Are These Rio Olympic Stars All-Time Sports Famous?
Katie Ledecky dominated the Rio Olympics, but will general sports fans be talking about the American swimmer a year or two from now?
Sure, the established stars were and are in Rio de Janeiro—Michael Phelps, Usain Bolt, Carmelo Anthony, Diana Taurasi, Kerri Walsh and Carli Lloyd, just to name a few. But what about the breakout stars and lesser known athletes who stood out in these Olympics? Will they be relevant to the general sports fan in 2017 and beyond?
The following athletes performed well at the Games and even made history. But the question here is whether those performances propelled them from the restricted circle of their chosen discipline into the general sports consciousness. In some cases, it remains to be seen, and in others, it's clear.
Did Rio 2016 make the following athletes famous across sports? Read on to find out—yes, no or not yet.
Monica Puig
1 of 10
Monica Puig gave Puerto Rico something it had never earned before—an Olympic gold medal.
The 22-year-old tennis player came into the Olympics unseeded and went on to defeat Germany's heavily favored Angelique Kerber—6-3, 4-6, 6-1—in the final.
Eoghan Macguire of CNN.com pointed out the challenges Puerto Rico is facing—a $70 million debt and the Zika virus that is impacting much of the Caribbean.
Per Macguire, Puig said: "It's just amazing. I know my country really appreciates this and I really wanted to give this victory to them. And the way I did this victory tonight, I wouldn't want it any other way."
Time will tell if her Olympic victory can catapult Puig into tennis superstardom, but she has reached the upper echelon of sports fame at home.
Verdict: Not yet
Simone Biles
2 of 10
If any non-swimmer (or anyone, for that matter) owned the Rio Olympics, it was Simone Biles. The American gymnast won four gold medals and one bronze.
Her performance in Rio solidified her as the most decorated American gymnast of all time. Prior to these Games, Biles had won three consecutive all-around world championships. No big deal.
Biles' dominance and popularity have put her on the level of Michael Phelps or Usain Bolt in terms of recognizability. Regardless of her accolades, she said, "I'm not the next Usain Bolt or Michael Phelps. I'm the first Simone Biles," per Gabrielle McMillen of Omnisport (via Sporting News).
At age 19, Biles isn't exactly young for a gymnast, but she's not old either. According to Dan Wetzel of Yahoo Sports, Biles has not stated if she will shoot for the Tokyo Games in 2020, but famed gymnastics coach Bela Karolyi said: "She's young, she has to stay in the sport. I would definitely see her for quite a few more years."
Verdict: Yes
Thiago da Silva
3 of 10
Thiago da Silva set a new Olympic record and took home gold with a 6.03-meter jump in the pole vault. He improved his personal best by 11 centimeters and beat out defending Olympic champion and world record holder Renaud Lavillenie of France along the way.
The achievement was particularly meaningful for the hometown crowd, since Da Silva was born in Rio de Janeiro. His is just the fourth gold medal for Brazil in track and field events.
The 22-year-old said, per BBC Sport: "Incredible. My first time over six meters. My home town wanted me to win."
Da Silva's achievement was momentous in Brazil, but his name will likely fall by the wayside for many sports fans after Rio.
Verdict: No
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Lilly King
4 of 10
American swimmer Lilly King secured two gold medals in Rio—an individual in the 100-meter breaststroke and a team victory in the 4x100-meter medley relay.
Without taking anything away from her achievements in the pool, folks might recognize her name more for her stance on performance-enhancing drugs.
Upon defeating Russian swimmer Yulia Efimova (who has served two doping bans), King said, "It's incredible, just winning a gold medal, and knowing I did it clean," per Christine Brennan of USA Today.
King also said any athlete who has served a doping ban should be barred from Olympic competition, including American sprinter Justin Gatlin.
King is a world-class swimmer, but it doesn't seem likely that folks will talk about her long after Rio.
Verdict: No
Kayla Harrison
5 of 10
In Rio, 26-year-old Kayla Harrison became the first American judoka to win back-to-back Olympic medals. She took gold in the half-heavyweight division in London and defended her title four years later.
If "Olympic judoka" sounds familiar, perhaps you remember the phrase from Ronda Rousey's athletic history. Harrison—who used to train with Rousey—has already become legendary in her sport, but her star could rise even higher if she pursues a career in MMA.
Harrison would not commit to any future plans in an interview with Sean Gregory of Time, but she did say: "Who doesn't want to be rich and famous at some point in their life? It's a huge opportunity for me and I think I could be really really good at it."
