Tyson Gay is a retired American track and field sprinter who has a net worth of $6 million. Tyson Gay holds the American record for the 100m, at 9.69 seconds. That ties him for the second fastest athlete ever. Gay won medals in major international competitions, including three gold medals in the 100 m, 200 m, and 4 X 100 relay at the 2007 Osaka World Championships. He's the second man to win all three events at the same World Championships. Gay is a four-time U.S. champion in the 100 m and a two-time winner of the Jesse Owens Award, and was named the 2007 IAAF World Athlete of the Year and Best Track and Field Athlete for Track & Field News in 2007. He won ESPY Awards in 2008 and 2011.

Early Life

Tyson Gay was born on August 9, 1982, in Lexington, Kentucky, into an athletic family. His grandmother ran in college at Eastern Kentucky University, his mother sprinted in her youth, and his older sister, Tiffany, was also an accomplished high school runner. The two siblings often challenged each other growing up, and Tyson credits his sister's quick reaction time as his inspiration to improve.

Gay attended the University of Arkansas, where he studied sociology and marketing, and was a member of the track and field team. He brought the school its first NCAA 100 m champion and shattered school records; Arkansas went on to win the NCAA national championship anchored by Gay.

Career

Tyson Gay made his professional debut at the USA Outdoor Championships, finishing second, and he was chosen to represent at the 2005 World Championships in Athletics, where he placed fourth. The 5-foot-11, 165-pound runner continued to tear up the international circuit leading up to the 2008 Olympics in Beijing where he was expected to take on the fastest man in the world, Usain Bolt. Disappointing performances kept Gay from qualifying for finals rounds and he left Beijing without a medal. Four years later, he lost to Bolt in the 100m final, but won his first Olympic medical in a relay event.

In 2013, he tested positive for a banned substance and admitted to doping. Gay was suspended until mid-2014 and was forced to give up his 2012 Olympic silver medal. Because of this, his sponsorship contract with sportswear manufacturer Adidas was also put on hold.

Gay remains the U.S. record holder for the 100m sprint with a time of 9.69 seconds as of 2014, second fastest in the world behind Bolt and tied with Yohan Blake of Jamaica. Over his running career, Gay achieved multiple Men's season-best performances in the 100 m and 200 m.

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Personal Life

Tyson Gay had a daughter, Trinity, with Shoshana Boyd. In October 2016 at the age of 15, Trinity Gay was fatally shot in the neck as a bystander during a shootout between two cars in the parking lot of a Cook Out restaurant in Lexington, Kentucky.

Gay currently resides in Clermont, a suburb of Orlando, Florida.

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Jackie Joyner-Kersee is an American retired track & field athlete who has a net worth of $2.5 million. Jackie Joyner-Kersee is ranked among the all-time greatest athletes in the heptathlon and long jump and has won three gold, one silver, and two bronze Olympic medals over those two events at four different Olympic Games. She is currently on the board of directors for USA Track & Field.

Joyner-Kersee was voted the Greatest Female Athlete of All-Time by Sports Illustrated for Women.

Early Life

Jacqueline Joyner-Kersee was born on March 3, 1962, in East St. Louis, Illinois, and named after Jacqueline Kennedy, the First Lady of the United States. She attended East St. Louis Lincoln Senior High School and qualified for the finals in the long jump at the 1980 Olympic Trials and finished eighth.

Jackie went on to UCLA where she starred in both track & field and women's basketball from 1980 to 1985 and graduated with a bachelor's in history in 1986. She won the Broderick Award (now Honda Sports Award) as the nation's best female collegiate track & field competitor in 1983 and 1985 and was awarded the Honda-Broderick Cup in 1985. In basketball, she scored 1,167 points over her college career, good for 19th all-time for the Bruins. She helped the team advance to the West Regional semi-finals of the 1985 NCAA Division I Women's Basketball Tournament. Joyner-Kersee was voted the "Top Woman Collegiate Athlete of the Past 25 Years."

Career

Jackie Joyner-Kersee competed in the Summer Olympics in 1984, 1988, 1992, and 1996. Joyner-Kersee won gold medals in the 1992 Barcelona Olympics in heptathlon and in the 1988 Seoul Olympics in heptathlon and long jump. She won a silver medal at the 1984 Los Angeles Olympics in heptathlon and bronze medals in long jump at the 1992 Barcelona and 1996 Atlanta Olympics. She also won gold medals at the World Championships in 1987 for long jump and heptathlon and in 1991 for long jump and in 1993 for heptathlon, as well as at the Pan American Games for long jump in 1987.

As of October 2019, Joyner-Kersee holds the world record in heptathlon and the top six all-time best results, and her long jump record of 7.49m is second all-time.

