Since 1983, 206 athletes, teams and special contributors have been inducted to the United States Olympic Hall of Fame.


Take a look at some of the most notable inductees.

Class of 2008
Dubbed the "Magnificent Seven" heading into the 1996 Olympic Games, the U.S. women's gymnastics team had high expectations. With a dramatic clinching vault from Kerri Strug -- who earned a 9.712 score despite performing on a badly sprained ankle -- the Americans became the first non-Soviet bloc nation to win team gold at either the World Championships or Olympics since 1950. The U.S. squad -- comprised of Amanda Borden, Amy Chow, Dominique Dawes, Shannon Miller, Dominique Moceanu, Jaycie Phelps and Strug -- earned an overall score of 389.225, edging out the Russians by 0.821 and the Romanians by 0.979.

Class of 2008
The 1984 Summer Games featured the first Olympic women's marathon. Joan Benoit had staked her claim as a top contender with impressive Boston Marathon victories in 1979 and in 1983 (when she set the world record), but her hopes of a win took a huge hit when she had to undergo arthroscopic surgery on her knee just 17 days before Olympic trials that year. She overcame that injury to win gold with a time of 2:24.52, finishing more than a minute ahead of her nearest competitors.

Class of 2008
Six years after he became the first American to land a triple axel in competition, Brian Boitano edged out Brian Orser in the "Battle of the Brians" and won Olympic gold. The rivalry between the two skaters had been growing since 1978, and the 1988 Games featured both competing at the highest level. Boitano led after the compulsory figures, but Orser won the short program, so whichever skater won the long program would take gold. In a 5-4 split, Boitano was awarded first place. It was his only Olympic medal in three Games, but Boitano also was a four-time U.S. champion and two-time world champion.

Class of 2008
Although the Cubans dominated the ring in the 1992 Summer Games, 19-year-old Oscar de la Hoya was the bright spot for the American team. Fueled by a promise he had made to his mother before she died two years earlier, de la Hoya took gold in the 132-pound division. His victory came courtesy a 7-2 score against Germany's Marco Rudolph, the fighter who had defeated him at World Championships the previous year. De la Hoya finished his amateur career with a record of 223 wins (163 of which were by knockouts) and five losses.

Class of 2008
A four-year starter and four-time All America selection in indoor volleyball at UCLA, Karch Kiraly became a member of the U.S. national team soon after graduating in 1982. Kiraly, nicknamed the "Thunderball in Volleyball," helped his team claim gold both in 1984 and as the team's captain in 1988. He retired from indoor action soon after, but that wasn't the end of his Olympics career. Kiraly won gold again in 1996, this time in beach volleyball with partner Kent Steffes in the event's inaugural year at the Summer Games, becoming the only volleyball player in Olympic history to claim three gold medals. Kiraly was honored as the "greatest volleyball player of the century" by the international volleyball federation.

Class of 2008
No American athlete has competed in more Olympics than J. Michael Plumb. The eight-time Olympic equestrian was named to every Olympic three-day team from 1960 to 1984 and has six medals during that time: team eventing gold in 1976 and 1984, team eventing silver in 1964, 1968 and 1972 and an individual silver in 1976. His first medal in 1964 was especially impressive, as it came on a horse he had never previously ridden. No other equestrian has been inducted into the U.S. Olympic Hall of Fame.

Class of 2008
The only U.S. men's basketball player to compete on three Olympic teams, David Robinson has two gold medals (1992 and 1996) and a bronze (1988). While on the U.S. national team, he helped the team to a 61-6 overall record. One of the top centers of his time, Robinson will be inducted into the Basketball Hall of Fame in 2009. He was a member of the U.S. Olympic Hall of Fame Class of 2008.

Class of 2008
Amy Van Dyken made a splash in her Olympic debut in Atlanta in 1996, becoming the first American woman to win four golds at one Games. Her victories came in the 50m freestyle, 100m butterfly, 4x100m freestyle relay and 4x100m medley relay. Van Dyken wasn't finished there, as she went on to win two more golds in 2000: the 4x100m freestyle relay and the 4x100m medley relay. Van Dyken had started swimming not with the intention of competing in the Olympics but because a doctor recommended it as a way to strengthen her lungs to prevent severe asthma attacks.

Class of 2008
Eight years after winning five medals in his Paralympic Games debut in 1984, John Morgan topped that performance in 1992 in Barcelona. Competing as a visually impaired swimmer, Morgan won eight gold medals and two silver medals while setting six world records and two Paralympic records.

