by Alison Brown
On our podcast this week, I interviewed six-time Olympic gold medalist Amy Van Dyken, a swimmer who was one of the stars of the Atlanta 1996 Olympics. We talked about her swimming career, her two trips to the Olympics, her post-retirement career, and the accident that changed her life.
Amy Van Dyken became the first American woman to win four gold medals in a single Games in 1996. The entire U.S. swim team had a rip-roaring home Games, winning 26 medals: 15 gold, 11 silver, and 2 bronze. Australia and Germany tied for the country with the next-highest medal count, each bringing home 12 medals.
The Sydney 2000 Games proved even better, with the U.S. team winning 33 medals: 14 gold, 8 silver and 11 bronze. Host nation Australia was behind them once again with 18 medals.
Let’s catch up with some of Van Dyken’s teammates from both those Games. Where are they now?
Amanda Beard
Amanda Beard was the youngest member of the swim team in 1996, at only 14 years old. A breaststroke specialist, she competed at four Olympics, winning two gold medals, four silvers and a bronze. Beard became an anti-fur advocate, famously posing nude for a campaign by the animal rights organization, PETA. She has worked in broadcasting and coaching and published a memoir, In the Water They Can’t See You Cry.
Beth Botsford
Beth Botsford won gold in Atlanta in the 100m backstroke and 4x100m medley relay. Beth became the owner of the Golden Guppies Swim School in Madison, WI. She later returned as an assistant coach to her alma mater, the University of Arizona.
Tom Dolan
Tom Dolan competed at Atlanta 1996 and Sydney 2000, winning back-to-back gold medals in the men’s 400m individual medley. He returned to his native Virginia and opened the Tom Dolan Swim School, teaching recreational and competitive swimming. In 2021, Big Blue Swim School acquired Tom’s school, and Tom now works for them as the President of Corporate Pools.
Gary Hall, Jr.
Gary Hall, Jr. competed at a total of three Olympic Games and brought home 10 total medals. He most famously, and erroneously, predicted a victory for the American relay team over their Australian rivals at Sydney 2000, saying the Americans would “smash them like guitars.” Despite the bravado, Hall was the first to congratulate the Australians on their victory. Hall was back in the news last year during the California wildfires. He lost his house and his medals to the flames. The IOC arranged for him to receive replacements. Hall and his father, Gary Hall Sr. founded The Race Club to train young swimmers. In January 2026, he founded Anchor Line Sports, a sports betting data and analytics platform specializing in sports on the Olympic program.
Whitney Hedgepeth
Whitney Hedgepeth joined teammates Van Dyken and Beard on the gold medal winning 4×100 medley relay team, and scored silvers in both the 100m and 200m backstroke. Hedgepeth retired after Atlanta 1996 and became a coach with the Longhorn Aquatics program at her alma mater, the University of Texas at Austin. Hedgepeth’s daughter, Dakota Luther, swam at the 2017 World Aquatics Championships in the 200m butterfly.
Misty Hyman
Misty Hyman swam at Sydney, winning gold in the 200m butterfly coming from behind in a surprising upset. She is the former senior assistant coach for Arizona State University and now offers individualized lessons and clinics. Hyman travels the country as a motivational speaker for athletes, students, and corporations.
Lenny Krayzelburg
Lenny Krayzelburg swam at the 2000 and 2004 Olympics, winning four gold medals in the 100m and 200m backstroke, and back-to-back wins in the 4x100m relay. In 2005, Krayzelburg founded the Lenny Krayzelburg Swim Academy, creating the SwimRight Method. He also started Oceanman USA, the world’s largest open-water race series.
Jenny Thompson
Jenny Thompson scored eight Olympic gold medals in addition to three silver and a bronze over four Games. Thompson holds a three-peat in the 4x100m freestyle relay. After her swimming career ended, Thompson went on to Columbia University medical school, becoming an anesthesiologist. Dr. Thompson practices in Maine.
Dara Torres
Dara Torres competed at the 1984, 1988, and 1992 Olympics before retiring. But she changed her mind and made a comeback for the 2000 Games. She retired again, only to make a second comeback in 2008. She was the oldest swimmer for Team USA at age 41. Over the course of her four Olympics, Torres won 12 medals. Since retiring for good, Torres has worked as a reporter and announcer for several television networks and hosted a golf show, The Clubhouse. In 2024, she was named the head swimming and diving coach at Boston College.
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