Pools, parties, prostitution, prison: The Scott Miller story

Silver medalist swimmer Scott Miller's life took a dramatic downward turn after the 1996 Atlanta Olympics, culminating in a fall from grace that led him to drug dealing and prison.

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I struggled to regain form after the '96 Olympics because I started to experiment with recreational drugs.

Miller, then 21, won silver in the 100m butterfly, narrowly beaten by Russian Denis Pankratov. The loss, compounded by controversial swimming tactics from his competitor, deeply affected Miller, who reportedly threw his medal away, only for his mother to retrieve it. He described the silver as a "failure," which triggered a decades-long spiral.

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It gave a taste of that sort of lifestyle.

Following the Olympics, Miller, once a celebrated athlete and '90s pin-up boy, began experimenting with recreational drugs. This marked the beginning of a lifestyle that included parties, a difficult marriage, injuries, addiction, pimping, bankruptcy, and drug dealing. He acknowledged the severity of his decline, stating, "It's up there" when asked about his fall from grace.

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I don't know what the straw that broke me was but there was a lot of shit going on there.

His struggles were witnessed by friends, including Olympic gold medalist Chris Fydler, who recalled Miller's post-Olympic fame, appearances on talk shows, and association with models and brands. Miller admitted to trying to balance his life as a party boy and a swimmer, which led to a positive marijuana test and a ban. He described money being thrown at him and a feeling of doing things for others. Ultimately, Miller spent over three years in maximum security prison, an experience he now credits with saving his life.

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It's up there.