Class of 2006
When Tim Daggett earned a perfect 10.0 on the horizontal bar, the U.S. men's gymnastics squad earned its place in history by becoming the first U.S. team to win the Olympic team gold. They edged out defending world champions China by 0.6. It was a strong team effort from the Americans -- Bart Conner, Daggett, Mitch Gaylord, Jim Hartung, Scott Johnson and Peter Vidmar -- with Gaylord leading the way. His 59.45 score in the team competition set a U.S. record.

Class of 2006
The first American woman to break 11.0 seconds for the 100m and 22.0 seconds for the 200m, Evelyn Ashford claimed four gold medals and one silver medal in the five Olympics in which she competed. Her first success came in 1984, when she won the 100m dash and anchored the gold-medal winning 4x100m relay. She won two more gold medals in the 4x100m relay, in 1988 and 1992. When the 35-year-old Ashford won gold with her teammates in Barcelona, she became the oldest woman to ever come in first in track.

Class of 2006
Herb Brooks was given a group of college-aged ice hockey players, and he turned them into one of the best Olympic underdog stories ever. The last player cut from the 1960 U.S. Olympic hockey team, Brooks went on to play for the U.S. team in 1964 and as the team's captain in 1968 before taking over coaching duties for the 1980 squad. He and his players engineered the "Miracle on Ice," beating the highly favored USSR team in the semifinals before winning the gold medal. Brooks later won a silver medal in 2002. When the U.S. Olympic Hall of Fame added the new category of "coach" for the 2006 class of inductees, Brooks was the first coach honored.

Class of 2006
After beginning his career at the age of 19 as an Olympic researcher at ABC Sports, Dick Ebersol has gone on to revolutionize the way the Olympics are broadcast to the general public. Under his direction, the 2008 Beijing Olympics became the most-viewed event in U.S. TV history. NBCOlympics.com also offered a record 2,200 live hours of coverage online. Named Chairman of NBC Universal Sports & Olympics in 2004, Ebersol, who has been in involved in 18 Olympic telecasts, successfully negotiated a deal to make NBC Universal the home of the Olympics through 2012. In 1992, Ebersol was awarded the "Olympic Order," the IOC's highest honor.

Class of 2006
Rowdy Gaines finished his Olympic career with three gold medals, but he could have won many more. After setting world records in the 100m and 200m freestyles in 1980 Gaines was a favorite for that year's Olympics, but the boycott of Moscow's Games meant he would have no platform to showcase his talent. In 1984, his Olympic dreams finally came true in Los Angeles, as he won the 100m freestyle and swam the anchor leg for the gold-medal winning 4x100m freestyle and 4x100m medley teams. Gaines now works as a broadcaster for swimming events.

Class of 2006
While "Bullet" Bob Hayes' gold medal-winning 100m dash in 1964 was impressive -- he tied the world record of 10.05 seconds and beat the field by a full four meters -- his performance in the men's 100m relay is even more striking. Running the anchor leg, when he received the baton he trailed a few other squads by several meters. Not only did he quickly overtake the field, but he also went on to beat the second-place finisher by three meters. Competing with the Dallas Cowboys in 1972, Hayes became the only man in history to earn both Olympic gold and a Super Bowl ring.

Class of 2006
Despite dislocating her elbow just four months before the 1992 Games, Shannon Miller refused to give up her Olympic hopes. Instead, she competed at an extremely high level, becoming the first American to qualify for all four individual event finals at the Olympics and winning two silver medals and three bronzes. As a veteran on the 1996 "Magnificent Seven" squad, she won gold both with her team and on the balance beam. She retired from gymnastics as the most decorated American gymnast with seven Olympic medals and nine World Championships.

Class of 2006
The first American to take two gold medals at the same Olympics, Jack Shea won both the 500- and 1,500-meter speedskating events at the 1932 Olympic Winter Games. The Games would have been memorable for him even without the two wins; Shea had been chosen to read the Olympic oath at the Opening Ceremonies. While it was the only Olympics in which he competed (choosing not to go to Germany in 1936 because of the wishes of numerous Lake Placid residents who opposed Adolf Hitler), Shea's son and grandson were members of Team USA in 1964 and 2002, respectively.

Class of 2006
After starting to skate as a young child as physical therapy for her club feet, Kristi Yamaguchi went on to capture the sport's greatest honor: a gold medal. Yamaguchi first distinguished herself as a pairs skater before deciding to focus on singles. It was Yamaguchi's artistry and triple-triple combinations that set her apart from the field in the 1992 Winter Games, as she won the gold despite making a few miscues in her free program. She became the first gold medal-winning American woman in skating since Dorothy Hamill.

