Amid the ongoing 2026 Olympics taking place in Milan, Italy, we are exploring all the athletes who have previously won gold and quit their sport afterwards.
Find out who has left the game after winning on the world's stage below.
© Getty ImagesEmma McKeon
Emma McKeon is an Australian swimmer who comes from a long line of swimmers, who have also competed in the Olympics. After she completed high school, she trained at the Chandler Aquatic Centre.
Her first Olympics took place in 2016 in Brazil. She has earned six gold medals in total, and she retired in 2024 after earning a gold medal at the Olympics in Paris.
© Getty ImagesÓscar Figueroa
Óscar Figueroa was a Colombian weightlifter. He began weightlifting in 1994 and by the time he turned 19 in 2000, he made history by becoming Colombia's first world youth champion in the 57 kg category.
His first Olympics took place in 2004 in Greece in the 56 kg category. He later earned the silver medal at the 2012 Olympics in London.
He took home the gold medal in 2016 at the Olympics in Brazil and he immediately retired afterwards.
Michael Phelps
Michael Phelps
American swimmer Michael Phelps first began swimming at the age of seven at the North Baltimore Aquatic Club.
He made history in 2000 by being the youngest male swimmer ever at 15 to join the United States' Olympic team at the Sydney Olympics in 2000.
He went on to win 23 gold medals in his successful career.
Michael made history once again as the most-decorated athlete in Olympic history for earning a total of 28 medals overall.
Michael retired right after the Olympics in 2012, however, he unexpectedly went back into the game, and then he retired again after earning a gold medal four years later at the Olympics.
© Getty ImagesTara Lipinski
Tara Lipinski was an Olympic skater who impressively won the 1998 Winter Olympics in Nagano, Japan, at the young age of 15, and made history for being the youngest individual to do so.
She was firstly a roller skating national champion, and then she began ice skating at six years old.
She retired right after she won the gold medal in 1998. These days her medal is available for viewing at different museums.
© Getty ImagesCarl Lewis
American track and field athlete Carl Lewis started running as a young boy, because his father Bill Lewis ran track while attending Tuskegee Institute and his mother competed in the Olympics as a hurdler.
His parents launched a track club for girls, which later allowed boys to join and Carl signed up immediately.
He went on to attend the University of Houston and became a long jumper for the school and then made the Olympics teams in 1980.
Carl earned a total of nine gold medals and he retired in 1997 after winning gold at the Olympics that year.
