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NEED TO KNOW
Throughout the history of the Olympic Games, several athletes have had their medals stripped away
Jim Thorpe and Jordan Chiles are among the American athletes who have seen their gold, silver or bronze medals revoked
The 2026 Winter Olympics officially began on Feb. 6 in Milan
It's the crowning achievement of a lifetime when an athletewins an Olympic medal, but sometimes their hard-earned hardware can be stripped away.
Over the years, there have been instances when the powers that be — the International Olympic Committee (IOC), the governing body of the Olympic Games, or the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS), which has arbitral jurisdiction over all matters related to theOlympic Games— have ruled that an athlete must return their gold, silver or bronze medals for different reasons.
While failing a drug test or using banned substances like performance-enhancing drugs is the most common reason for medals to be rescinded, some instances are more nuanced and unique. In the case of American gymnastJordan Chiles, the revoking decision could potentially be reversed, though it's rare.
Chiles' bronze medal from the2024 Paris Olympicswas taken after a dispute regarding the timing of a judging inquiry. On Jan. 29, 2026, Chiles'appeal was granted, with the Swiss Federal Supreme Court referring her case back to the CAS to examine new evidence that could prove the inquiry was filed within the appropriate timeframe.
With the2026 Winter Olympicsunderway on Feb. 6 in Milan, discover the American athletes who've had their Olympic medals taken away and why.
Jim Thorpe, 1912 Summer Olympics
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Jim Thorpe, regarded as one of the greatest athletes of his time, was the first Native American to win an Olympic gold medal for the U.S. at the 1912 Summer Olympics in Stockholm. He placed first in both the pentathlon and decathlon.
The following year, the IOC stripped Thorpe of his medals and erased his records because he had made a small sum of money playing two seasons of summertime semi-pro baseball. At the time, this was a violation of the elitist Victorian rules of amateurism,perSmithsonianmagazine.
In July 2022, the IOC announced that it would change itsofficial websiteto display Thorpe as the sole gold medal winner of the two events.
The change came on the 110th anniversary of Thorpe receiving the medal in the decathlon.
"It's long past time," Pulitzer-winning journalist David Maraniss told PEOPLE of Thorpe's medals being reinstated. "This decision by the IOC is 110 years too late, but better late than never."
Maraniss continued, "When Jim's medals were rescinded after his brilliant performances in Stockholm, the move went against Olympic rules, common sense, and public opinion."
Rick DeMont, 1972 Summer Olympics
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Rick DeMont — a former competitive swimmer with several world records to his name — won a gold medal at the 1972 Summer Olympics in Munich for his first-place finish in the men's 400-meter freestyle.
After his victory, the IOC revoked his gold medal after he tested 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 before 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. According to theLos Angeles Times, he sued the U.S. Olympic Committee for mishandling the situation and fought to get his medal. Despite DeMont's efforts, his gold medal was not restored.
Lance Armstrong, 2000 Summer Olympics
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Former professional road racing cyclistLance Armstrongwasstripped of his bronze medalfrom the 2000 Summer Games in Sydney, a full 13 years after finishing third in the men's individual road cycling time trial.
The IOC asked for his medal back after the athlete admitted to taking performance-enhancing drugs during his cycling career.
The revocation of Armstrong's medal was one of the most highly followed cases in American history, resulting in his lifelong ban from Olympic sports. He was alsostripped of his Tour de France titlesand other cycling accolades earned since 1998.
Marion Jones, 2000 Summer Olympics
Former track star Marion Jones won three gold and two bronze medals at the 2000 Summer Olympics in Sydney. She finished first in the 100-meter sprint, 200-meter sprint and 4×400-meter relay and third in the long jump and 4×100-meter relay.
In October 2007,CBS Newsreported that Jones' medals were revoked after she admitted that she lied to a grand jury when 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 also sentenced to six months in jail and two years of supervised release, perABC News.
Tyler Hamilton, 2004 Summer Olympics
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Revered as one of the greatest American cyclists, Tyler Hamilton won a gold medal in the individual time trial at the 2004 Summer Olympics in Athens, Greece. The victory, however, was overshadowed by a doping test that had a positive A sample.
Meanwhile, Hamilton's B sample was frozen, which prevented it from being tested. Therefore, the athlete wasn't docked for a doping violation and was initially allowed to keep his gold medal, according to theBBC.
However,The New York TimesreportedHamilton admitted to past doping and voluntarily surrendered his gold medal to the U.S. Anti-Doping Agency (USADA) in 2011. The IOC officially stripped him of it the following year.
Jordan Chiles, 2024 Paris Olympics
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Chiles had an impressive run at the 2024 Summer Olympics in Paris,earning a team all-around goldwith the rest of the U.S. gymnastics team on July 30 and abronze in the individual floor exercisecompetition on Aug. 5.
The American gymnast wasstripped of her bronze medalfive days later after a CAS judge ruled in favor of two Romanian gymnasts, Ana Barbosu and Sabrina Maneca-Voinea. They finished in fourth and fifth place, respectively.
The decision to revoke Chiles' medal came after a protest by the Romanian Gymnastics Federation, which claimed that the difficulty score inquiry submitted by the American's coachpassed the one-minute deadline. (Chiles originally finished in fifth place, before the inquiry that boosted her score to a medal.)
Chiles hasn't given up on the quest to get her medal back. In September 2024, shefiled an appealin the Federal Supreme Court of Switzerland. Her appeal was granted in January 2026, with the case still ongoing.
Carl Lewis, 1988 Summer Olympics
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Carl Lewisis one of only a handful of athletes to have won nine Olympic gold medals. His medal-removal case at the 1988 Summer Olympics in Seoul, South Korea, differed from the previously mentioned athletes, as his place was bumped up following the disqualification of his competitor.
Canada's Ben Johnson originally won gold in the 100-meter final. However, after a failed drug test that ultimately disqualified him from the competition, Johnson was required to hand over the top prize to Lewis. The American traded his silver medal for an Olympic gold that year.
Jason Turner, 2008 Summer Olympics
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Jason Turner's case at the 2008 Summer Olympics in Beijing was similar to that of Lewis' medal switch-up in Seoul two decades prior. The American shooter originally placed fourth in the 10-meter air pistol competition, but ultimately topped the podium after his competitor's disqualification.
His opponent, North Korea's Kim Jong-su, initially won the bronze medal. Days later, the Vietnamese gymnast tested positive for the banned substance propranolol,perThe Guardian, forcing him to give up his medal to Turner.
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