The celebs you never knew were Olympic athletes – from Star Wars and Home Alone stars to pop legend’s daughter
OLYMPIC stars like Andy Murray and Usain Bolt may have won fame and fortune thanks to their sporting prowess.
But for a select group of Olympians, they are just as well known – if not even more so – for their lives outside of the sporting arena.
This week, diver Andrea Spendolini-Siriex had fans welling up as she was interviewed by her famous dad, Fred Sirieix, best known as the maitre d’hotel of Channel 4 show First Dates.
The 19-year-old scooped a bronze medal for Team GB in Paris for the women’s 10m synchronised platform diving event.
It comes four years after she made her Olympic debut in Tokyo and was also named Young Sports Personality of the Year.
From royalty to politicians, stars of James Bond, Home Alone and Star Wars, we introduce you to the celebs you never knew had tasted Olympic glory – and those like Andrea with surprisingly famous connections.
Hillary Wolf
The actress is best known for playing Megan, the big sister of McCauley Culkin’s Kevin McCallister in the Home Alone movies.
But she was also a champion Judoka.
Wolf won the world judo championships for juniors in 1994 and represented the United States in judo at the 1996 Summer Olympics.
Hillary, 47, made it to the quarter finals, and again in the 2000 summer Olympics where she competed in the women’s 52kg competition, though she went out in the first round.
Jessica Springsteen
Her dad may be ‘The Boss’ when it comes to music, but Jessica, 32, is definitely in charge in the saddle.
Bruce Springsteen’s daughter is a champion equestrian and was part of the US team which won silver in the showjumping at the 2020 Tokyo Olympics.
Sadly she didn’t qualify for Paris this year.
Harold Sakata
He famously played the villain Oddjob in the 1964 James Bond movie Goldfinger.
But Harold Sakata also represented the US in the 1948 London Olympics, scooping silver for weightlifting.
He later became a professional wrestler under the ring name of Tosh Togo which led to him being cast in the Bond movie.
He died of liver cancer in Hawaii four weeks after his 62nd birthday in 1982.
The Winklevoss twins
The Hollywood film The Social Network featured the story of twins Cameron and Tyler Winklevoss, who sued Mark Zuckerberg in 2004.
The twins, 42, claimed that he had stolen the idea for Facebook from them.
But despite their legal issues they still managed to train for the 2008 Olympics in Beijing, where they competed in the men’s coxless pair rowing event, finishing in sixth place.
Bob Anderson
Bob Anderson was the top swordfighting choreographer in Hollywood, working on films such as James Bond and Lord of the Rings.
He was even Darth Vader’s body double for the fight scenes in Return of the Jedi and The Empire Strikes Back.
But the accomplished fencer was also an Olympian who competed for Team GB in the 1952 games, finishing in fifth place in the team sabre event.
He died at 89 in a West Sussex hospital on New Year’s Day in 2012.
After his death, his wife donated his swords and medals to a museum.
Ming Campbell
The Scottish politician was the leader of the Liberal Democrats from March 2006 to October 2007.
But before his distinguished political career he was a champion sprinter known as the ‘fastest white man alive’, having run the 100m in 10.2 seconds twice in 1967 – even beating OJ Simpson in the second race.
Ming, 83, competed for Team GB in the 200 metres and 4 x 100 relay at the 1964 games in Tokyo.
Princess Anne and Zara Tindall
Talented equestrians Princess Anne and daughter Zara have both represented Great Britain in the Olympics.
Anne, 73, became the first member of the Royal Family to compete at the Olympics when she took part in the three-day equestrian at the 1976 Montreal games.
Despite winning the gold medal at the 1971 European Championships, Anne could only manage to finish in 24th place and left Canada empty-handed.
But 41 years later, her daughter Zara, 43, scooped a silver medal with Team GB’s eventing team at the 2012 Summer Olympics in London.
Ironically, her mother presented her with her medal.
This week, her cousin Princess Eugenie paid a sweet tribute to her with a throwback picture of her winning silver. Eugenie said it was one of her favourite memories.
Other royal families around the world have also tried their hand at the Olympics.
King Felipe, then Prince of Spain, was part of his country’s sailing team at the 1992 Barcelona Games.
Prince Albert of Monaco and his wife Princess Charlene have both competed in different games.
Johnny Weissmuller
The actor was best known for his role as Tarzan in 12 movies during the 30s and 40s.
But before switching to Hollywood he was an Olympic swimmer and water polo player.
He set world records alongside winning five gold medals in the Olympics.
He won the 100m freestyle and the 4 × 200 m relay team event in the 1924 Summer Olympics in Paris and the 1928 Summer Olympics in Amsterdam.
Weissmuller also won gold in the 400m freestyle, as well as a bronze medal in the water polo competition in Paris.
He died from pulmonary edema at 79 in 1984.
Caitlyn Jenner
She may now best be known as parent to Keeping Up with the Kardashians’ Kendall and Kylie Jenner, but back in the day Caitlyn was one of America’s finest decathletes.
Then known as Bruce before her transition, she won gold at the 1976 Montreal Olympics in the men’s decathlon.
In the late 2000s, Caitlyn, 74, enjoyed a surge in popularity due to her marriage to Kris Jenner and starring in the E! reality show with her children.
Noel Harrison
The son of Hollywood heart-throb Rex Harrison was always destined to follow in his dad’s footsteps and launch an acting career.
But his mother Ethel had moved him to live in the Swiss alps as a teenager where he took up ski racing.
He became a member of Team GB, becoming its first giant slalom champion in 1953 as well as competing in the 1952 winter Olympics in Oslo and again in the 1956 games in Italy.
After hanging up his skis he became an actor and singer, winning an Oscar for his song ‘The Windmills of your Mind’ which was the theme tune for the movie the Thomas Crown Affair.
He died at 79 in 2013 after suffering a heart attack at his home in Devon.
