Athletes who overcame injuries to win an Olympic medal ft. Sue Bird, Kurt Angle [Image Source: Getty]

5 athletes who overcame injuries to win an Olympic medal ft. Sue Bird, Kurt Angle

Modified Jul 18, 2024 05:02 GMT

Achieving an Olympic medal is nothing less than a dream come true for every sportsperson across the world. Some do it in style, breaking records with ease. Others just manage to achieve the coveted podium finish.

However, there's a third kind as well. These athletes face several obstacles as well as career-threatening injuries during the race to win an Olympic medal. But, they overcome the obstacles to win what they strived for.

Here are some champion athletes who made a strong comeback to achieve the coveted Olympic medal.

Top 5 Athletes who overcame injuries to win an Olympic medal

#5 Manteo Mitchell [London Olympics 2012]

Manteo Mitchell of USA competing in the 4 x 400 m relay heats at London Olympics 2012

Manteo Mitchell was a member of the US 4 x 400 m relay team at the London Olympics. He was running the first leg of the heat when he heard something 'pop'. However, he ignored it and completed his lap with an impressive time of 45.7 seconds. The USA went on to win the silver medal in the finals because of Mitchell's courageous sprint.

But how? It later turned out that Manteo Mitchell had actually broken his left leg's fibula during the run. However, despite the excruciating pain, Mitchell completed the run.

In an interview with the USA Track & Field Website, Manteo spoke about his injury:

"As soon as I took the first step across the 200 m mark, I felt it [ the leg] break. I didn't want to let the three guys or the team down, so I just ran on it."

To this day, Manteo Mitchell is remembered for that heroic run. He finds it hard to believe that he ran a race in under 46 seconds with a broken leg.

#4 Sue Bird [London Olympics 2012]

Sue Bird [extreme right] in action at the London Olympics 2012

Sue Bird is one of the well-known names in the basketball arena. However, between 2007 and 2013, she had to deal with four surgeries, involving her knee, hip labrum, and nasal bones.

Yet, Bird never gave up on her Olympic dreams. Despite recurring injuries, she participated in Beijing 2008 as well as the London Olympics of 2012, playing a crucial role in the USA's journey to historic gold medals.

Sue Bird is one of the few American players to win five consecutive Olympic gold medals in basketball. She also has four World Championship gold medals and one bronze medal to her credit.

#3 Kurt Angle [Atlanta Olympics 1996]

Kurt Angle, the wrestler who overcame a broken neck to become an Olympic champion [Image Source: Getty]

How would you feel if you broke your finger just before your first-ever athletic competition? You wouldn't be exactly proud about it, right?

Well, Kurt Angle had it worse. He had not only lost his coach Dave Schultz, but just before his Olympic debut, he broke his neck during the training season for the Atlanta Olympics.

Yet, Kurt Angle braved the excruciating pain to become one of the four wrestlers to achieve an amateur wrestling 'Grand Slam', i.e. a wrestler who has won the Junior Championships, the NCAA Championships, the World Wrestling Championships, as well as the Olympic gold medal.

Kurt Angle later achieved more success as a wrestler for WWE after joining in 1998.

#2 Kerri Strug [Atlanta Olympics 1996]

Kerri Strug performing at the Atlanta Olympics 1996

If someone asks you, 'define commitment in a few words', just say Kerri Strug. The American gymnast was a part of the 'Magnificent Seven', which included some of the world's best female artistic gymnasts, including Shannon Miller and Dominique Dawes.

Kerri Strug was performing during the team all-around event when she injured her ankle. At that moment, the Russian team had a narrow edge, and they would have walked away with the gold medal in the all-around event. However, Kerri Strug proved everyone wrong by performing her second vault brilliantly, despite the serious injury.

The USA won the team all-around gold medal, thanks to this immense dedication.

#1 Wilma Rudolph [Rome Olympics 1960]

If someone told you that a girl, who was inflicted with multiple diseases, including poliomyelitis, would soon win not one, but four back-to-back Olympic medals, you'd wonder if it's a joke.

However, Wilma Rudolph had other ideas. Due to polio, she wore leg braces until the age of 12. She never wanted to give up and decided to run.

Her efforts paid off and at the bare age of 16, Wilma Rudolph participated at the 1956 Melbourne Olympics. She lost the 200 m race but got a bronze medal in the women's 4x100 m relay race.

She achieved immense glory at the Rome Olympics. Rudolph broke several records to win a hat-trick of gold medals. She won the gold medal in 100 m, and 200 m as well as the 4x100 m relay to become the fastest woman at that time.