When competing in the Olympic Games, 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.
Here's what a few former Olympians look like since their retirement.
Tonya Harding
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 famous for being the first woman
to successfully complete a triple axel in competition ...
"And look at the size of this jump.
Huge!"
She also became infamous for her role in the brutal attack on fellow skater Nancy Kerrigan
— carried out by Harding's ex-husband Jeff — in an unsuccessful attempt to keep Kerrigan
from competing at the 1994 Olympic Games.
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.
Shaquille O'Neal
Shaq snagged gold at the 1996 Olympics as part of the all-powerful U.S. basketball "Dream
Team."
This was during the very promising early years of Shaq's NBA career, and his transition to
the L.A. Lakers from the Orlando Magic was announced on the first day of the Games in
Atlanta.
He continued his storied career for another 15 years, before announcing his retirement
from the sport in 2011.
Mark Spitz
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.
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 for many years
before starting a real estate company in Beverly Hills.
Caitlyn Jenner
While still known as Bruce, Caitlyn Jenner became world-famous for her gold medal performance
in the decathlon at the 1976 Olympic Games in Montreal.
Her world-record finish over the Soviet Union at the height of the Cold War, paired with
Jenner's victory lap carrying the U.S. flag — a tradition she started which continues
to this day — transformed Jenner into a classic all-American hero.
Today, Jenner continues to inspire millions.
She officially came out as a transgender woman in 2015, showing off a completely new look
on the cover of Vanity Fair.
Tara Lipinski
Figure skater Tara Lipinski achieved international fame at the tender age of 15 when she won
the 1998 Olympic gold medal in the ladies' singles category, setting a record for the
youngest person to ever win that event.
After a professional career plagued with injuries, Lipinski retired from the sport to become
a commentator, actress, and philanthropist.
Lipinski is all grown up now and looks much different from the fresh-faced teen at the
Games in Nagano, Japan.
Highly regarded for her keen fashion sense, she continues to work as a commentator for
NBC during its Olympic coverage.
Ian Thorpe
Like figure skater Lipinski, Australian 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 and went
on to captivate the world when he dominated his swimming events at the 2000 Olympics in
Sydney.
After the Games, Thorpe was plagued with injuries and illness, which ended his bid for a comeback.
Thorpe has since become active in philanthropy, hosted a TV show, designed jewelry, penned
two books, and has even dabbled in acting.
Shawn Johnson
During the 2008 Olympic Games in Beijing, China, Shawn Johnson and her teammates on
the U.S. Gymnastics team captivated the country with a silver medal performance.
Johnson also took home gold in the individual balance beam event, along with silver in the
individual floor exercise.
An unfortunate skiing accident in 2010 left her with a knee injury that thwarted her efforts
at a comeback for the 2012 Olympics, so she turned her attention to a career as an author,
spokesperson, philanthropist, and occasional reality tv contestant.
Brian Boitano
After taking home the 1988 Olympic gold medal for men's singles figure skating, Brian Boitano
forged a successful post-Games career in professional skating before cashing in on his South Park
cameo fame by landing his own Food Network cooking show, appropriately titled What Would
Brian Boitano Make?
Even though he's traded his fluffy hairstyle from the '80s for a more modern and age-appropriate
cut, Boitano still looks great.
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