Class of 2004
Women's soccer made its debut in the 1996 Games, and the U.S. national team made it a tournament to remember. Advancing into the knockout stages with a record of 2-0-1, the Americans escaped a tight semifinal match against Norway that was decided in a sudden-death overtime period. Goals from Shannon MacMillan and Tiffeny Milbrett gave the U.S. a 2-1 victory over China in the gold-medal match. The starters in the championship match were Briana Scurry, Brandi Chastain, Carla Overbeck, Joy Fawcett, Kristine Lilly, Julie Foudy, Tisha Venturini, MacMillan, Mia Hamm, Michelle Akers and Milbrett.

Class of 2004
A member of Team USA in 1984, 1988 and 1992, Matt Biondi finished his Olympic career with 11 medals, eight of which were gold. Biondi was a surprise qualifier for the 4x100m freestyle relay team in 1984, but he and his teammates went on to win the gold medal in world record time. In 1988, he set four world records (three in relays and one in the 50m freestyle) en route to five golds, one silver and one bronze medal. Making his final Olympic appearance in 1992, Biondi went out in style with gold medals in the 400m freestyle relay and the 400m medley relay and a silver in the 50m freestyle.

Class of 2004
The most decorated U.S. athlete ever at the Winter Olympics, four-time Olympian Bonnie Blair has five gold medals and one bronze medal in speedskating. The 1984 Games, during which she was 19 years old, was the only Olympics that Blair left without a gold. In 1988, 1992 and 1994, Blair pulled off an unprecedented three-peat in the 500 meters event. After coming in third in the 1,000 meters in 1988, Blair surged to gold in the event in both 1992 and 1994, winning by a record 1.38 seconds the second time.

Class of 2004
Alice Coachman's rise to gold medal winner is especially impressive considering her start in track and field. Unable to compete in organized sports growing up in a rural segregated South, she began jumping over things on the playground. When she competed in the national championships, she broke the high school and collegiate high jump records without wearing shoes because she couldn't afford any. Although she dominated the sport from 1939 to 1948, she was only able to compete in one Olympics because World War II cancelled the events in 1940 and 1944. In London in 1948, Coachman overcame severe back spasms to become the first black woman to win Olympic gold. She was the only American woman to win an event that year.

Class of 2004
Although smaller than many of her competitors, Janet Evans used her seemingly inexhaustible energy and an unorthodox stroke to become one of the best swimmers of her era. In the 1988, 1992 and 1996 Games, Evans won four individual gold medals: 400m freestyle (breaking her own world record by four seconds), 400m individual medley and 800m freestyle in 1988 and the 800m freestyle in 1992. She also won a silver in the 400m freestyle that year. Although she didn't medal in 1996, she was given one of the competition's greatest honors: carrying the torch in the Opening Ceremonies and passing it off to Muhammad Ali. When she retired from the sport, Evans held seven world records; her world record time in the 800m freestyle was one of the longest standing ever in the sport, lasting from 1989 to 2008.

Class of 2004
Bursting onto the national stage with a silver medal in the 200m sprint at the 1984 Olympics, Florence Griffith Joyner was as well known for her track and field success as she was for her unique style. She won three golds -- 100m, 200m and 4x100m relay -- and one silver -- 4x400m relay -- in 1988, before retiring from the sport soon after. She still holds the world records in both the 100m and 200m sprints, and only Marion Jones has broken the 21.70-second mark since Flo-Jo went 21.34 in the 200m in the final at the 1988 Games.

Class of 2004
Although one of the best speedskaters of his era, Dan Jansen's Olympic career was characterized primarily by heartbreak. It was at his second Games in 1988 that he learned his sister had died of leukemia and fell in both the 500m and 1,000m events. A favorite again in 1992, he once again left disappointed with a fourth in the 500m and 26th in the 1,000m. In 1994, Jansen finished eighth in the 500m and had just one more chance to medal. He made the most of that opportunity, setting a world record in his gold medal-winning performance.

Class of 2004
Four-time Olympian Jackie Joyner-Kersee won two gold medals and a silver medal in heptathlon and a gold and two bronze medals in the long jump. Her 7,291 points in the heptathlon in 1988 still stands as the world record. Her final medal -- a 1996 bronze in the long jump -- came despite the fact that she had an injured hamstring that had caused her to withdraw from the hepthahlon.

Class of 2004
The first Paralympian to be inducted in the U.S. Olympic Hall of Fame, part of the Class of 2004, Randy Snow competed in three different sports and won medals in each. He is the only athlete ever to accomplish such a feat. In the 1,500m exhibition race in the 1984 Olympics, Snow came in second. He won the track gold at the Paralympics that year. Eight years later, in Barcelona in 1992, Snow won Paralympic tennis gold medals in both singles and doubles. His final medal came in men's basketball in Atlanta in 1996. Prior to the event, Snow was honored by receiving the Paralympic torch from President Bill Clinton.

