Olympic medals represent the pinnacle of athletic achievement, the culmination of decades of rigorous training, sacrifice, and an unwavering pursuit of excellence. For the select few who reach the global stage and claim one of these glittering prizes, the triumph is monumental.
Yet, what happens to these precious symbols of victory once the roar of the crowd fades? Surprisingly, many Olympians don’t enshrine their hard-won treasures in elaborate displays. Instead, a common and rather unglamorous destination awaits: the humble sock drawer.
Take Alex Hall, the 27-year-old slopestyle skier. His gold medal from the 2022 Games rests not in a secure vault, but buried beneath socks and thermal underwear. “My parents wanted me to get a safe for it, but that sounded ridiculous,” Hall shared, admitting his medal “hasn’t seen sunlight in a long time.” Now, with a recently acquired silver medal, he faces a new storage dilemma.
Hall is far from alone in this understated approach. Alpine skiing legend Mikaela Shiffrin, a three-time Olympic medalist, also opts for the sock drawer. Swimmer Ryan Lochte, the second most decorated male swimmer in Olympic history with a staggering 12 medals, also favors this discreet method. Even luger Christopher Mazdzer’s 2018 silver medal shares an IKEA dresser drawer with a collection of hosiery, belts, and ties.
“I have some sunglasses in there, too,” Mazdzer quipped, highlighting the casual nature of his medal’s resting place.
For those recently awarded medals in Italy, the idea of stashing them away is unfathomable. American figure skater Danny O’Shea, clutching his new gold from the team event, joked he’d keep it “around my neck for as long as possible.” However, this initial fierce attachment often gives way to a more relaxed attitude over time.
Chris Fogt, a 2014 bobsledding silver medalist, articulated this shift: “Every Olympian’s childhood dream was standing up there and getting a medal hung around their necks. But after you get it, and you get a little older, it’s almost like the journey was more important.”
Beyond the sock drawer, other mundane spots abound. Valerie Fleming, a former bobsledder, rotates her 2006 silver medal between a kitchen drawer and her nightstand, a spot also favored by Fogt.
The reasons behind these surprisingly casual storage habits vary, often attributed to accessibility, a touch of laziness, or simple modesty. Unlike some wealthier professional athletes, many Olympians lack the desire or resources for elaborate trophy rooms or personal shrines.
Skeleton racer Matt Antoine, for instance, admits, “I’m just not like a showy, flashy type of person.” His 2014 bronze medal resides in his closet’s sock drawer, albeit now nestled in a custom pouch handcrafted by his mother – a significant upgrade from its original “encasement: an actual sock.”
Antoine’s choice of a sock as a makeshift case is not unique. Paralympian Oksana Masters, with an incredible 19 medals, and two-time Paralympic hockey gold medalist Jack Wallace have also used socks for medal storage. Jessie Diggins, fresh off a bronze in cross-country skiing, keeps her three prior Olympic medals tucked inside a hat at her parents’ house. She embraces their scuffs and scratches, a testament to how often she shares them with admiring children.
This leads to another prevalent reason for the sock drawer phenomenon: Many Olympians view their medals not as personal trophies, but as communal symbols to be shared. A readily accessible sock drawer ensures these pieces of history are always within reach for others to experience. Tyler George, a 2018 curling gold medalist, explains: “It could stay in a fancy case all our lives and be in immaculate condition, but we wouldn’t get to share it with the literally thousands of people who get to see it and hold it and wear it.”
While many maintain this casual storage, some Olympians have shifted their perspectives. Ryan Lochte, for example, recently sold three of his medals. He stated he “never swam for the gold medals,” viewing them more as a “cherry on top” of his illustrious swimming career.
Figure skater Mirai Nagasu, a 2018 bronze medalist, underwent her own “self-reflection” last summer. Inspired by Michelle Kwan’s memorabilia she saw growing up, Nagasu donated her medal to the Skating Club of Boston, hoping to inspire a new generation of athletes.
The idea of a more prominent display isn’t entirely dismissed by all. Matt Antoine admits his wife occasionally encourages him to showcase his medal at home. “So maybe there’s a point at some time when I put it out there a little more, show it off a bit,” he mused.
For Ashley Caldwell and her husband, Justin Schoenefeld, who both earned gold in mixed team aerial skiing in 2022, custom cases were initially a thought. However, the idea faded, and their medals now reside on the nightstands flanking their bed. “We sleep between two Olympic gold medals,” Caldwell shared. “It feels pretty good.”