Joyner-Kersee briefly played for the American Basketball League in 1996 where she had little success and never scored more than 15 points in a game.

In March 2023, Jackie Joyner-Kersee was inducted into the International Sports Hall of Fame.

FABRICE COFFRINI/AFP/Getty Images

Philanthropy

Joyner-Kersee is an active philanthropist in children's education, women's rights, and racial equality. She founded the Jackie Joyner-Kersee Foundation to encourage young people in the East St. Louis area to pursue athletics and academics. In 2011, Jackie partnered with Comcast to create the Internet Essentials program to provide high-speed internet access to low-income Americans.

Personal Life

Jackie married her track coach, Bob Kersee, in 1986. Her brother is Olympic champion triple jumper Al Joyner, who was married to Olympic track champion Florence Griffith Joyner.

Joyner-Kersee is one of the most popular athletes ever to have overcome severe asthma.

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Mat Fraser is a retired professional CrossFit athlete who has a net worth of $7 million. Mat Fraser competed from 2014 to 2020. During that time, he became the first person ever to win five CrossFit Games titles, doing so in consecutive years 2016, 2017, 2018, 2019 and 2020, making him the most dominant individual male athlete in the sport's history. He was the second person ever to win four consecutive CrossFit Games titles (2016 – 2019), Rich Froning Jr. was the first. Earlier in his career, Fraser was a competitive weightlifter.

Early Life and Education

Mat Fraser was born on January 25, 1990 in Kingston, Ontario, Canada to Olympic figure skaters Candace Jones and Don Fraser. He has a brother named Jesse. When he was young, the family moved to Colchester, Vermont. Fraser demonstrated his athletic ability from an early age, learning to swim when he was only a year old and learning to water-ski at 18 months. In middle school, he played football and took up weightlifting. Fraser graduated from Colchester High School, and later attended Northern Michigan University and the University of Vermont.

Weightlifting Career

Fraser won his first weightlifting national title when he was just 13. After graduating from high school, he began training full-time as a weightlifter at the Olympic Training Center in Colorado Springs. A few weeks before he was to compete in the Junior World Weightlifting Championship in Romania in 2009, he severely injured his back. Fraser still competed, but upon returning home found that he had suffered two breaks in his lumbar vertebrae, requiring him to wear a plastic brace on his torso for four months. Because spinal fusion surgery would have ended his athletic career, he subsequently chose to undergo an experimental surgery. Following his rehabilitation, Fraser competed in two American Weightlifting Opens. In 2012, he competed at the National Championships.

CrossFit Beginnings

While still competing in weightlifting, Fraser started training in a CrossFit gym. Soon, he was introduced to the sport of CrossFit and encouraged to compete in events. Starting off with local competitions, Fraser finished fifth in the CrossFit North East Regionals in 2014. He also competed as part of a team for a couple of years, first with the New York Rhinos in 2014 and then with the Built By Bergeron in 2015. In his first appearance at the CrossFit Games, Fraser came in second place behind Rich Froning. When Froning retired from individual competitions in 2015, Fraser was considered the frontrunner to win the 2015 CrossFit Games. However, he ultimately came in second again, this time to Ben Smith.

DoD photo by Navy Petty Officer 1st Class Dominique A. Pineiro/creative commons

CrossFit Champion

Fraser began his unprecedented CrossFit championship run at the 2016 CrossFit Games. After winning the 7k Ranch Trail Run and coming in second in seven other events, he emerged as the victor of the competition, winning by 197 points over reigning titleholder Ben Smith. It was the biggest margin of victory in the history of the CrossFit Games at that time. Fraser continued his dominance at the 2017 Games, winning four events and breaking his own margin-of-victory record by beating second-place finisher Brent Fikowski by 216 points. He broke his own record yet again at the 2018 CrossFit Games, winning by 220 points over Patrick Vellner. Although he struggled somewhat in the early events of the 2019 Games, Fraser came back strong to claim his fourth consecutive title.

At the 2020 CrossFit Games, which were heavily modified due to the COVID-19 pandemic, Fraser dominated the reduced field of athletes by winning a total of 14 events and shattering the margin-of-victory record by defeating runner-up Samuel Kwant by a whopping 545 points. This made him the first athlete ever to win five CrossFit Games titles, which he managed to do in consecutive years. In early 2021, Fraser announced on Instagram that he had retired from competitive CrossFit.

Post-CrossFit

Following his retirement from competitive CrossFit, Fraser released a training program entitled "Hard Work Pays Off." Additionally, he started training and offering individual coaching to other CrossFit athletes, including Justin Medeiros and Mal O'Brien. Fraser also partnered with the filmmakers known as Buttery Bros to announce the launch of the supplement company Podium Nutrition.

Personal Life

Due to a childhood ear infection, Fraser is deaf in one ear and hard of hearing in the other. He abstains from alcohol due to drinking problems he had as a teenager. On his left arm, Fraser has a tattoo of the Serenity Prayer, which was inked by his brother Jesse.

Fraser lives with his girlfriend Sammy Moniz, creator of the cooking website Feeding the Frasers. On the site, she posts about food she makes for Fraser.

[The photo of Mat Fraser seen on this page is a DoD photo taken by Navy Petty Officer 1st Class Dominique A. Pineiro and licensed via creative commons.]

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David Goggins is an endurance athlete and retired US Navy SEAL who has a net worth of $5 million. In 2006, David Goggins came in second place in the Ultraman World Championships Triathlon in Hawaii, and the following year placed third in the infamous Badwater Ultramarathon in California's Death Valley. Goggins has also written some memoirs, including "Can't Hurt Me" and "Never Finished," and served as the subject of Jesse Itzler's book "Living with a SEAL." Goggins is also very popular on social media. As of this writing he has around 7 million followers on Instagram alone.

Early Life

David Goggins was born on February 17, 1975 in Buffalo, New York to Jackie and Trunnis. He has a brother named Trunnis Jr., with whom he grew up in Williamsville, New York. Due to his abusive, alcoholic father, Goggins ended up moving with his mother and brother to Brazil, Indiana.

Military Career

In the military, Goggins initially applied to join the United States Air Force Pararescue. He was accepted into training, but was removed after being diagnosed with sickle cell trait. Subsequently, Goggins completed training for the United States Air Force Tactical Air Control Party. From 1994 to 1999, he worked as a TACP. Goggins then left the United States Air Force. He went on to train in the Basic Underwater Demolition/SEAL course, which took him three attempts to complete due to various injuries. Goggins graduated from the training in 2001. Next, he went through SEAL Qualification Training and a six-month probationary period, before receiving the NEC 5326 as a Combatant Swimmer. Assigned to SEAL Team 5, Goggins served in Iraq and Afghanistan across a 20-year military career. He graduated from Army Ranger School in 2004.

Endurance Athlete

After his graduation from the military, Goggins decided to take up long-distance running. In 2005, he entered the San Diego One Day, a 24-hour ultramarathon. Goggins ran 101 miles in 18 hours and 56 minutes in the event. The next year, he competed in the Hurt-100 in Hawaii and his first Badwater Ultramarathon, coming in fifth place in the latter. Following Badwater, Goggins competed in the Ultraman World Championships Triathlon in Hawaii, a three-day, 320-mile race. He ended up finishing second in the event. Returning to Badwater in 2007, Goggins achieved his best career finish in the race with a third-place finish; he failed to finish the race the following year. In 2009, Goggins competed in the Furnace Creek 508, an ultramarathon cycling race in Southern California.

Having not competed in the event since 2008, Goggins returned to Badwater in 2013 and finished in 18^th place. Competing again the next year, he failed to finish. From 2015 to 2016, Goggins competed in 14 ultra-endurance races, achieving nine top-five finishes. Moreover, he won the 2016 Infinitus 88k, coming in nearly 20 minutes ahead of the second-place finisher. Goggins also won the Music City Ultra 50k and the Strolling Jim 40 Miler. Later, in 2020, he came in second place in the Moab 240 ultramarathon with a time of 62 hours and 21 minutes, and won the Across Florida 200 with a time of 70:21.

Golden Tate, Elise Tate, and David Goggins (Photo by Brian Ach/Getty Images)

Memoirs

In 2018, Goggins published his first memoir, "Can't Hurt Me: Master Your Mind and Defy the Odds." A self-help memoir, it encourages readers to strengthen their mental fortitude. Goggins released a sequel memoir in 2022 entitled "Never Finished: Unshackle Your Mind and Win the War Within."

Charity

Goggins's career as a long-distance runner was catalyzed by his desire to raise money for the Special Operations Warrior Foundation, as several of his friends were killed in Afghanistan during Operation Red Wings. The Foundation provides college scholarships and grants to children of fallen special operations soldiers. Through the races he's competed in, including the Badwater Ultramarathon, Goggins has raised over $2 million.

Public Speaking

Goggins does public speaking engagements to share his story with the public and encourage people to be their best selves. He does gigs both big and small, including corporate engagements and more intimate VIP meetings.

Personal Life

Goggins was previously married to licensed nurse Aleeza from 2005 to 2007. The pair divorced after rumors surfaced of Goggins having an extramarital affair. He went on to have another two-year marriage, this time to a woman named Kate. Goggins subsequently dated a woman named Pamela, with whom he had a daughter. After the end of that relationship, he dated Jennifer Kish; they got engaged in 2020.

Read more: David Goggins Net Worth

Ronnie Coleman is an American professional bodybuilder who has a net worth of $2 million. Ronnie Coleman is best known for winning the Mr. Olympia title for eight consecutive years and is widely regarded one of the greatest bodybuilders of all time alongside Arnold Schwarzenegger.

Early Life

Ronald "Ronnie" Dean Coleman was born on May 13, 1964, in Monroe, Louisiana. He graduated cum laude from Grambling State University in 1984 with a Bachelor of Science in accounting. He played linebacker on the GSU Tigers football team under coach Eddie Robinson. After graduation, he worked at Domino's Pizza after failing to find work as an accountant. He then became a police officer in Arlington, Texas, from 1989 to 2000 and a reserve officer until 2003.

Career

Ronnie Coleman was given a free lifetime Metroflex gym membership by Brian Dobson under the condition he could train him for the upcoming 1990 Mr. Texas bodybuilding competition. Coleman then went on to win 1st place in the heavyweight and overall categories at the Mr. Texas competition. He also won his first professional competition in 1995 and 1996. In 1997, he won the Russian Grand Prix.

Coleman has made the training videos "The Unbelievable," "The Cost of Redemption," and "On the Road." He has also had many endorsement deals over the years. He received the 2001 Admiral in the Texas Navy Certificate Award. He launched Ronnie Coleman Nutrition in 2011. The Ronnie Coleman Signature Series includes Myo-Blitz, Ressurect-PM, Testogen-XR, and Pro-Antium.

The extreme weights used over his career as a powerlifter and bodybuilder took a toll on his body, and he has undergone many surgeries since 2007 including hip replacements and attempts to alleviate chronic pain from damaged intervertebral discs. Coleman had spinal surgery in 2011 but made a full recovery.

Ronnie Coleman was renowned for his combination of size and conditioning and extremely heavy workouts with some calling him the strongest bodybuilder of all time, pound-for-pound. The 5-foot-11, 287-300 pound Coleman won Mr. Olympia eight straight times, and his 26 wins as an IFBB professional is a record. In 1991, Coleman won the title of Mr. Universe.

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Pop Culture

Coleman's trademark high-pitched voice became popular within the bodybuilding community as he would frequently give himself pep talks during training videos, shouting out such phrases as "Yea buddy!," "Ain't nothing but a peanut!," "Light weight, baby!," and "Everybody wants to be a bodybuilder, but nobody wants to life no heavy-ass weights!"

In 2018, Netflix released "Ronnie Coleman: The King," a documentary on Coleman's life and career by Vlad Yudin. Rapper Quan wrote the song "Flexin' on Them (Ronnie Coleman)" for the film's credits.

Personal Life

Coleman met French-Lebanese personal trainer Rouaida Christine Achkar in Paris at a sports expedition in March 1998. They married in December 2007 but divorced shortly after. Ronnie Coleman then married American personal trainer Susan Williamson in April 2016. The couple has four children together, and the family currently resides in Arlington, Texas.

In June 2020, Coleman revealed that he can no longer walk on his own due to botched surgical procedures that have cost him over $2 million.

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Olivia Dunne is an artistic gymnast and social media personality who has a net worth of $6 million. As an artistic gymnast, Olivia Dunne has competed on the US national team and the Louisiana State University Tigers women's gymnastics team, winning multiple medals. Dunne is also known for her popular videos on TikTok and Instagram, which have resulted in major endorsement deals. Olivia has earned millions of dollars from these endorsement deals and has been described as the highest-paid college athlete on the planet.

Early Life

Olivia Dunne was born on October 1, 2002 in Westwood, New Jersey and was raised in Hillsdale. She got into gymnastics at a very early age, and was already training in 2005 at ENA Gymnastics in Paramus, New Jersey. As a teenager, Dunne was homeschooled by her mother so she could continue her gymnastics training with coach Craig Zappa. Despite not attending her public high school, she managed the gymnastics team at Pascack Valley High School with her older sister.

Junior Gymnastics Career

As a junior gymnast, Dunne made her elite debut at the 2014 American Classic, where she came in 28th place in the all-around. She subsequently competed at the US Classic, where she came in 12th. In 2015, Dunne placed fifth at the WOGA Classic, eighth at the American Classic, and 24th at the US Classic; she also made her National Championships debut, coming in 25th. Dunne had a much better showing at the National Championships in 2016, finishing 12th in the all-around and coming in sixth on the floor exercise.