Class of 1992
Not only did Dick Fosbury win a gold medal in the high jump in the 1968 Games in Mexico City, but he also revolutionized the sport. Fosbury wasn't a fan of the traditional "straddle" method of jumping, so he began experimenting with different jump styles when he was just 16. He finally settled on turning his back to the bar and jumping face-up with his legs together. The "Fosbury Flop" helped him break the Olympic and American records in 1968 with a jump of 7 feet and 4.25 inches. Virtually every high jumper since then has used his technique.

Class of 1992
In a 16-month stretch between 1930 and 1931, Helene Madison broke 16 world records in swimming. That success made her a heavy favorite at the 1932 Games, where she won gold in the 100m freestyle, 400m freestyle and 4x100m freestyle. Because she appeared in two films following the Los Angeles Olympics, she was deemed a professional and not allowed to participate in the Games in 1936.

Class of 1992
After earning a spot on the U.S. ski team at the age of 15, Phil Mahre went on to become one of the best American skiers ever. A three-time Olympian, Mahre won a silver medal in slalom in 1980 and won gold in the discipline in 1984, just edging out twin brother Steve. Winning the gold medal wasn't the only momentous thing that happened to Mahre that day; right before the medal ceremony he found out his wife had given birth to a son. Mahre finished his career with 27 World Cup race wins, second only to Bode Miller in the U.S. record books.

Class of 1991
At the 1984 Summer Olympics, Bart Conner won both an individual gold medal on the parallel bars and a team gold medal. He almost didn't make it onto the squad, as he tore his left biceps in December of the previous year and was only able to compete in one of the two qualifying events. The United State Gymnastics Federation still named him to the team, however, a decision that paid off. Conner scored a perfect 10 on the parallel bars in the team competition and then scored another perfect 10 to win the individual gold in the event.

Class of 1991
After Dorothy Hamill's gold medal-winning performance in the 1976 Olympics, the fans threw so many flowers on the ice that three girls had to help her collect and carry them. The judges were similarly impressed, unanimously awarding her the gold.

Class of 1991
One year after winning the 100m and 200m events in the 1919 Inter-Allied Games, Charley Paddock (left) went for gold at the 1920 Olympic Games in Antwerp. He took gold in the 100m and 4x100m relay, showing off his unique finishing technique of leaping toward the finish line. He also claimed the silver medal in the 200m, a feat he repeated in Paris in 1924. Although he competed in the 1928 Games as well, Paddock left without a medal. Paddock is immortalized in the 1981 film Chariots of Fire, in which he's shown as British runner Harold Abrahams' rival.

Class of 1991
A member of the 1984 gold medal-winning gymnastics team, Peter Vidmar also claimed two individual medals at the Los Angeles Games. By taking silver in the men's all-around event, Vidmar became the first American ever to win an Olympic gymnastics medal. He finished just .025 points out of gold. In the pommel horse, his score of 19.95 tied him with China's Li Ning for gold.

Class of 1990
The three medals Tracy Caulkins won at the 1984 Olympics were all gold. After missing out on her chance to compete in 1980 due to the U.S. boycott, Caulkins maintained her high competitive level and prepared herself for 1984. In Los Angeles, she captured wins in the 200m medley (bettering the Olympic record by nearly 12 seconds), 400m medley (setting a U.S. record and touching the wall 15 meters ahead of the second-place finisher) and 4x100m medley relay.

Class of 1990
Heading into the 1968 Olympics, George Foreman boasted a perfect amateur record of 18-0. Foreman continued that streak in Mexico City, winning the gold medal in the heavyweight division. In the final, he beat his Soviet opponent in the second round. When Foreman became a professional in 1969, he had an amateur record of 27-0.

Class of 1990
In 1976, Scott Hamilton nearly had to quit skating because the cost of training was too high. With financial support he was able to continue his dream, and he was chosen to carry the American flag in the opening ceremony of the 1980 Games. After finishing fifth there, he came back to the Olympics in 1984, this time winning gold.

Class of 1990
The only weightlifter ever to set world records in four different weightlifting classes (lightweight, middleweight, light-heavyweight and middle-heavyweight), Tommy Kono claimed Olympic medals in three different divisions. After being introduced to the sport while at a Japanese internment camp during World War II, Kono won his first gold in 1952 as a lightweight. Four years later in Melbourne, he competed in the light-heavyweight division and earned his second gold. Finally, in 1960, he took silver at middleweight. Throughout his career, he broke 26 world records and was a world champion every year from 1953 to 1959.