There's a big "if" on this one. If Harrison does transition to MMA, she will be known beyond Rio.
Verdict: Not yet
Fiji Rugby 7s
6 of 10
The Fiji rugby sevens team rolled past Great Britain, 43-7, to take the gold medal in Rio. It was the first Olympic medal in Fiji's history.
Rugby sevens made its Olympic debut in 2016, and Fiji—a two-time Rugby World Cup Sevens champion and already an international power in the sport—was a favorite to medal.
Brazil coach Lucas Duque said, "No one is better than Fiji. They are magical at sevens," per Jerry Brewer of the Sydney Morning Herald.
Fijian Prime Minister Frank Bainimarama said, per Daniel Schofield of the Telegraph: "It's history in the making. We are all proud to be Fijians right now. We hope the brand of rugby we played today justified the inclusion of rugby in the Olympics and it also propped up tiny nation like us."
Fiji was already a major player, and now it has achieved success on an even grander world stage.
Verdict: Yes
Laurie Hernandez
7 of 10
The U.S. women's gymnastics team featured veterans in Aly Raisman and Gabby Douglas as well as newbies Simone Biles and Laurie Hernandez. They all dominated.
Hernandez, the youngest member of the team at age 16, took home a silver on the beam and team all-around gold.
Bleacher Report's Lars Anderson wrote, "The mantle of breakout American star at these Olympics belongs to Hernandez."
Indeed, Hernandez's notoriety has skyrocketed with Team USA's success. Her agent, Sheryl Shade, said her silver medal caused many brands to reach out. Shade said, per Tanisha Love Ramirez of the Huffington Post: "I probably heard from 10 major, Fortune 100 companies as soon as she did it. They were paying attention."
Hernandez doesn't have quite the fame of her teammate Biles, but it sure sounds like sports fans will hear more from her.
Verdict: Not yet
Katie Ledecky
8 of 10
Michael Phelps' dominance proved just how into swimming Americans can get, and Katie Ledecky has only reinforced that.
Ledecky won four gold medals and one silver in Rio. She smashed her own world record in the 800-meter freestyle, defeating the silver medalist by an astonishing margin of 11.38 seconds. No one was even in the same stratosphere as her.
Ledecky and Phelps shared a poignant and even humorous moment when the latter taught her how to wear multiple medals around her neck at the same time.
At just 19 years of age, Ledecky could remain in the American sports consciousness for years to come. U.S. Olympic coach David Marsh said, per S.L. Price of Sports Illustrated, "I don't think she knows her top end yet." And former U.S. freestyle swimmer Janet Evans added, "She could still be swimming in 2024."
Ledecky's dominance transcends her sport.
Verdict: Yes
Ryan Murphy
9 of 10
With Michael Phelps retiring, who will take his place in the American swimming spotlight (besides Katie Ledecky)? Ryan Lochte is 32 years old, so perhaps Ryan Murphy is part of the future?
The 21-year-old Cal Berkeley student took home three gold medals—in the 100-meter and 200-meter backstroke events as well as the 4x100-meter medley relay.
His dominance is reminiscent of that of Aaron Peirsol and Lenny Krayzelburg, two former swimmers who also swept the Olympic backstroke events.
Per Rachel Lutz of NBCOlympics.com, Murphy said: "I remember looking up to all these guys, they were my idols. To think that I could be that idol for some young kid who's trying to do this in the future, that's really cool for me and I don't take that lightly."
Murphy hasn't reached Phelps or Lochte-level fame yet, but he's on his way.
Verdict: Not yet
Wayde Van Niekerk
10 of 10
South African sprinter Wayde van Niekerk set a new world record at the Rio Olympics, and the mark he broke was a doozy.
Van Niekerk took gold in the 400-meter event with a time of 43.03, an improvement upon the 43.18 record that American sprinter Michael Johnson clocked at the 1999 World Championships.
Van Niekerk is the only athlete to run the 100-meter event in less than 10 seconds, the 200-meter event in less than 20 and the 400-meter event in less than 44. With Jamaican sprinter Usain Bolt competing in his last Olympics, the world might just be in need of a new lightning-fast hero.
Johnson said, "Van Niekerk is so young, what else can he do? Can he go under 43 seconds? It is something I thought I could do, but never did. Usain Bolt will be retiring soon, this could be the next star," per BBC Sport.
According to TeamTalk Media (h/t Times Lives), there are even rumors of a Bolt vs. Van Niekerk race over 300 meters—which would probably/definitely break the internet.
Verdict: Yes
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