In 2017, Dunne was chosen to compete with the US national team at the City of Jesolo Trophy in Italy. With the team, she won the gold medal; she also competed in the all-around, coming in sixth place. Dunne went on to compete at the 2017 US Classic, where she came in fifth in the all-around, and then at the 2017 National Championships, where she finished ninth.

Senior Gymnastics Career

Dunne made her senior debut in 2018 competing in the all-around at the City of Jesolo Trophy, where she came in 15th. Although an ankle injury limited her to just the uneven bars at the 2018 US Classic, she managed to compete in the all-around at the National Championships, where she finished 18th. However, Dunne's lingering injuries caused her to miss the 2019 season. In 2020, she competed at the Nastia Liukin Cup, coming in 11th place.

NCAA Career

In 2020, Dunne joined the Louisiana State University Tigers women's gymnastics team. She competed on the uneven bars in every regular-season meet in the 2020-21 season, finishing with an NQS of 9.9. At the SEC championships, Dunne contributed to LSU's second-place team finish. The Tigers made it to the NCAA championships, but failed to advance to the finals. In the 2021-22 season, Dunne once again competed on the uneven bars in every regular-season meet, and also competed a handful of times on the floor exercise. That postseason, the Tigers finished fifth at the SEC championships before being eliminated during the first round of regionals. Dunne missed much of the 2022-23 season due to injuries, but managed to heal enough to make her debut in February. She went on to help the Tigers claim the bronze medal at the SEC championships.

(Photo by Gilbert Flores/Penske Media via Getty Images)

Social Media

Dunne became more widely known in 2020 when she joined the social media video-sharing platform TikTok. She initially posted videos of her gymnastics performances, but later began posting about other aspects of her life. By early 2023, Dunne became the most-followed NCAA athlete on all of social media, with over seven million followers on TikTok and four million on Instagram.

Endorsements

Due to her viral popularity on social media, Dunne has landed various endorsement deals with major brands. She has earned millions of dollars and has been described as the highest-paid college athlete. This was made possible in 2021 when the NCAA changed its rules to permit its athletes to earn money from their names and images. Dunne subsequently signed with WME Sports and announced her first exclusive brand partnership, with activewear brand Vuori.

In early 2023, Dunne posted a paid-sponsorship video on TikTok promoting Caktus.AI, an artificial intelligence chatbot she claimed was better than its rival ChatGPT. This caused some controversy, especially at LSU, which was forced to issue a statement clarifying the school's stance against using AI to produce academic work.

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Floyd Landis is a former American professional road racing cyclist who has a net worth of $1 million. Floyd Landis earned his net worth through his talent as a cyclist. He finished first at the 2006 Tour de France but was ultimately disqualified after testing positive for performance-enhancing drugs.

Early Life

Floyd Landis was born on October 14, 1975, in Farmersville, Pennsylvania, the second child to Paul and Arlene Landis. He was raised in a devout Mennonite family and community and attended Conestoga Valley High School in Lancaster. He started to ride a bike to go fishing with a friend and enjoyed it more each time he rode. He became determined to enter a local race and had to wear sweatpants because his religion forbade wearing shorts. His father thought racing was a waste of time and gave Floyd extra chores to discourage him. So Floyd started sneaking out at night to train, often in the cold. Paul thought he was up to no good and started to follow him to make sure he stayed out of trouble. Later, Floyd's father would come around as an enthusiastic supporter of his son and describe himself as Floyd's biggest fan.

Career

Floyd Landis turned pro with the Mercury Cycling Team in 1999 following a very successful junior mountain biking career. He became an all-around rider with special skills in climbing, time-trialing, and descending. He joined the U.S. Postal Service team in 2002 and moved to the Phonak Hearing Systems team in 2005. That year, he finished the Tour de France eighth overall.

Floyd Landis gave his highlight performance in the 2006 Tour de France, where he almost turned out the winner. But he got busted on doping charges instead. He was stripped of his title after testing positive for using drugs, and the competition was ultimately won by Oscar Pereiro. Floyd Landis would have been the third non-European winner in the event's history. Even though his lawyer had been trying to get the US doping authorities to drop their case against him, it was all in vain. His ban was upheld despite documented inconsistencies in the handling and evaluation of his urine samples, and he was suspended from professional competition through January 30, 2009. He appealed the result, but the Court of Arbitration for Sport upheld the panel's ruling.

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Doping Accusations & Admission

In January 2010, Floyd Landis was issued a national arrest warrant by a French judge on computer hacking charges related to the 2006 doping allegations. Landis had maintained his innocence up until this point and mounted a defense. Eventually, Floyd admitted to continual doping and even revealed that Lance Armstrong, among other top riders who rode on his team, doped as well. After Landis lost his appeal against the ban imposed on him, he had hard times finding a new team, which meant an end to his professional career in 2011.

During 2006 and 2007, Landis was believed to have raised about $1 million from the "Floyd Fairness Fund" established by businessman Thom Weisel to help him pay the reported $2 million legal bill. Federal prosecutors alleged he fraudulently solicited donations for a defense fund he set up to fight doping charges, and the sides reached agreement before a federal judge in August 2012 in which Landis agreed to pay restitution.

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Katarina Witt is a German retired figure skater, model, writer, and producer who has a net worth of $9 million. Katarina Witt has earned her net worth through years of figure skating competitions, her appearances on television and in films, and as the author of the 1994 autobiography "Meine Jahre zwischen Pflicht und Kür" ("My Years between Compulsories and Freestyle") and the 2005 novel "Only With Passion." Witt has won two Olympic gold medals, and she is considered to be one of the best ladies' singles figure skaters in the history of the sport. She also won several gold medals at the World Figure Skating Championships and European Figure Skating Championships before retiring from amateur skating in 1988.

Katarina came out of retirement to compete in the 1994 Winter Olympics, where she won the Goldene Kamera award. In 1989, Witt began acting with a role in the film "Carmen on Ice," which earned her a Primetime Emmy. She starred in and co-wrote the 1996 TV movie "Die Eisprinzessin" ("The Ice Princess"), and she has also appeared in the films "Jerry Maguire" (1996) and "Ronin" (1998) and the television series "Everybody Loves Raymond" (1997), "Arli$$" (1997–1998), "Nikola" (1999), "V.I.P." (2000), and "Legal Affairs" (2021). Katarina served as a co-producer and host of the 2006 German TV show "Stars auf Eis" ("Stars on Ice"), and in 2012, she was a judge on the British series "Dancing on Ice." She was inducted into the World Figure Skating Hall of Fame in 1995.

Early Life

Katarina Witt was born on December 3, 1965, in Falkensee, East Germany. She is the daughter of physiotherapist Käthe Witt and farmer Manfred Witt, and she has a brother named Axel. Katarina attended the Kinder- und Jugendsportschule, a type of school for children who are athletically gifted children, in Karl-Marx-Stadt.

Career

Katarina represented East Germany's (GDR) SC Karl-Marx-Stadt club, and in 1977, Jutta Müller became her coach. Witt began training six days a week, and in 1979, she competed in the European Figure Skating Championships, finishing in 14th place. In 1981, she placed first in the short program, second in the combined free skate, and third in the long program at the World Figure Skating Championships. In 1982, Witt won silver medals at the World Championships and the European Championships. She won her first-ever gold medal at the 1983 European Championships, and in 1984, she took home the gold at the Winter Olympics, World Championships, and European Championships. That year readers of the newspaper "Junge Welt" voted Katarina GDR Female Athlete of the Year. Witt won gold medals at the European Championships in 1985, 1986, 1987, and 1988 and the World Championships in 1985, 1987, and 1988. She won a silver medal at the 1986 World Championships. Katarina won her second Olympic gold medal in 1988, and later that year a block of stamps honoring her victory was released in North Korea. That year Witt retired from amateur skating and began a professional skating career. She toured with fellow Olympic champion Brian Boitano for three years in the show "Witt and Boitano Skating," which sold out Madison Square Garden in New York City. Katarina later joined "Holiday on Ice" and appeared in the 1989 film "Carmen on Ice." In 1994, she briefly returned to competitive skating, appearing in the German Championships, European Championships, and Winter Olympics. Her most recent skating tour occurred in 2008.

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In 1996, Witt appeared in the film "Jerry Maguire," and she followed it with guest-starring roles on the CBS sitcom "Everybody Loves Raymond" (1997) and the HBO series "Arli$$" (1997–1998) and a small supporting role in the action thriller "Ronin" (1998). She starred in the 1996 German TV movie "Die Eisprinzessin" ("The Ice Princess") and performed the theme song, "Skate with Me." Katarina posed nude for the December 1998 issue of "Playboy" magazine, and it became the second issue to sell out (the first was the publication's inaugural issue, which featured photos of Marilyn Monroe). In a 2012 interview with "The Telegraph," Witt said of her decision to pose for the magazine, "After 10 very successful years as a professional skater I felt stuck with a cute, pretty, ice princess image. I wanted to change people's perceptions but it was important that the pictures were sensual so I chose natural settings, the beach and in water where it was completely natural to have no clothes rather than be provocative in stockings or sexy lingerie. It worked and to me the biggest compliment was that more women than men bought the magazine." Katarina hosted the TV series "Stars auf Eis" ("Stars on Ice") in 2006, and in 2012, she served as a judge on "Dancing on Ice." In 2013, she played the lead role in the German TV movie "Der Feind in meinem Leben" ("The Enemy in My Life").

