What Happened To Former Olympic Figure Skater Scott Hamilton?

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Long before the Milano Cortina Winter Olympics commenced, a 25-year-old skater named Scott Hamilton took the top spot on the podium in Sarajevo. Best known for winning the gold medal at the 1984 Winter Olympics and performing breathtaking backflips during skating performances, Hamilton was a fierce competitor who arguably revolutionized the sport. "I loved training. I loved feeling better than I was the last year. I loved winning," he once told U.S. Figure Skating Magazine. "The process of competing almost put me in a mental institution, but I loved skating."

In the decades since his Olympic win, Hamilton's love for the sport itself never waned. Like figure skater Deanna Stellato-Dudek who underwent a stunning transformation, Hamilton is one of the former U.S. Olympic figure skaters you might not recognize today. However, the former Olympic competitor never fully left the world of figure skating behind, even after retiring. he may have first captured the attention of the public as a talented figure skater, and his life after competing in the Olympic Games still is very much tied to the sport. Find out what happened to the former U.S. Olympic figure skater Scott Hamilton. 

In 1990, Scott Hamilton made history with another achievement. The former U.S. Olympian's impressive figure skating skills, from his speed to his technique, were already widely praised by fans, but his legacy became official when he was inducted into multiple halls of fame. The American figure skater entered not only the the U.S. Olympic Hall of Fame, but he became part of the U.S. Figure Skating Hall of Fame and the World Figure Skating Hall of Fame as well. 

While the World Figure Skating Hall of Fame is one of the most impressive organizations an athlete like former U.S. Olympic figure skater Hamilton can be a part of, in 2025 the three-time Hall of Famer was inducted into a lesser-known organization. However, it's an organization that holds special significance for Hamilton. The U.S. Olympic gold medalist is an Ohio native, and he was honored in 2025 by a college near his hometown when Bowling Green State University added him to their own hall of fame. He also received an honorary degree from the university in 1994. 

After he won the gold at the 1984 Olympics, Scott Hamilton formed his own touring production. After participating in the Ice Capades for two years, the former U.S. figure skating team member and his manager, Bob Kain, created "Scott Hamilton's American Tour." The show, which they later renamed "Stars on Ice," consisted of a small group of professional figure skaters, Hamilton included, that put on both solo and group performances. On the show's website, Hamilton explained the mission of the tour: "[W]e wanted to create a show that was all about skating. We believed our fans would appreciate sophisticated skating, cutting-edge costumes and challenging choreography." "Stars on Ice," which won multiple Emmy awards, was a way for Hamilton to continue to hone his figure skating skills and showcase his talents outside of a competition setting. 

In 2001, the gold medalist stepped down from his post at "Stars on Ice" after 15 years. "It has been so many years, and I just felt like I needed to shift gears a little bit. So, this is my last full tour," he told the Denver Post at the time. "I don't have any idea what I am going to do after this year, but I am not retiring." On a 2024 episode of the podcast "Kingdom Story Tellers," Hamilton reflected on his time with "Stars on Ice," noting how much he appreciated getting to push himself creatively as a performer. "The stuff I got to explore just musically was spectacular," he said.

Olympian Scott Hamilton is no stranger to being on camera — and no, we're not only talking about televised figure skating competitions. The superstar athlete, like many other superstar athletes, has popped up on TV and in film in small roles. He guest starred as himself in the sitcom "Roseanne" in 1996 and lent his voice to hit shows like "Frasier" and "King of the Hill." Hamilton also made a brief appearance in the 2007 ice skating comedy "Blades of Glory" where he played a sports anchor who helped get the people going (cue the Black Eyed Peas song "My Humps").

Shortly after Hamilton's brief appearance on "Roseanne," the former U.S. Olympic figure skater put his skating skills to use when he competed on the 1996 television special "Battle of the Sexes on Ice." In 2009, Hamilton dove headfirst into the world of reality TV competition when he appeared on the second season of "Celebrity Apprentice." Though he was the second person eliminated, he indicated to TVGuide.com that he wasn't too torn up about how things played out on the show. "Why have regrets? ... I'm still here, I'm really happy, I've got a great life and I'm okay," he said. 

If there's one show fans shouldn't expect to see him on, it's "Dancing with the Stars." As Hamilton told Parade in 2026, "I've turned it down nine times. ... I can't dance."

