With a spectacular closing ceremony on August 11, the 2024 Paris Olympics entered the history books. We’ve checked out the International Olympic Committee and major media outlets to bring you our picks for the most famous athletes who grabbed the world spotlight with their jaw-dropping performances and camera-charming personalities. Let this serve to inspire you to up your own physical fitness game, to support youth sports in your community for future Olympians, and to be on the lookout for collector-worthy memorabilia that may bring some Olympic gold to your investment portfolio.
24/7 Wall St. Insights
- Some athletes went into the Paris Olympics as well-known personalities; others have won instant fame by their stellar performance in the Games.
- Less than 5% of Olympic athletes are able to parlay their temporary fame into long-lasting financial success. Sponsorships and endorsements are key.
- Also: Discover “The Next NVIDIA
Fame Does Not Equal Riches
It’s been said that people strive for their “15 minutes of fame,” and that timeframe is not that far off. The stars of today are all too often forgotten tomorrow. How many then-famous Olympians can you name from previous Games?
Corporate sponsorships and endorsements, speaking or teaching opportunities, media rights, and selling their Olympic memorabilia are some of the ways an Olympic medalist can extend and capitalize on their fame. Combined with a smart investment strategy, they can become quite wealthy. Michael Phelps, for instance, is floating around on 100 million dollars, while Shaun White surfs on $65 million. Less than 5% of Olympic athletes bring in these kinds of financial rewards, though. The rest have to hit the want ads and get jobs. But you have to admit, being an Olympic athlete does look good on a resume.
Next up are some of the most famous athletes from the 2024 Paris Olympics.
12. Ma Long (China)
Without question, China’s Ma Long is the best table tennis player in the world: a 3-time World champion and now a 6-time Olympic champion. In Paris, Ma Long defeated Sweden to win his 6th Olympic gold—the most medals in table tennis anyone has ever won. Going into the event, this was expected to be the 35-year-old’s last Olympics, but who knows? Maybe he has a taste for a 7th medal in L.A.
11. Ariarne Titmus (Australia)
Ariarne Titmus is a record-breaking swimmer from Australia with numerous accolades for her efforts, including 8 Olympic medals. Her haul from Paris included two gold and two silver medals. Originally from Tasmania, Titmus moved to Brisbane for better training opportunities. Since the 2032 Summer Olympics will be held there, Titumus will be well-positioned for a “home court” advantage.
10. Neeraj Chopra (India)
In the Tokyo Olympics of 2020. Neeraj Chopra became the first Indian track-and-field athlete to score a gold medal. In Paris, he added a silver to his collection for a throw of 89.45 m (293.5 ft). His second-place showing stings a bit for Indian fans, as he was bested by Arshad Nadeem of Pakistan, India’s international rival. However, this doesn’t diminish Chopra’s acclaim among his fans in India and around the world.
9. Eliud Kipchoge (Kenya)
Winning one marathon is a remarkable achievement, but winning 15 is unbelievable. Kenya’s Eliud Kipchoge has done just that, as well as snagging two gold medals in the Olympics: bronze in Athens in 2004, and silver in Beijing in 2008. And in 2019 he became the first person to complete a marathon in less than two hours, though it was not recorded as an official world record because it was not run under open marathon conditions. Unfortunately, the gold eluded him in Paris as he had to drop out of the race due to a back injury. At 39 years old, it remains to be seen if Kipchoge has another Olympic marathon in him, but nonetheless, he has secured a place in history as one of the world’s fastest and and most enduring runners.
8. Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce (Jamaica)
Running for Jamaica, Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce has competed in 5 Olympic Games. She won a career total of 8 Olympic medals for 100m, 200m, and 4x100m relays, including three gold medals, four silver, and a bronze. Having announced that 2024 would be her last Olympics, fans were hopeful she could finish her career with another gold. However, due to an injury, she withdrew from the 100m semi-final and did not participate in the 4x100m relay final. Shelly-Ann and her fans were disappointed, but she has an illustrious 16-year Olympic career to look back on with pride.
7. Victor Wembanyama (France)
Host country France fielded an athlete tall enough to detract attention from the Eiffel Tower. Victor Wembanyama was born into a family of tall basketball players, but none who came to his towering height of 7 feet 4 inches. Born in Belgium and naturalized as a French citizen, Wembanyama plays for the San Antonio Spurs and was named NBA Rookie of the Year. He also played for the French Olympic team, helping them take the silver in a legendary game against the likes of Steph Curry, LeBron James, and Kevin Durant.
6. Naomi Osaka (Japan)
Naomi Osaka is a tennis legend, having won four Grand Slams. She is one of the most recognizable and highest-paid female athletes in the world. Her star power was evident at the 2021 Tokyo Olympics, where she was chosen to be the final torchbearer for the opening ceremony. Her performance was disappointing there, though, as she took only 9th place in the singles competition.
Osaka took 15 months off due to her first child’s birth but returned to training in 2024 to compete in Paris. She still seemed seriously off her game, though, ultimately defeated by Angelique Kerber of Germany 7-5, 6-3 in first-round straight sets. No doubt, a world-class competitor like Osaka will rise to the challenge to reclaim her top spot in the sport.
5. Tom Daley (Great Britain)
With movie star looks, pro diver Tom Daley can’t help but be famous. Although he is only 30 years old, Paris is his 5th Olympic Games. He snagged three bronze medals for Team Great Britain in 2012, 2016, and 2020 and finally hit gold in Tokyo for the men’s synchronized 10m platform event. In Paris, he’s going home with a silver medal for the same event. After his victory, Daley announced that he would be retiring from competition—a sad decision for his fans, but one that will enable him to prioritize his family.
4. Sky Brown (Great Britain)
British-Japanese skateboarder Sky Brown won her first Olympic medal in Tokyo in 2020 when she was only 13, becoming the UK’s youngest-ever Olympic medalist. Subsequently, she became a social media sensation with over 1.3 million Instagram followers. Now 16, her skateboarding skills won her third-place bronze in the Women’s Park Final.
3. Novak Djokovic (Serbia)
Going into this year’s Olympics, Serbian Novak Djokovic already had 24 Grand Slam titles, making him the winningest tennis player in history, yet he had never won an Olympics. In Paris, the 37-year-old finally reached that milestone, defeating a much younger Carlos Alcaraz to bring home the gold medal. But he’s not done yet. He hopes to return to the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics in four years in a match that is sure to draw intense fan interest.
2. Simone Biles (United States)
Even if you haven’t been paying attention at all to this year’s Games, it’s impossible not to hear the name Simone Biles. People love an underdog story. An artistic gymnast, Biles withdrew from most of the Tokyo Games four years ago because of a mental block called the “twisties,” which causes a gymnast to lose spatial awareness while in mid-air. She came back in a major way in Paris, winning gold medals for the women’s artistic individual all-around, women’s vault, and as part of the women’s team all-around. She also won a silver medal for her floor exercise. This gives her a career total of 11 Olympic medals!
1. Steph Curry, LeBron James, and Kevin Durant (United States)
LeBron James was back for his fourth Olympics, along with basketball greats Steph Curry, Kevin Durant, and others on Team USA. At 39 years old, LeBron showed why his nickname is “King James,” earning 14 points, 10 assists, 6 rebounds, 2 steals, and 1 block against France and being named MVP. The three stars led their team to victory over France, 96-87, and took home well-deserved gold.
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