When you consider thousands of athletes from around the globe come together to compete when the Olympics are held, it’s only natural that at least a few of them will have some sort of connection to other people who’ve managed to make a name for themselves for one reason or another.
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There may be billions of people on the planet, but if the folks at Disney have taught us anything, it’s that it’s a small world after all.
There’s no shortage of examples you can point to in order to highlight that reality, but with the Olympics in full force, we might as well take a look at some athletes who’ve taken part in the Games who share a family tree with some pretty major celebrities.
Salma Hayek
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In 2016, Yvonne Treviño Hayek earned the right to represent Mexico as a long jumper when the Summer Olympics headed to Rio (which made her the first woman from the country to get the chance to do so in close to 50 years).
While Salma Hayek acknowledged she’d never met Yvonne in person, she nonetheless hopped on Instagram to congratulate her cousin on her achievement while wishing her the best of luck.
Hugh Laurie
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Hugh Laurie became a household name in his native United Kingdom as a comedian before earning the same status in the United States as the eponymous curmudgeonly doctor at the center of the television series House.
His father was an actual doctor named William George Ranald “Ran” Mundell Laurie, who was a member of the rowing team at Cambridge when he studied at the university in the 1930s and missed out on his chance to earn a medal at the 1936 Olympics as part of the Great Britain squad that finished in fourth place.
However, he got a shot at redemption at the 1948 Summer Olympics in his home country and secured a gold alongside rowing partner John Wilson in the coxless pairs competition.
Bruce Springsteen
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If you tuned into the equestrian events when the Summer Olympics were belatedly held in Tokyo in 2021, you’re probably familiar with Jessia Springsteen, who helped America bring home a silver medal in the jumping competition.
If that’s the case, you’re also probably very, very aware she’s the daughter of Bruce Springsteen and took advantage of the fact that she was raised on a 300-acre farm in New Jersey where she started riding horses when she was just four years old.
Rob Gronkowski
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It’s only natural that there are some Olympic athletes who hail from the same gene pool as other professional athletes, and that’s the case with the next few entries on this list.
Rob Gronkowski is one of the best tight ends in NFL history and can credit some of that success to his dad Gordon, who played football at Syracuse and did very well for himself after starting a gym equipment business.
However, he wasn’t the first notable athlete in the family, as Gronk’s great-grandfather Ignatius represented the United States at the 1924 Olympics as a cyclist in the 50km track race.
Rick Fox
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Rick Fox also did pretty well for himself during the 13 seasons he spent in the NBA, as he racked up more than $34 million in earnings while securing a trio of championships as a member of the Lakers.
The fact that he was the son of a former Olympian probably didn’t hurt, as his mother, Dianne Gerace, represented Canada at the 1964 Summer Olympics in Tokyo while competing in the high jump and pentathlon.
Dennis Rodman
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Dennis Rodman never got the chance to play for Team USA at the Olympics despite cementing himself as one of the most fearsome defenders in the NBA while playing alongside “Dream Team” members Michael Jordan and Scottie Pippen.
However, anyone who’s watched America’s women’s soccer team compete at the Paris Olympics probably knows the same cannot be said for his daughter Trinity, the 22-year-old who emerged as one of its best players during the tournament.
Jon Ledecky
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I fully acknowledge I may be getting a bit liberal with the definition of “famous people” with this one, but I still feel like it’s worth mentioning.
Long-distance swimming behemoth Katie Ledecky took home two more gold medals in Paris by demolishing her opponents in the 1500m and 800m competition to bring her all-time total to nine, which makes her the most decorated female Olympian to ever hail from America.
Ledecky got the chance to celebrate her latest achievement with some of her family members—including her uncle Jon Ledecky, a successful businessman who is currently the owner of the New York Islanders as well as the franchise’s AHL affiliate in Bridgeport, CT.