Scott Hamilton has overcome a great deal of adversity in his life, as his health challenges began when he was a young child. He was sick for years before doctors eventually discovered he had an intestinal disorder called Shwachman-Diamond Syndrome that stunted his growth. Former Olympian Scott Hamilton's health issues were shared with the public, and he has been open about his struggles throughout his life. 

The ice skating legend also faced health issues as an adult. In 1997, he was diagnosed with testicular cancer and subsequently underwent chemotherapy. Dealing with cancer could have understandably slowed the athlete down, but Hamilton remained optimistic and focused on his career. After he shared his cancer diagnosis and eventually revealed that he was in remission, Hamilton told The New York Times, "I don't want illness or this episode to stop me from skating." Less than a decade later, he underwent surgery for a pituitary brain tumors in 2004 that reemerged in 2010 and again in 2016. After the tumor came back for the third time, Hamilton decided against another surgery. In a 2025 interview with People, he gave an update on his health. The cancer survivor revealed that while he will have to take medication indefinitely, he does not face the challenges he once did. "I'm living fully, living healthy, living without restriction," the U.S. figure skating champion said.

After achieving the absolute pinnacle of success in his figure skating career, Scott Hamilton found happiness in his love life as well when he married his wife, Tracie Hamilton, in 2002. Following Scott's testicular cancer diagnosis, the Hamiltons initially feared they would be unable to conceive naturally. Yet in 2003, the couple was thrilled to become first-time parents. As the former figure skater would later tell U.S. Figure Skating Magazine, "Having a child...it's just insane how great it is." Scott and his wife now share four kids together: two biological children, brothers Aidan and Maxx, and two adopted children, biological siblings Jean Paul and Evelyne.  

Following the devastating earthquake that hit Haiti in 2010, Tracie headed to the country to volunteer. There, Tracie met Jean Paul and Evelyne, who were orphaned by the natural disaster. After a few years and many trips to Haiti, but the Hamiltons eventually formally adopted the siblings. As Scott, who himself was adopted as a baby, told People in 2024, "It took three profound instances of divine intervention for us to make that happen, but they're now our son and daughter and they've been that way for nearly 10 years."

The family of six lives in Tennessee, where they enjoy a quiet life out of the spotlight. "[Y]ou get so much out of it," Scott said of parenthood in the aforementioned U.S. Figure Skating Magazine interview. "Every phase of it has been magic, and you don't want to give up a moment of it." Although he focused on his family, he still made time for the other love of his life: figure skating. 

As if being an Olympic gold medalist and World Figure Skating Hall of Fame inductee were not impressive enough, Scott Hamilton added more accomplishments to his diverse resume when he released his first book in 1999. Aptly titled "Landing It: My Life On and Off the Ice", the book details the ups and downs of his personal story. Yet much like his figure skating career, the legendary Olympian did not stop at just one literary achievement. 

A decade later, Hamilton published "The Great Eight (How to Be Happy Even When You Have Every Reason to Be Miserable)." His followup to "Landing It" further illustrated his positive outlook in life. The former U.S. Olympic figure skater then put out his third book, a self-help book called "Finish First: Winning Changes Everything," in 2018. Two years later, the father of four released a book for kids called "Fritzy Finds A Hat: A Gentle Tale to Help Talk with Children About Cancer."  Musician Brad Paisley illustrated the book.

As Hamilton told People ahead of the release of "Fritzy Finds a Hat," the book was inspired by his own cancer diagnosis as well as his mother, who died of cancer when he was 18. "[The book] helps parents communicate with their children that they can participate in everything that mom or dad is going through," he said. "I think it's a beautiful book, and in a very gentle way it helps empower kids to know that they can do their part — they can do their bit in this story."

On top of being a U.S. Olympic figure skating champion and published author, Scott Hamilton found success as a host and sports analyst. In 2006, Hamilton hosted a figure skating competition show on Fox called "Skating With Celebrities." For this program, the Hall of Fame figure skater did not lace up his skates for competition. Rather, the retired American figure skater hosted the ice skating reality series alongside American sports commentator and two-time Olympic gold medalist swimmer Summer Sanders. 