Class of 1990
After winning the 10m platform gold and 3m springboard bronze at the 1948 Olympics in London, Sammy Lee served in the U.S. Army Medical Corps in Korea. He was convinced to return to diving and went on to successfully defend his platform gold, the first man ever to win back-to-back platform diving titles. Lee also was the first Asian American to win an Olympic gold for the United States. Twenty-four years later, he coached Greg Louganis to a silver medal at the 1976 Olympic Games.

Class of 1989
With an impressive 7-0 record in Squaw Valley, the 1960 U.S. Olympic men's ice hockey team earned the gold medal. The team wasn't expected to be a medal contender but upset Canada in the quarterfinals, the favored USSR squad in the semifinals and Czechoslovakia by a 9-4 score in the finals.

Class of 1989
Between 1964 and 1988, ABC showcased 10 Olympic Games. All of them were produced by Roone Arledge. Arledge, who won 37 Emmy Awards throughout his career, was elected to the Television Academy Hall of Fame in 1990. He also was the first TV executive to receive the Medal of the Olympic Order from the International Olympic Committee.

Class of 1989
Just 17 and still in high school in 1948, weightlifter John Davis surprised everyone by winning the gold medal in the heavyweight division. He defended his title in that division in 1952. In the period of time from 1938 to 1953, Davis broke 19 world records. Bud Greenspan's 1952 film The Strongest Man in the World was based on Davis.

Class of 1989
En route to winning to gold medals at the 1968 Olympics in Mexico City, track and field star Lee Evans set two world records that would stand for the next 20 years. First, he ran the 400-meter dash in 43.86 seconds, topping his previous world record by 0.14 seconds. He claimed his second gold by running the anchor leg for the U.S. 4x400m relay team. The Americans broke the existing world record in that event by more than three seconds.

Class of 1989
Joe Frazier's gold medal-winning performance in the 1964 Olympics was impressive, but it became even more so when it was later revealed that he had earned the 3-2 decision while fighting with a broken hand. Frazier had broken his hand in his semifinal match in the heavyweight division but concealed his injury from doctors so he could still compete. Frazier turned professional in 1965.

Class of 1989
An illness drained Bobby Joe Morrow's strength just prior to the 1956 Olympics and caused him to lost 10 pounds, but he didn't let that prevent him from competing in Melbourne. His perseverance paid off, as he won three gold medals: the 100m and 200m dashes (becoming the first man since Jesse Owens to sweep those events) and 4x100m relay (in which his strong anchor leg helped the U.S. team set a new world record).

Class of 1989
In two Olympic appearances, Mel Sheppard (left) claimed four gold medals and one silver. In 1908, he set a world record in his 800-meter win and an Olympic record in the 1,500m. He also was a member of the victorious 1,600m medley relay. Since Sheppard earned gold in the 1,500m run, no American has won the event. In 1912, Sheppard and his teammates set a new world record in the 4x400m relay while he was just edged out by compatriot Ted Meredith in the 800m.

Class of 1988
Led by captain Bill Bradley (pictured), a Princeton senior who went on to become a Rhodes Scholar, help the New York Knicks win two NBA titles and serve as a Senator from New Jersey for 18 years, the 1964 U.S. Olympic men's basketball team won its sixth straight Olympic gold. En route to a perfect 9-0 record, the team's average margin of victory was 30 points.

Class of 1988
A three-time Olympian with appearances in 1904, 1906 and 1908, Charles Daniels won seven swimming medals: four golds, one silver and two bronzes. Daniels dominated in 1904, claiming five medals. After winning the 100m freestyle in 1906, he defended that title two years later. His success in the 1908 race was even more impressive considering he was still slipping off his robe when the starter's gun sounded and therefore started a little after his competitors.

Class of 1988
From 1960 to 1988, Jim McKay became the voice of the Olympics with ABC, covering the Games 11 times. He won 12 Emmy Awards throughout his broadcasting career, including two for his coverage of the terrorist attack at the 1972 Games in Munich. McKay has also been awarded the George Polk Memorial Award for Journalism.

Class of 1987
When Shirley Babashoff (second from right) won her eighth and final Olympic medal in 1976, she became the most decorated American woman ever at the Games. Her record was finally surpassed by Dara Torres and Jenny Thompson in 2000. Babashoff took gold as a member of the 4x100m freestyle relay teams in 1972 and 1976. The race in 1976, in which the Americans beat the East Germans, is thought of as one of the best swim races ever.

Class of 1987
Donna de Varona made her Olympic debut in 1960 at the age of 13. While she left those Games without a medal, she came back four years later and claimed gold medals in the 400m individual medley (setting an Olympic record) and 4x100m freestyle relay (setting a world record). Although she retired from swimming shortly after the 1964 Olympics, she remained an influential force in the sports world. De Varona successfully led lobbying efforts for the passage of Title IX legislation and founded the Women's Sports Foundation.

