informed Jimmy Fallon that she had a “down and dirty” training schedule for the Olympic games. The young woman also had great advice for all of the viewers. She said, “Just dream big, and dream bigger after that because you never know where your dream will take you.” Make sure to follow in her steps and pursue your dreams! We can’t wait to see what this extraordinary woman will do next. You can just tell that she is made for greatness both as a gymnast and otherwise.
Simone Biles – Now