The Grueling Truth, a sports website, recently revealed that Texas residents have forgotten 56% of the United States’ biggest Olympic stars. Read on for the full study.
Texas Residents Failed To Name Olympic Stars
With less than a month until the Winter Olympics, it appears that Texas residents have already forgotten the nation’s biggest Olympic athletes.
The Grueling Truth commissioned a survey of 2,000 U.S. adults, testing the recognition of 18 current and former Olympic athletes who have collectively won 75 Olympic medals. 56% of those Olympians went unrecognized, a concerning sign as 65% of Americans believe they’re above average in intelligence.
Americans failed to recognize 54% of a combination of Olympians, spanning this year’s competitors and Winter and Summer Olympics veterans, who earned 75 medals together.
Louisiana led the nation, with residents failing to identify 68% of the Olympians. Louisiana’s residents may want to brush up ahead of the Winter Olympics.
Michigan residents recognized 55% for the highest share of Olympic athletes on average, failing to identify just 45% of the Olympians. Michigan’s interest in the Olympics may have skyrocketed due to former swimmer Michael Phelps training in Michigan for several years.
This year, 59% of Olympians competing went unrecognized, compared with 56% of previous Summer Olympics athletes and 40% of previous Winter Olympics athletes.
Most Recognized Olympic Star In Texas
Alpine skier Lindsey Vonn is the most recognized Olympic star in Texas. Vonn, 41, qualified for the 2026 Winter Olympics in Milan and Cortina d’Ampezzo, Italy. She has competed in four Winter Olympics. To date, she has earned one gold and two bronze medals. She ranks as the second-most recognized athlete in the study, with just 24% of respondents failing to identify her.
Snowboarder Chloe Kim is the most recognized athlete at 88%. Kim, 25, has two gold medals to her name and hopes to add another at the Winter Olympics. Her achievements haven’t gone unnoticed. Of all the Olympians, she was the most recognized, with just 12% of respondents failing to match her name to her photo.
Snowboarding legend Shaun White follows closely, with just 28% of respondents failing to recognize him. White, 39, competed in five Winter Olympics and earned three gold medals during his Olympic career from 2006 to 2022.
Least Recognized Olympic Star In Texas
Ice hockey player Jack Eichel is the least recognized Olympic star in Texas, even though he currently plays for the NHL’s Vegas Golden Knights as a center and an alternate captain. Eichel, 29, previously played six seasons with the Buffalo Sabres. He qualifies for the Winter Olympics, but his name recognition has yet to fully register. Of all the Olympians, he was recognized the least, with 79% of respondents unable to match his name to his photo.
Snowboarder Red Gerard follows closely, with 78%. In addition to qualifying for the Winter Olympics, Gerard, 25, has competed in two Winter Olympics. he earned a gold medal in 2012 for the men’s slopestyle. The 25-year-old has also competed in three Winter X Games, winning one bronze medal and two gold medals.
Tied for third place is track and field star Allyson Felix, the most decorated woman in Olympic track and field history, with 11 Olympic medals to her name, including seven gold medals. Felix, 40, competed at the Summer Olympics in 2004, 2008, 2012, 2016, and 2020. Yet, 77% of respondents failed to recognize her.
The same percentage of 77% applies to swimmer Missy Franklin, who tied for third place with Felix. Franklin, 30, competed at the 2012 and 2016 Summer Olympics, winning five gold medals and one bronze medal.