Class of 1987
Just 74 seconds after the middleweight boxing gold medal-match started in the 1952 Games, Floyd Patterson earned the win, knocking out his opponent. Patterson was just 17 years old at the time. He went on to win the National Amateur Middleweight Championship and the New York Golden Gloves Middleweight championship that same year. Just a few years later, at age 21, he became the youngest man to win the world heavyweight championship.

Class of 1986
Averaging nearly 100 points a game en route to a perfect 8-0 record, the U.S. Olympic men's basketball team claimed the gold medal in 1956. Led by center Bill Russell (pictured), who went on to lead the Boston Celtics to 11 NBA titles, the Americans' average margin of victory was 53.5 points.

Class of 1986
When Glenn Davis (center) broke the 50-second barrier in the 400-meter hurdles at the Olympic Trials, he positioned himself as the favorite in the event at the 1956 Games. Davis didn't disappoint, winning the gold medal in Melbourne. Four years later in Rome, he defended that title and claimed his third gold with a win in the 4x400m relay.

Class of 1986
After making his Olympic debut in 1972 and finishing 10th, Jenner continued training and returned in 1976. With a world-record total of 8,617 points, Bruce Jenner won the decathlon in Montreal. His celebratory gesture of taking an American flag given to him by a fan and running a victory lap has since been duplicated by many other athletes.

Class of 1986
Just 16 years old when she competed in the 1968 Olympics, Debbie Meyer became the first swimmer to win three individual gold medals in one Olympics. Victorious in the 200m freestyle, 400m freestyle and 800m freestyle races, she set Olympic records in each race. Throughout her career, Meyer broke 20 world records and 24 U.S. records.

Class of 1985
In three Olympics, Ralph Boston won three medals in the long jump. He started with a gold medal in 1960, competing just two weeks after breaking the long jump world record set by Jesse Owens 25 years prior. He followed that with a silver in 1964 and a bronze in 1968. From 1960 to 1967, he was the top-ranked long jumper in the world.

Class of 1985
Although he received offers to turn pro as early as 1973, "Sugar Ray" Leonard held off because he wanted to compete in the Olympics in 1976. He made the most of that opportunity. Facing heavily-favored knockout specialist Andres Aldama, Leonard pulled off the surprise victory with a 5-0 decision in the gold medal match for the light welterweight division. It was his 145th victory as an amateur.

Class of 1985
Of the 10 Olympic medals Carl Lewis won throughout his track and field career, nine were gold. Lewis qualified for the 1980 U.S. team but could not compete because of the boycott, so his first Games were in 1984. He won the 100 meter run, 200m, 4x100m relay and long jump, matching Jesse Owens' record of four golds in a single Games. In 1988, although he finished 0.13 seconds behind Ben Johnson, Johnson tested positive for steroids and Lewis was awarded the gold. He also led an American sweep in the long jump and took silver in the 200m. In 1992, he added two more gold medals with wins in the long jump and on the 4x100m relay. Finally, in 1996, he qualified for the long jump for a record fifth time and won the event for the fourth time.

Class of 1985
Making his Olympic debut in 1976 at the age of 16, Greg Louganis claimed a silver medal in the 10m platform. After winning a world championship in the event in 1978, he was considered the favorite for the event in 1980 but could not compete because of the American boycott. He continued diving, coming back for the 1984 Games in Los Angeles and sweeping the 10m platform and 3m springboard events in dominant fashion. His time in 1988 wasn't nearly as easy, but he overcame a concussion from hitting his head on the board to defend his 3m springboard gold and then clinched his repeat gold in the 10m platform with a clutch final dive.

Class of 1985
A four-time gold medalist, Patricia McCormick competed in both the 1952 Olympics and in Melbourne in 1956. McCormick won both the springboard and platform events her first time competing at the Games at the age of 22, then defended both of those gold medals four years later. Her 1956 victories were especially impressive considering she had given birth just eight months prior and had continued her high level of training throughout her pregnancy.

Class of 1985
The 1976 Olympics in Montreal marked the first-ever international meet in which Edwin Moses would compete. He wasn't thrown off by the big stage, winning his first gold medal in new world record time. In 1984, Moses defended that title by winning the 400m hurdles once again. The victory came in the midst of a streak of 107 finals victories in the event, a feat that stretched from 1977 to 1987 and included four new world records. At the 1988 Games, Moses finished with the bronze medal. It was the final 400m race of his career.

