Many Olympians Keep Their Medals in Sock Drawers

Athletes spend years chasing Olympic glory, yet many of the medals they win end up in unremarkable places — often a sock drawer. Alex Hall, a 27-year-old slopestyle skier, hides his 2022 gold beneath socks and thermal underwear and said it “hasn’t seen sunlight in a long time.” Other decorated competitors do the same.

Mikaela Shiffrin and Ryan Lochte are among those who store medals in drawers; Christopher Mazdzer keeps his 2018 silver in an IKEA dresser with belts, ties and “some sunglasses in there, too.” Valerie Fleming often tucks her 2006 silver into a kitchen drawer or her night stand, and Chris Fogt said that, with time, the journey can feel more important than the medal itself.

Reasons for these modest choices range from accessibility and modesty to simple habit. “I’m just not like a showy, flashy type of person,” said Matt Antoine, who put his 2014 bronze in a sock drawer before his mother made a custom pouch for it.

olympians, olympic medals, sock drawer, medal storage, alex hall, mikaela shiffrin, ryan lochte, christopher mazdzer, valerie fleming, chris fogt