6 celebrity Olympic wannabes, from Jason Statham to Caitlyn Jenner and even K-pop’s Jackson Wang

Jul 23 , 2021

Jackson Wang, Vera Wang and Cody Simpson are three stars who are, or were, Olympic hopefuls in their chosen sports. Photos: Handout, German Larkin, @jacksonwang852g7/Instagram

Before making it big in showbiz, many celebrities dabble in a wide (and often unexpected) range of income-earning activities and odd jobs. That goes as far as a few having professional careers as athletes, with a sprinkling of them being so successful that they tried out for, or even made it all the way to, the Olympics.

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Caitlyn Jenner

Before skyrocketing to international stardom as Kendall and Kylie’s mum and step-mum to the Kardashian clan, Caitlyn Jenner was a lauded American athlete.

Back in 1976 at the Montreal Olympics, Jenner won gold in the prestigious decathlon event. Not only did the trailblazing celebrity win gold for the USA, she even set a world record score of 8,617 points. No wonder she’s looking to politics next!

Vera Wang

While most people nowadays know Wang for her gorgeous gowns and incredible scents, the designer and second-generation Chinese-American enjoyed a successful stint as a professional figure skater.

Vera Wang ice skating as a child. Photo: Handout

During her youth, she spent more time on the ice than on the sewing machine, even competing in the 1968 US National Figure Skating championships. Though she trained to compete on the American Olympic team, she failed to qualify and thereafter a trip to Paris ignited a love of fashion, from where her brand and new career developed.

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Cody Simpson

Not only is the blonde heartthrob from Down Under a popular singer-songwriter, he has also impressed fans with his skills in the pool. Known to be an avid aquaman, Simpson made it all the way to the Australian trials for the Tokyo 2020 Australian Olympic swimming team.

Cody Simpson in the pool. Photo: @codysimpson/Instagram

Though the butterfly swimmer set a personal best time at the qualifiers, it was unfortunately not enough to score a spot on the Ozzie squad for this year’s Olympics.

Jackson Wang

The K-pop idol is renowned for his successful music career, both as a solo artist as well as a member of the K-pop group Got7, as well as for numerous appearances on reality television series.

Before he became a pop celebrity, Wang was an avid fencer, competing on Hong Kong’s fencing team. He took part in the 2010 Youth Olympics, achieving an impressive eleventh spot. Though his prospects as a professional fencer were promising, Wang ultimately turned in his sabre for a microphone and some dancing shoes ... and K-pop fans the world over have been blessed ever since.

Jason Statham

The Englishman is known for his stunt-packed roles, starring in a long list of high-paced, suspenseful action-thrillers. Before his days as a tough character on screen, the Fast & Furious and Snatch actor competed as a professional diver, representing Britain at the 1990 Commonwealth Games.

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Jason Statham. Photo: @jasonstatham/Instagram

Though he got pretty close to making it to the 1992 Olympics, the athletic actor gave up his diving dreams to pursue a career in showbiz.

Geena Davis

Unlike most of the other athletes on this list, the Academy Award-winning actress – known for her roles in films like Tootsie, The Accidental Tourist and Beetlejuice – took up a sporting career after her rise to fame.

American Oscar-winning actress Geena Davis training for the Sydney International Golden Arrow archery competition in September 1999 at Sydney Olympic Park, Australia, a Sydney 2000 Olympics test event. Photo: AP Photo

After watching the archery events at the 1996 Atlanta games, the Thelma & Louise actress was inspired to pick up a bow and arrow and try out the sport for herself. After a couple of years she got so good, she began competing in national and international competitions. She ultimately went to the trials for the American Olympic team for the 2000 Summer Olympics. Sadly, she didn’t qualify for the Sydney games, but considering she only began archery two years previously, her 24th place in the Olympic qualifiers is rather impressive.

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Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games

Kendall and Kylie’s mum and step-mum to the Kardashians won gold in 1976, while Fast & Furious star Statham dived for Britain at the Commonwealth Games
Fashion’s Vera Wang was once a professional skater, while Got7 rapper Jackson Wang was eleventh representing Hong Kong in the fencing at the 2010 Youth Olympics