Michelle Kwan to Apolo Ohno: Where are your favorite former Winter Olympics stars now?
The 2022 Winter Olympics in Beijing are here, with Friday's opening ceremony kicking off the games.
The Winter Olympics will draw viewers from around the world as fans tune in to watch their favorite events, from snowboarding to figure skating, hockey and more. Viewers will cheer for their long-time favorite athletes while discovering new stars.
But the games might also remind viewers of past Winter Olympians who brought home medals or made Olympics history. If you're wondering about your favorite former Winter Olympics athlete, here's a look at some of the biggest names who have competed in past games.
Vonetta Flowers
Flowers won the gold medal for bobsledding in the two-woman event at the 2002 Winter Olympics in Salt Lake City. She made history with the victory, becoming the first Black athlete from any country to win gold in the Winter Olympics.
Flowers also competed in the 2006 Winter Olympics in Turin, Italy, coming in sixth place. Since her time in the Olympics, she was named to the Alabama Sports Hall of Fame and is serving as an honorary co-chair of the 2022 World Games, among other accomplishments.
She and her husband, Johnny Flowers, have three sons – Jaden, Jackson and Jorden.
Dorothy Hamill
Hamill won a gold medal for the ladies' singles at the 1976 Winter Olympics in Innsbruck, Austria. She later skated professionally.
She was appointed to the President's Council on Sports, Fitness and Nutrition and carried the Olympic torch during the opening ceremonies of the Salt Lake City 2002 Winter Games.
She has a daughter, Alexandra, and married John MacColl in 2009.
Eric Heiden
Heiden, a former speed skater, won five gold medals during the 1980 Winter Olympics in Lake Placid, New York, and became the first to win all five speedskating events.
After his skating career, he became a cyclist and practiced as an orthopedic surgeon. He met his wife, Karen Drews, while they were both students at Stanford University. They have a daughter, Zoe.
Michelle Kwan
Kwan, one of the most famous American figure skaters, won a silver medal at the 1998 Winter Olympics and bronze at the 2002 games. Between Olympic Games, world championships and other titles, she is the most decorated figure skater in U.S. history.
But Kwan's accomplishments go far beyond the ice. She was named the first American public diplomacy envoy in 2006 by then-Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice, and she also served in former President Obama's administration. Last year, President Biden said he would nominate Kwan to be ambassador to Belize.
Earlier this year, she announced that she welcomed her first child, Kalista.
Bode Miller
Miller, a five-time Olympian, won six medals in the Winter Olympics, including one gold, three silver and two bronze. The former skier married former professional volleyball player Morgan Miller in 2012 and is father to eight children.
Miller with his family established the Turtle Ridge Foundation in 2005. The organization seeks to "support youth & adaptive sports programs," offer "the opportunity for our disabled community and young people to participate in a variety of sports" and more, according to its website.
Miller's daughter, Emeline, died in a tragic drowning accident when she was 19 months old. Since their daughter's death, the Millers have advocated for water safety, including working with the American Academy of Pediatrics.
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Apolo Anton Ohno
Ohno, a speed skater, is the most-decorated American at the Winter Olympics, with eight medals won across three Olympic Games.
Ohno won the fourth season of "Dancing with the Stars" and has worked as a speaker, sports analyst and more since retiring from speed skating. He is also a New York Times best-selling author.
Ohno is engaged to Bianca Stam, a model, actress and restaurant owner.
Debi Thomas
Thomas, a figure skater, won a bronze medal in the 1988 Winter Olympics in Calgary, Canada, becoming the first Black athlete to win a medal at the Winter Olympics. She was also selected to serve as part of the U.S. Delegation at the opening ceremonies of the 2006 Winter Olympics in Turin, Italy.
Thomas's career extended beyond skating, and she became a practicing orthopedic surgeon after her Olympic triumph.
However, she later had to close her medical practice due to bankruptcy, the Holland Sentinel reported. She also told the outlet she is living with her fiancé, Jamie Looney, and his two sons.
She was previously married to Chris Bequette, and they have one son, Luc.
Lindsey Vonn
Vonn, one of the most decorated U.S. female skiers in history with two bronze medals and a gold medal, retired in 2019 in the wake of a string of injuries. But she told USA TODAY, "I think in a lot of ways it made it easier that my decision was kind of made for me, in the sense that my body really was telling me that that enough was enough."
She released a memoir titled "Rise" earlier this year. She is the founder of the Lindsey Vonn Foundation, which "provides scholarships and programming for education, sports, and enrichment programs to give future generations the tools they need to reach their goals and discover their grit within," according to its website.
Vonn split from her fiancé, professional hockey player P.K. Subban, in 2020.
Kristi Yamaguchi
Yamaguchi won a gold medal for figure skating in the 1992 Winter Olympics in Albertville, France, becoming the first Asian American person to win the top prize in figure skating.
In 1996, she established the Always Dream Foundation, which "ensures children from low‑income families have access to high‑quality books in the home environment and extensive family engagement support," according to the organization's website. She has also written multiple books, including the children's book "Dream Big, Little Pig," won the sixth season of "Dancing with the Stars" and served as a skating analyst.
Yamaguchi married former professional hockey player Bret Hedican in 2000, and the couple has two daughters.
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