Over 150 U.S. Olympic team members will help kick off the 23rd season of “The Oprah Winfrey Show.”

A number of gold medalists are among the special guests at the Sept. 2 taping in Chicago’s Millennium Park, including record-breaking swimmer Michael Phelps, gymnast Nastia Liukin, beach volleyball teammates Misty May-Treanor and Kerri Walsh, and basketball players Kobe Bryant, Dwyane Wade, Carmelo Anthony and Lisa Leslie.

Winfrey’s company, Harpo Productions, said the episode will be a “welcome-home celebration” for the athletes, as well as a chance to put the spotlight on Chicago as the city bids for the 2016 Olympics Games.

The season premiere of Winfrey’s talk show airs Sept. 8.

Fans of Phelps, who took home eight gold medals at this year’s Games, can catch the 23-year-old swimmer again that night when he appears on “The Tonight Show with Jay Leno.”

As previously reported, he will also present an award at the Sept. 7 MTV VMAs, host the Sept. 13 season premiere of “Saturday Night Live” and release a book in December.






Related Stories: