Olympic Athletes Who Look Completely Different Today

When competing, Olympic athletes keep their bodies in top form, but when the torch goes out and the roar of the crowd fades, many Olympians let themselves finally relax and shift their focus to less physical pursuits. We've compiled a list of former Olympians who look extremely different since the Games. Take a look!

While she never won a medal during her two visits to the Olympics, Tonya Harding was an extremely talented figure skater. She won the 1991 and 1994 U.S. Championships and became the first woman to successfully complete a triple axel in competition. She also became infamous for her alleged role in the brutal attack on fellow skater Nancy Kerrigan—carried out by Harding's ex-husband—in an unsuccessful attempt to keep Kerrigan from competing at the 1994 Olympic Games in Lillehammer, Norway.

After being stripped of her title and banned for life from the U.S. Figure Skating Association, Harding turned to other methods to earn money, including boxing, woodworking, releasing a sex tape, and even setting a car-racing land speed record. She also appeared in ESPN's documentary The Price of Gold (2014), which revisited the Kerrigan scandal.

American swimming legend Mark Spitz made history when he broke world records in all seven of his events at the 1972 Olympic Games in Munich, Germany. In total, during his career, Spitz won Olympic gold nine times, as well as silver and bronze medals. He decided to bow out of the sport while he was on top, retiring from swimming right after the Munich games at age 22.

He then began a successful career in television as a broadcast commentator before starting a real estate company in Beverly Hills. Spitz has long since ditched his trademark mustache, and his once-dark hair is now silver, but this iconic athlete is still making a splash.

Swimmer Ian Thorpe represented his country on the national stage at a very young age. He was only 14 when he won the 400-meter freestyle at the World Championships in 1998. Thorpe went on to captivate the world when he dominated his swimming events at the 2000 Olympics, winning medals for Australia in the 100-meter, 200-meter, and 400-meter freestyle events.

After the Games, the lanky young man was plagued with injuries and illness, which ended his bid for a comeback. According to The Sydney Morning Herald, Thorpe has since become active in philanthropy, hosted a TV show called Undercover Angels, designed jewelry with Autore South Sea pearls, penned an autobiography and cookbook, and dabbled in acting—he even appeared on an episode of Friends. Though he isn't as svelte as he was as a teen athlete, he still looks good, especially when he's wearing pieces from the Armani clothing line he endorsed.

Olympic athlete McKayla Maroney became everyone's favorite meme in 2012 thanks to the face she made after winning the silver, rather than the anticipated gold medal, in the women's individual vault finals; at one point, even President Barack Obama got in on the fun.

Years later, the gymnastic's looks are making headlines again, this time for the, uh, all-grown-up photos she posts on Instagram. The pictures prompted rumors that she'd had plastic surgery—rumors she denied. She continues to own her image on social media while putting her haters back in their place. To which we say: we're impressed.

Since winning gold in the women's individual all-around in Beijing, gymnast Nastia Liukin has stayed close to her roots, joining NBC as an analyst for the 2016 Games in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. The New York University graduate, who retired from the sport in 2012, has also kept busy with other ventures, including a stint on Dancing With the Stars and writing a memoir.

On the personal front: Liukin got engaged to boyfriend Matt Lombardi in 2015. However, in May 2017, Liukin confirmed the couple had postponed the wedding due to her busy schedule.