Athletes Who Have Been Stripped of Olympic Medals and Why They’ve Had Them Revoked

Mar. 15, 2025

Lance Armstrong; Jordan Chiles; Marion Jones.Photo:Mike Powell /Allsport; Mehmet Murat Onel/Anadolu via Getty; David Madison/Getty

Mike Powell /Allsport; Mehmet Murat Onel/Anadolu via Getty; David Madison/Getty

Jordan Chiles isn’t the first athlete to have an Olympic medal taken away.

Chiles wasstripped of her bronze medalfive days later after a judge for the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) ruled in favor of two Romanian gymnasts, Ana Barbosu and Sabrina Maneca-Voinea. They finished in fourth and fifth place, respectively.

In Chiles' case, though, the medal revoking decision could potentially be reversed. The U.S. Olympic & Paralympic Committee (USOPC) announcedthey were appealing the rulingafter the International Olympic Committee (IOC) ordered that Chiles was to return her bronze.

Read on for a list of American athletes who’ve had their Olympic medals taken away, including why they were revoked.

01of 07

Jim Thorpe, 1912 Stockholm Olympics

Jim Thorpe 1912 Stockholm Olympics.George Rinhart/Corbis via Getty

George Rinhart/Corbis via Getty

Jim Thorpe, who’s regarded as one of the greatest athletes of his time, was the first Native American to win an Olympic gold medal for the Unites States at the 1912 Stockholm Olympics. He placed first in the pentathlon and decathlon.

The following year, the International Olympic Committee stripped Thorpe of his medals and struck out his records because he played two seasons of summertime semi-pro baseball. At the time, this was a violation of the elitist Victorianrules of amateurism.

02of 07Rick DeMont, 1972 Munich OlympicsRick DeMont 1972 Munich Olympics.Jerry Cooke/Sports Illustrated via GettyRick DeMont, a former competitive swimmer with various world records to his name, won a gold medal at the 1972 Munich Olympics for his first-place finish in the men’s 400-meter freestyle.After his victory, the IOC revoked his gold medal after testing positive for a banned substance in his post-race urinalysis. DeMont, an asthmatic, regularly took Marax (an ephedrine derivative) to control his wheezing and did so in the Olympic Village prior to the race.DeMont didn’t deny his usage, nor hide the fact that he took Marax — however, the U.S. medical team failed to check if it contained any banned substances. The athletesued the USOCfor mishandling the situation and fought to get his medal back — but despite DeMont’s efforts,his gold medal was not restored.

02of 07

Rick DeMont, 1972 Munich Olympics

Rick DeMont 1972 Munich Olympics.Jerry Cooke/Sports Illustrated via Getty

Jerry Cooke/Sports Illustrated via Getty

Rick DeMont, a former competitive swimmer with various world records to his name, won a gold medal at the 1972 Munich Olympics for his first-place finish in the men’s 400-meter freestyle.

After his victory, the IOC revoked his gold medal after testing positive for a banned substance in his post-race urinalysis. DeMont, an asthmatic, regularly took Marax (an ephedrine derivative) to control his wheezing and did so in the Olympic Village prior to the race.

DeMont didn’t deny his usage, nor hide the fact that he took Marax — however, the U.S. medical team failed to check if it contained any banned substances. The athletesued the USOCfor mishandling the situation and fought to get his medal back — but despite DeMont’s efforts,his gold medal was not restored.

03of 07

Lance Armstrong, 2000 Sydney Olympics

Lance Armstrong 2000 Sydney Olympics.Bob Martin /Sports Illustrated via Getty

Bob Martin /Sports Illustrated via Getty

The revoking of Armstrong’s medal was among the most highly-followed cases in American history, which resulted in his life-long ban from Olympic sports. He was alsostripped of his Tour de France titlesand other cycling accolades earned since 1998.

04of 07Marion Jones, 2000 Sydney OlympicsMarion Jones 2000 Sydney Olympics.Marion Jones, a former track-and-field athlete, won three gold and two bronze medals at the 2000 Sydney Olympics. She finished first in the 100, 200, and 4×400 meter relay and third in the long jump and 4×100 relay.In October 2007, Jones' medals were revoked after admitting thatshe lied to a grand jurywhen she stated that she had never taken performance-enhancing drugs. Not only did the IOC strip her of her medals and records that December, but she was sentenced to six-months in jail.

04of 07

Marion Jones, 2000 Sydney Olympics

Marion Jones 2000 Sydney Olympics.

Marion Jones, a former track-and-field athlete, won three gold and two bronze medals at the 2000 Sydney Olympics. She finished first in the 100, 200, and 4×400 meter relay and third in the long jump and 4×100 relay.

In October 2007, Jones' medals were revoked after admitting thatshe lied to a grand jurywhen she stated that she had never taken performance-enhancing drugs. Not only did the IOC strip her of her medals and records that December, but she was sentenced to six-months in jail.

05of 07

Tyler Hamilton, 2004 Athens Olympics

Tyler Hamilton 2004 Athens Olympics.Doug Pensinger/Getty

Doug Pensinger/Getty

Meanwhile, Hamilton’s B sample was frozen which prevented it from being tested. Therefore, the athlete wasn’t docked for a doping violation and wasallowed to keep his gold medal.

06of 07

Carl Lewis, 1988 Seoul Olympics

Car Lewis 1988 Seoul Olympics.Focus on Sport/Getty

Focus on Sport/Getty

Canada’s Ben Johnson originally won gold in the 100-meter final, but failed a drug test that ultimately disqualified him from the competition and required him to hand over the top prize to Lewis. The American traded his silver medal for an Olympic gold that year.

07of 07

Jason Turner, 2008 Beijing Olympics

Jason Turner 2008 Beijing Olympics.Phil Walter/Getty

Phil Walter/Getty

Jason Turner’s case at the 2008 Beijing Olympics was similar to that of Carl Lewis' medal switch-up in Seoul. The American shooter originally placed fourth in the 10-meter air pistol competition, but ultimately topped the podium after his competitor’s disqualification.

source: people.com