Personal Life

Katarina married discus thrower Rainer Schmidt in 1989, and they had a son, Felix (born 1990), before divorcing in 1992. Witt wed businessman Wolfgang Staudinger in 2002, and they welcomed daughters Anna-Maria and Sophia in 2003 and 2005, respectively.

Awards

Witt won a Primetime Emmy for Outstanding Performance in Classical Music/Dance Programming for "Carmen on Ice" in 1990 and the American Academy of Achievement's Golden Plate Award in 1996. In 1994, she won Germany's Golden Camera award for Sports, and in 2003, she earned a German Golden Hen Award for Entertainment for "Die DDR-Show." For skating, Katarina won two Olympic gold medals, six World Figure Skating Championship medals (four gold, two silver), and seven European Figure Skating Championship medals (six gold, one silver).

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Jordyn Wieber's net worth is $3 million. Jordyn Wieber began practicing gymnastics before she started kindergarten, after her parents recognized that her physique was ideal for the sport. She won her first major competition in 2009, when she won the All-Around title at the American Cup. For the next two years, she would dominate at championships, and became known as a highly consistent competitor.

After recovering from an injury in 2010, Jordyn Wieber went on to win All-Around Gold at the 2011 Visa Championships, the 2011 World Championships in Tokyo, and the 2011 American Cup. In 2012, she won All-Around titles at the Pacific Rim Championships, the Visa Championships, and the American Cup. Going into the London Olympics, she was the favorite to win the All-Around Gold. However, she finished fourth during the qualifying round, and was therefore ineligible to compete, as each country is only allowed to compete with two gymnasts. She went on to help the US team to a Team Gold.

Early Life

Wieber was born on July 12, 1995 in DeWitt, Michigan. She is the daughter of Rita and David Wieber. Her mom worked as an emergency room nurse and was also an exercise physiologist while her father worked as a director at a health-care subsidiary. She was raised with her three siblings and the family attended St. Jude Catholic Church in DeWitt.

At the age of three, Weiber began going to gymnastics classes. She showed skill and promise from an early age. She began working with coach John Geddert and was handpicked to join his Silverstars program, an elite program for young gymnasts. By the age of 10, she had qualified for Level 10 in the Junior Olympic program. She qualified for international elite a year later in 2006 when she was 11.

Career

When she rose to the Junior International Elite in 2006, she placed ninth in the all-around at the National Championships. She was also named to the US national team for the first time. In 2007, she competed in the US Classic and the National Championships. She was named to the team to compete at the 2007 Junior Pan American Championships. She helped the team win gold and individually she won silver in the all-around, gold on uneven bar and balance beam, and bronze on floor exercise. The following year, in 2008, she was named to the team to compete at the USA-Canada-Italy-Netherlands Friendly Competition. The same year, she placed first on vault and floor exercise at her first national championships.

In February of 2009, Wieber competed at the American Cup in Chicago. She won the all-around competition, only 13 years old at the time. She continued dominating competitions over the next couple years. She competed at the 2010 Pacific Rim Gymnastics Championships in Melbourne, Australia and helped the American team place first.

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In 2011, she participated in her first senior elite competition at the American Cup in Jacksonville, Florida. She won the all-around competition. She also came in second at the City of Jesolo Trophy competition in Italy. In July of that year, she competed at the Covergirl Classic, placing first on uneven bars. She also did well at the Visa Championships a couple months later. In October, she competed at the 2011 World Artistic Gymnastics Championships in Tokyo.

She began 2012 by winning her third American Cup in New York City. In July, she competed at the Olympic Trials in San Jose, California. She did well and ended up being chosen for the American team for the 2012 Summer Olympics. She was featured on the cover of "Sports Illustrated" with the rest of the USA Women's Olympic Gymnastics team a couple weeks later. The group was referred to as the Fierce Five.

At the end of July, Wieber competed at the Olympics in London. In qualifications, she placed fourth overall behind her teammates Aly Raisman and Gabby Douglas, meaning she was not able to advance to the all-around final due to the rule limiting participating countries to having a maximum of two competitors in the all-around final. However, she was still able to compete in the team final where the American team qualified first in the floor final. In the team final, she helped the US team secure their gold medal finish.

