Here Are The 7 Most Famous Olympians From Kentucky, From Sprinters to Fencers
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Kelly Carroll
Author
We love sports here in Kentucky. From little league baseball to college basketball and beyond, I love that athletics seem to bring Kentuckians together, biting their nails and loudly cheering for their teams. Perhaps there is no better place to enjoy athletic competition than on the world stage at the Olympics. Many talented Kentucky athletes have competed in the Olympics, spurring enormous state pride. Here are seven of the most famous Olympians from Kentucky (in alphabetical order).
1. Justin Thomas
Justin Thomas is a professional golfer from Louisville, Kentucky, who competed in the 2020 Olympic Games in Tokyo. He did not medal at the Olympics and finished tied for 22nd place. Thomas, known to his fans as JT, has earned many other accolades; he is only one of six golfers who won two major golf tournaments and 15 total tournaments before turning 30. He attended St. Xavier High School and the University of Alabama, where he had a successful collegiate golf career. He currently lives in Jupiter, Florida.
2. Lee Kiefer
Lee Kiefer is a fencer who grew up in Lexington, Kentucky. She graduated from Notre Dame University and is currently enrolled in medical school at the University of Kentucky. Kiefer competed at the 2012, 2016, and 2020 Olympic Games. She earned a gold medal in the individual foil fencing women's competition in Tokyo. Kiefer is married to Gerek Meinhardt, who has also earned Olympic medals in fencing.
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3. Mary T. Meagher Plant
Mary T. Meagher Plant was born in Louisville, Kentucky, in 1964. At age 14, she set her first world record in swimming. In the 1984 Olympic Games in Los Angeles, she won three gold medals in the 100-meter and 200-meter butterfly races and the 4 x 100-meter medley relay. She earned silver and bronze medals at the 1988 Olympic Games in Seoul. Her mastery of the butterfly stroke earned her the nickname Madame Butterfly.
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4. Muhammad Ali
Muhammad Ali was a professional boxer and activist who was born in Louisville, Kentucky, in 1942. At 18, Ali won the gold medal in Rome in the 1960 Olympic Games. During the games, Ali handily won all four of his matches. Ali lit the flame during the opening ceremony of the 1996 Olympic Games in Atlanta. He died in 2016 and is buried in Cave Hill Cemetery and Arboretum in Louisville.
5. Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone
Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone is a track and field star who attended the University of Kentucky. McLaughlin-Levrone was not born in the Bluegrass State but had exceptional success as a college athlete at the University of Kentucky, breaking the collegiate record for the 400-meter hurdles. She competed at the 2016 and 2020 Olympic Games. In Tokyo, she won two gold medals in the 400-meter hurdles and the women’s 4 x 400-meter relay.
6. William Shaner
William Shaner is a sports shooter who attended the University of Kentucky. Born in Colorado Springs, Shaner enrolled at the University of Kentucky in 2018 and majored in economics. William competed in the 2020 Olympic Games in Tokyo and won a gold medal in the men’s 10-meter air rifle competition.
7. Willis A. Lee
Born in 1888 in Natlee, Kentucky, Willis A. Lee attended the U.S. Naval Academy and served in the First and Second World Wars. He was distantly related to General Robert E. Lee and Charles Lee, the third U.S. attorney general. Willis A. Lee competed in shooting in the 1920 Antwerp Olympic Games and won seven medals—five gold, one silver, and one bronze. He died in 1945 while serving as Vice Admiral in the Pacific Ocean and is buried at Arlington National Cemetary.
There are so many skilled athletes with Kentucky roots.
What do you think of this list of famous Olympians from Kentucky? Is there an Olympian missing that should be on this list?
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