Quick answer

There was no single “Who Wants to Be a Millionaire? U.S. Olympics 2002” special, but the U.S. version of Who Wants to Be a Millionaire? did air Olympic-themed celebrity episodes featuring American Olympians—most notably in 2000 (around the Sydney/lead‑up to Salt Lake) and then continued with sports/celebrity weeks in 2002 during the show’s prime run.

What actually aired

  • The show’s “Olympic Edition” in the U.S. is documented as airing in October 2000 , with episodes featuring U.S. Olympic athletes such as swimmer Dara Torres , swimmer Gary Hall Jr. , and sprinter Maurice Greene.
  • Through 2002 , the series regularly ran celebrity and sports-themed weeks (often labeled “Sports Superstars,” “College Edition,” etc.), and full episodes from 2002 are widely archived online, which is why people often associate “Millionaire + Olympics + 2002.”

So if you’re remembering “Millionaire + U.S. Olympians + 2002,” you’re likely recalling either:

  • The 2000 Olympic Edition episodes (the formal “Olympic Edition” branding), or
  • A 2002 sports/celebrity episode that featured athletes and was broadly “Olympic-adjacent” in theme.

Why the confusion happens

  • The show’s intro/package and branding from 2000–2002 were extremely consistent, so episodes from late 2000 and 2002 can feel like the same “era.”
  • Fan uploads and archives often title files loosely (e.g., “2002 episode,” “sports episode”), which blurs the line between the official 2000 Olympic Edition and other athlete-focused episodes that aired later.

If you’re trying to find a specific episode

Look for these identifiers when searching:

  • “Olympic Edition” + air date around Oct 25, 2000 , with guests Dara Torres / Gary Hall Jr. / Maurice Greene.
  • 2002 sports/celebrity episodes (often titled “Sports Superstars” or similar) that aired in 2002.

If you describe the contestants or a moment you remember (e.g., a specific question, outfit, or lifeline usage), I can help narrow it further. Information gathered from public forums or data available on the internet and portrayed here.