Class of 1985
Recovering from knee surgery just in time for the 1984 Summer Olympics, Mary Lou Retton delighted the fans in Los Angeles by winning five medals. With perfect 10s on the floor exercise and vault in the all-around competition, Retton claimed her lone gold medal of the event. She also earned silver on the vault and with her U.S. teammates in the team competition and bronze medals on the uneven bars and floor exercise. Following the Games, she became the first official spokeswoman of Wheaties and appeared on the box.

Class of 1984
En route to winning the gold medal in Rome in 1960, the U.S. Olympic men's basketball team's closest game was a 24-point victory in the semifinal pool. Jerry Lucas and Oscar Robertson led the squad in scoring with an average of 17 points per game, and three of their teammates also averaged in double figures in scoring. The U.S. team averaged 101.9 points per game, and its average margin of victory was 42.4 points.

Class of 1984
John Naber won four swimming gold medals, each of which was in world record time, and one silver medal at the 1976 Summer Olympics. In addition to his wins in the 4x200-meter freestyle and 4x100m medley relays, he won the 100m backstroke and 200m backstroke, becoming the first swimmer to break the two-minute mark in the event. Naber's silver medal came in the 200m freestyle.

Class of 1984
Born in Munich in 1947, Frank Shorter returned to the city in 1972 to compete in the men's marathon. He finished more than two minutes ahead of his closest competitor after running most of the latter part of the race by himself. His quest for a repeat gold in 1976 fell just short, as he finished second.

Class of 1983
While the 1980 U.S. Olympic men's ice hockey team went on to win the gold medal, it was the squad's semifinal victory that made them Olympic legends. The Americans, all amateur and collegiate players, faced off against their Cold War rivals, the Soviets, on Feb. 22. The Soviet Union had won every ice hockey gold medal but one since 1956 and had defeated the U.S. less than a month earlier by a 10-3 score. In the semifinals, however, spectacular goaltending from Jim Craig and a third-period goal from captain Mike Eruzione helped the Americans pull out a 4-3 victory, one of the biggest Olympic upsets ever. The U.S. beat Finland 4-2 in the next game to win the gold.

Class of 1983
While Bob Beamon was favored in the long jump heading into the 1968 Olympics, having won 22 of the 23 meets in which he had competed that year, no one was prepared for his gold medal-winning performance. He smashed the previous world record by 21 3/4 inches, becoming the first person to surpass both 28 and 29 feet. Beamon's record jump of 29 feet and 2 1/2 inches stood for 23 years and is still the Olympic record.

Class of 1983
A former Olympic athlete himself -- finishing sixth in the pentathlon and 16th in the decathlon in 1912 -- Avery Brundage went on to distinguish himself outside of the athletic arena. In 1929, he became the president of the United States Olympics Committee, a position he held for 25 years. He became a member of the International Olympic Committee in 1936, became its vice-president in 1945 and was named president in 1952. When he finally stepped down in 1972, he became the first recipient of the IOC Gold Medal of the Olympic Order.

Class of 1983
Dick Button won both of his gold medals in figure skating by pulling off maneuvers no other skater had ever successfully accomplished. In 1948, he landed the first-ever double axel jump in his free skate and, at the age of 18, became the youngest man ever to win skating gold. In Oslo in 1952, Button landed the first-ever triple loop in his free skate and successfully defended his gold. He's the only American skater ever to win back-to-back Olympic gold medals in figure skating. Since the 1960s, Button has worked as a TV analyst for figure skating broadcasts.

Class of 1983
As an 18-year-old named Cassius Clay in 1960, Muhammad Ali earned a gold medal fighting in the light heavyweight division. He beat the three-time European champion in a unanimous decision to clinch his first-place victory. When he ended his amateur career after the Games, he had 100 wins and just five losses. Ali was awarded a replacement gold medal when he lit the torch to start the 1996 Olympics in Atlanta, as he claimed he had thrown his original gold into the Ohio River after being refused service at a "whites-only" restaurant.

Class of 1983
One of the best all-around athletes of all time, Babe Didrikson Zaharias excelled in golf, basketball and track and field. It was in the latter sport that she won her Olympic medals. In 1932, Zaharias set a world record while winning the 80m hurdles and an Olympic record while taking gold in the javelin. While she shared the world record in the high jump, the judges didn't like her headfirst jumping style and therefore awarded her the silver. Her opponent, Jean Shiley, later split the gold medal with Zaharias.

Class of 1983
The only male to ever win Olympic titles in both sprinting and hurdling events, Harrison Dillard won four gold medals throughout two Games. Coming into the London Olympics in 1948, Dillard's streak of 82 straight wins had just been broken. He won two golds at those Games, however, winning the 100-meter run and the 4x100m relay. In 1952, he won the 100m hurdles and the 4x100m relay.