After the Olympics, Wieber signed a sponsorship agreement with Adidas Gymnastics. In the fall, she enrolled as a freshman at UCLA, where she studied psychology. She also was the Team Manager for the school's gymnastics during her first three years and served as volunteer assistant coach during her senior year. In March of 2015, she officially announced her retirement from elite gymnastics.

After graduating from college, Wieber continued on as the assistant coach of UCLA women's gymnastics through the 2017-2018 and 2018-2019 seasons. She primarily served as the floor exercise coach for the Bruins, helping them finish the 2018 and 2019 seasons ranked in the top spot for the event. Along with fellow UCLA coaches Chris Waller and Randy Lane, she won the West Region Assistant Coaches of the Year award in 2018.

In April of 2019, Wieber became the head coach for the Arkansas Razorbacks gymnastics program. She was the first Olympic champion gymnast that took on this role.

Personal Life

Since 2017, Wieber has been dating Olympian Chris Brooks. They announced their engagement in October of 2021.

In January of 2018, Wieber testified in court that she had been sexually abused by the long-term team doctor of the USA Gymnastics team, Larry Nassar. Later that year, she was awarded the Arthur Ashe Courage Award along with the other women who testified.

Read more: Jordyn Wieber Net Worth

Jesse Owens was an American track and field athlete who had a net worth of $150,000 at the time of his death in 1980. That's the same as around $550,000 in today's dollars. Jesse Owens is widely regarded as one of the greatest athletes of all time. He is best known for his extraordinary performance at the 1936 Berlin Olympics, where he won four gold medals in track and field events, breaking multiple world records in the process. esse was said to have "single-handedly crushed Hitler's myth of Aryan supremacy". Owens' remarkable achievements on the track and his groundbreaking impact on race relations and civil rights in America have earned him a permanent place in history.

Early Life

James Cleveland "Jesse" Owens was born on September 12, 1913, in Oakville, Alabama. His parents, Henry and Mary Owens, were sharecroppers who struggled to make ends meet. Jesse was the youngest of ten children, and his family moved to Cleveland, Ohio, when he was nine years old. Owens attended East Technical High School, where he first showed his talent for track and field. He set a national high school record in the long jump, and he became the first high school athlete to run the 100-yard dash in under ten seconds. Despite his impressive performances, Owens faced racial discrimination throughout his early life, and he often had to compete in separate events from white athletes.

Olympic Career

Owens attended Ohio State University, where he continued to dominate in track and field. In 1935, he set three world records and tied another in the span of 45 minutes at the Big Ten Championships. The following year, he made history at the 1936 Berlin Olympics. Despite the Nazi regime's racist ideology and Adolf Hitler's belief in the supremacy of the Aryan race, Owens won four gold medals, in the 100-meter dash, the 200-meter dash, the long jump, and the 4×100-meter relay. He broke two Olympic records and tied another, and he set a world record in the long jump, which stood for 25 years. Owens' remarkable performance was a powerful statement against racism and discrimination, and it helped to pave the way for future generations of Black athletes.

After the Olympics, Owens returned to the United States to a hero's welcome. He continued to compete in track and field events, but he faced financial difficulties and struggled to find work. He eventually turned to professional sports, playing basketball and running in exhibition races. He also worked as a speaker and spokesperson for various organizations, advocating for civil rights and racial equality.

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Personal Life

In 1935, Owens married Minnie Ruth Solomon, and they had three daughters together. Owens was a devoted family man, but he faced challenges in his personal life. He struggled with financial instability and suffered from health problems, including chronic lung disease. Despite these difficulties, he remained committed to his family and his advocacy work, using his platform to speak out against racism and discrimination.

Owens filed for bankruptcy and was successfully prosecuted for tax evasion before becoming a goodwill ambassador for the US. Jesse Owens passed away on March 31, 1980, at 66 years old from lung cancer.

Legacy, Honors & Awards

Jesse Owens' impact on sports and civil rights is immeasurable. He inspired generations of Black athletes to pursue their dreams and to fight against discrimination in all forms. In recognition of his achievements, Owens received numerous honors and awards throughout his life, including the Presidential Medal of Freedom, the highest civilian honor in the United States. He was also inducted into the International Olympic Committee Hall of Fame and the United States Olympic Hall of Fame. The Jesse Owens Award is the highest accolade given to the year's best track and field athlete.

Owens' legacy continues to inspire people around the world. His triumph at the 1936 Olympics is a testament to the power of perseverance and determination in the face of adversity. Owens' courage and talent paved the way for future generations of athletes, and his advocacy work helped to advance the cause of civil rights and racial equality in America. Today, Jesse Owens is remembered as a true American hero, whose legacy will continue to inspire people for generations to come.

Read more: Jesse Owens Net Worth