Olympic Stars Return for 2028 LA Games After Retirement

When the Olympic flame lights up Los Angeles in 2028, some familiar faces will be back for another shot at glory on home turf.

A wave of American Olympic champions is returning from retirement for one more chance to compete. Six-time medalist Suni Lee announced she's training for her third Games. Two-time gold medalist Jade Carey just competed at U.S. championships and will be 28 when LA hosts. Track legend Allyson Felix is mounting a comeback in her early 40s.

The draw is simple but powerful. These athletes have won medals in Beijing, Tokyo, and Paris, but never in front of an American crowd.

"It does make it a little extra special that it's in the U.S.," Carey said with a smile after finishing fifth in the all-around at nationals over the weekend. She admitted she'd probably try for 2028 regardless, but competing at home adds something different.

This trend isn't new. Mark Spitz, Michael Phelps, Lindsey Vonn, and Simone Biles all came back after breaks. But agents and former Olympians say the flood of returns heading into LA 2028 will be unlike anything they've seen before.

The 1996 Atlanta Games showed what's possible. The Magnificent Seven gymnastics team walked into the Georgia Dome as underdogs and left as legends. Thirty years later, fans still stop them on the street to share where they were that memorable night.

"I can promise every athlete that makes the team, this Olympics will be one of the greatest moments of their careers," said seven-time medalist Shannon Miller, who herself tried a comeback for the 2000 Games at age 23.

Why This Inspires

The social media age has transformed what Olympic success at home can mean. Athletes can now build their own brands and tell their stories directly to millions. Agent Sheryl Shade, who has represented everyone from Nastia Liukin to Mia Hamm, says the opportunities in LA will be "exponentially" greater than any previous Games.

"It's going to be long-range too," Shade explained. "Because now it doesn't end at the Olympic Games. This is about legacy."

Even young athletes who've faced crushing setbacks are pushing forward. Skye Blakely, just 21, has seen two Olympic dreams end in injury, including a torn Achilles at the 2024 trials. She's already training for LA.

Former Olympian Dominique Moceanu calls it a "double-edged sword" with enormous pressure, but one worth taking. The mental and physical risks are real, but so is the chance at something extraordinary.

For these athletes, the question isn't whether competing at home is worth the risk—it's whether they could live with themselves if they didn't try.