Class of 1983
Eddie Eagan is the only athlete in Olympic history with gold medals in both the Winter and Summer Olympics. His first victory came in 1920 when he boxed his way to gold in the light-heavyweight division. In 1932, just three weeks after taking up the sport of bobsled, he claimed gold as a crew member of the American four-man bobsled team.

Class of 1983
As a child, Ray Ewry contracted polio and had to use a wheelchair. While it was feared he may become paralyzed for life, not only did he walk, but he also won eight gold medals in three Olympics and two golds at the 1906 Incalated Games. Ewry swept the standing jump events (standing high jump, standing long jump and standing triple jump) both in 1900 and 1904 and the standing high and long jumps in 1908. He never lost an Olympic event he entered.

Class of 1983
In 1968, the U.S. Olympic team earned just one gold medal. It was claimed by figure skater Peggy Fleming, who impressed the judges with her graceful style. Her victory came seven years after her coach and the then-U.S. figure skating team were killed in a plane crash in Brussels and signaled a resurgence in American skating success.

Class of 1983
Of the six gold medals the U.S. Olympic team won at the 1980 Winter Games, Eric Heiden was responsible for five of them. He dominated the speedskating track, setting a world record in his 10,000-meter win and Olympic records in his 500m, 1,000m, 1,500m and 5,000m victories. Those feats made him the first person in Olympic history to win five individual gold medals at one Games.

Class of 1983
In four consecutive Olympics from 1956 to 1968, Al Oerter won the gold medal in the discus throw. He set new Olympic records each year, including bettering his personal best by five feet with a throw of 212 feet, 6 inches in 1968. Oerter nearly didn't make it to his second Games, as he was nearly killed in a car accident in 1957.

Class of 1983
While Adolf Hitler was using the 1936 Olympics to showcase Aryan supremacy, it was Jesse Owens who dominated the Games. He won four gold medals: the 100-meter sprint, 200m sprint, 4x100m relay and long jump. Owens' success made him a huge celebrity around the world, and Germans who wanted his autograph mobbed him in the streets. Owens was never invited to the White House by President Franklin D. Roosevelt, and didn't receive any presidential recognition until Dwight D. Eisenhower named him an "Ambassador of Sports" in 1955.

Class of 1983
A sickly child who had to overcome infantile paralysis that left one of her legs twisted, scarlet fever, whooping cough, chicken pox and measles all before the age of 12, Wilma Rudolph went on to become a four-time Olympic medallist in track and field. The first of those medals came in 1956 when she was just 16 years old, a bronze in the 4x100-meter relay. In 1960, she became the first American woman to earn three golds in a single Games, winning the 100m, 200m and 4x100m relay races. Running the anchor leg in the latter event, she overcame a deficit to lead her team to gold.

Class of 1983
Three of Don Schollander's four gold medals in the 1964 Games were earned with world records. He became the first swimmer to win four golds at a single Games, taking first in the 100-meter freestyle, 400m freestyle, 4x100m freestyle and 4x200m freestyle events. Returning to the Games in 1968, he won another gold in the 4x200m freestyle and took the silver in the 200m freestyle.

Class of 1983
One of the most dominant Olympic athletes ever, Mark Spitz won seven gold medals in Munich in 1972 and 11 medals overall in two Games. He began his Olympic career in 1968 with golds in the 4x100m and 4x200m freestyle relays, a silver in the 100m butterfly and a bronze in the 100m freestyle. Spitz had predicted he would win six golds at the Games. In 1972, he finally accomplished that feat plus one, setting a new world record in each event: the 100m butterfly, 100m freestyle, 200m butterfly, 200m freestyle, 4x100m freestyle relay, 4x100m medley relay and 4x200m freestyle relay.

Class of 1983
An extremely versatile athlete, Jim Thorpe claimed gold in both the pentathlon and decathlon at the 1912 Olympics, winning a combined eight of the 15 events. He was stripped of his medals in 1913 when it was revealed that he had previously played professional baseball, but his titles were reinstated in 1982. Thorpe went on to play not only in the major leagues for baseball but also in the NFL.

Class of 1983
Johnny Weissmuller's five gold medals and one bronze medal propelled him to international fame and into the role of Tarzan, who he portrayed in 12 motion pictures. Weissmuller began his Olympic career in 1924, winning the 100-meter freestyle, 400m freestyle and 800m freestyle relay. He also claimed a bronze medal as a member of the U.S. water polo team. In 1928, Weissmuller added two more golds in the 100m freestyle and 800m freestyle relay.