Similar to "Dancing With the Stars," "Skating With Celebrities" combined professional skaters and celebrities with varying degrees of skating experience. The reality competition show featured six professional figure skaters, such as fellow Olympian Nancy Kerrigan, and six celebrities, including Olympic gold medal-winning decathlete Caitlyn Jenner and "Full House" actor Dave Coulier. "Skating With Celebrities" only lasted for one short season. (Four years later, ABC would give the format another try and launch "DWTS" spinoff "Skating with the Stars." It also lasted one season.)

Ahead of the show's premiere, Hamilton told TVGuide.com that he was excited for audiences to watch. "It delivers on every level: If you want to see a lot of people falling down and bumping and bruising, there's enough of that. Some people watch NASCAR for the crashes," he said. "And if you want to see good skating, it delivers, too. It's really kind of broad."

From bold new moves to ​​awkward Olympic figure skating moments that were caught on camera, figure skating at the Olympics means being on a stage for the world to see. Following his stints at the Winter Games, Olympic champion Scott Hamilton continued to use his platform for good, creating a nonprofit to benefit people living with cancer. In 2015, Hamilton started a foundation for cancer research called CARES, which stands for Cancer Alliance for Research, Education, and Survivorship. The foundation's logo, an upside-down ribbon, is a nod to the retired U.S. figure skater's iconic backflips on ice. 

As part of the CARES organization, Hamilton hosts a yearly fundraiser called "Scott Hamilton and Friends." The annual charity event raises money for glioblastoma research, a type of brain cancer. Over the years, the show has featured performances by popular musicians, including Kevin Cronin of REO Speedwagon Jason Derlatka of Journey, and Maren Morris. Oh, but that's not all: Figure skaters, including a number of Olympic medalists, skate to said performances. As Hamilton told Figure Skaters Online in 2021, "The live music component, familiar songs, and the skaters, just the athleticism and the beauty and the speed and the power. To combine those two elements makes it so unique to anything else out there." 

Scott Hamilton's days of skating in the Winter Games are long behind him, but he's still very much involved with the Olympics. The 1984 American Olympic gold medalist is an alumni ambassador for the Special Olympics. Hamilton has sat on the board of directors for Special Olympics International for over two decades. 

The sports organization is clearly one that is near and dear to Hamilton's heart. In an open letter to Eunice Kennedy Shriver, the founder of the Special Olympics, Hamilton expressed how much her impact means to him. "We are all in this tiny great big world together and by leading the way she has," he wrote. "The only way she knows how. She has changed the world like no one else in world history."

Hamilton has also sponsored athletes who otherwise couldn't afford to compete in the Special Olympics. In 2015, he made sure Haiti would be represented at the Special Olympics by paying for the 26-member team's flight to the World Summer Games in Los Angeles. Per ESPN, Hamilton said at the time, "It just sort of felt organic to us [the board of directors and Hamilton's wife, Tracie] since we are so committed to, and attached to, and in love with Haiti and the people of Haiti with Haitian-born people as members of our family. If we can do it, why wouldn't we?"

Since 2002, Scott Hamilton has shared his expert commentary with the world as a figure skating analyst and correspondent for NBC. Before that, he was doing the same at CBS. So when it was time for the Milano Cortina Winter Games, you better believe he returned to his post at NBC. The 2026 Olympics marks the tenth time he has covered the Olympics from the sidelines rather than on the ice. 

Hamilton is no longer the lead analyst for NBC — since 2018, the always stunning duo of Tara Lipinski and Johnny Weir have shared that title — but he is still a part of the team. Apparently, he took this change in stride. As Hamilton told The New York Times in 2018, "I thought, 'Oh, man, that was such a beautiful part of my life and now it's over.' But change happens to everyone — even me."

While his role may have changed, Hamilton's enthusiasm sure hasn't. After he arrived in Italy in 2026 to watch the U.S. Olympic figure skating team, he posted a couple of photos on Instagram and wrote, "Today marks my first 2026 Olympic appearance on @todayshow here in Milan! We're all looking forward to see what excitement this Olympics has to offer. Stay tuned to @nbcolympics coverage of the Games!" In an interview with Nashville's WSMV4 ahead of the 2026 Winter Games, the Olympic gold medalist and four-time world champion gushed about how much the Olympics mean to him. "I love the sport, it's given me everything I have. It's everything that I am," Hamilton said. "It all roots back to getting on the ice."