1 / 20 photos Hottest Olympic Athletes

At the 1976 Summer Olympics in Montreal Bruce Jenner made history, winning the gold medal in the decathalon and setting the world record of 8,634 points. After the win, he made his famous victory lap holding an American flag - a gesture that would become an Olympic tradition. His handsome looks kept him in the public eye, throughout his career appearing in endorsements, speaking engagements and on television.

In 1991, at age 19, Mia Hamm became the youngest player in history to win the World Cup. Five years later she became an Olympic champion, securing the gold medal at the 1997 Summer Olympics in Atlanta. She returned again in 2000 and 2004, winning silver and gold medals respectively. The charming young competitor soon became one of the most recognizable female athletes in the world.

Tennis star Serena Williams is known as much for her superior athletic ability as she is for her fashion sense and celebrity persona. Serena expanded her career, appearing in films and television and developing her own clothing line. In 2003 and 2004, she posed for the Sports Illustrated Swimsuit Issue.

American swimmer Michael Phelps holds the record for the most gold medals won in a single Olympics, claiming eight at the 2008 Games in Beijing. He soon garnered significant media attention for his athletic physique - He was named Sports Illustrated 2003 "Sportsman of the Year," and was even featured in People's "Sexiest Men Alive" issue.

Olympic diver Greg Louganis captured attention for earning three Olympic medals, and being the first diver to ever earn a perfect 10 at the World Championships in 1982. He also garnered attention for his attractive, mediterranean looks.

Olympic competitor Lolo Jones first established herself as a student at Louisiana State University, proving to be one of the best hurdlers at the college level winning the 60-meter indoor hurdles events at the NCAA championships in 2003 and 2004. She was projected to win big heading into the 2008 Beijing Olympics, but finished 17th after stumbling in the second to last hurdle in the 100-meter event. In November of 2011 she qualified for a second chance at Olympic Gold for the 2012 Games in London, all the while making a name for herself with her eye-catching looks and chamring social media personality.

Nastia Liukin earned Olympic status at the 2008 games in Beijing, claiming three silver, one bronze, and one gold medal for 'All-Around.' She gained celebrity status with her supreme talent and natural beauty, appearing in commercials for Adidas and on several American television shows.

Ryan Lochte first qualified for the Olympics in 2004, emerging that year with a gold medal in the 4-by-200-meter freestyle, and silver in the 200-meter individual medley. In the 2008 games in Beijing he continued his success, setting world records in the 200-meter backstroke and 2-by-200 meter freestyle, earning two gold and two bronze medals. More recently the handsome swimmer has gained attention for his looks, gracing the covers of magazines like Vogue and Men's Health.

After excelling at the University of California, Berkeley, Natalie Coughlin went on to win gold medals at both the 2004 and 2008 Olympic Games. The stunning swimmer has recently turned heads as a model for the 2012 Sports Illustrated Swimsuit Edition.

Olympic swimmer Dara Torres has won a total of twelve Olympic medals, since first competing in the 1988 Olympic Games in Seoul, South Korea. In 2007 at age 40, she won the 100-meter freestyle at the U.S. Nationals and beat her own American 50-meter freestyle record, Just 15 months after giving birth to her first child. The unstoppable competitor has gained celebrity status as a commentator for Fox News, ESPN and the Discovery Channel, and was also featured in the Sports Illustrated Swimsuit Issue - The first female athlete to do so.

Olympian Veronica Campbell-Brown of Jamaica became the second woman in Olympic history to successfully defend a 200-meter title, earning a personal best time of 21.74 seconds and a gold medal in 2008. The tremendous athlete, who is married to Omar Brown, a fellow Jamaican sprinter and University of Arkansas alumnus, has become an internationally known star.

Another Jamaican-born athlete, Sanya Richard-Ross, achieved great success at the 2004 and 2008 Olympic games, earning a total of 3 medals. Married to Aaron Ross, a professional football player for the New York Giants, the attractive athlete has several sponsorship deals and appeared in a Foot Locker commercial.

At the 2004 Summer Olympic Games in Athens, Greece, track star Justin Gatlin won the gold medal in the 100-meter sprint - his 9.85 finish the third fastest in history. He also returned with a silver and bronze medal. After testing positive for banned substances in 2007, he took a four-year break from competition and instead focused on training. In June 2012 he again became an athlete to watch, qualifying for the 2012 Summer Olympic Games in London.

U.S. gymnast Alicia Sacramone earned a silver medal for women's team gymnastics at the 2008 Summer Olympics in Beijing. That same year the Olympic beauty, along with teammates Shawn Johnson and Nastia Liukin, became the first female athletes signed on as Covergirl spokesmodels. In 2011 she posed nude in ESPN's Body Issue.

Danish tennis player Caroline Wozniacki has won several titles and was ranked No. 1 on the WTA tour. She is the youngest singles player worldwide to be ranked in the top 10. The 22-year-old will soon add Olympic athlete to her resume, representing Denmark at the 2012 London Games.

Paraguayan athlete Leryn Franco is perhaps known just as much for her athleticism as she is for her exotic beauty. The olympic javelin thrower, who competed in the 2008 Games in Beijing, also works as a professional model. She became an international sensation posing for the 2011 Sports Illustrated Swimsuit Edition.

Beach volleyball team Misty May-Treanor and Kerri Walsh are arguably the best pair in the sport. They earned the gold medal over Brazil in the 2004 Olympics and continued their outstanding play in Beijing, beating China for the gold. The dynamic duo proved they were an unstoppable force and gained significant attention for their stellar performance.

The 2012 London Olympic Games will be the first-ever for tennis pro Maria Sharapova. In addition to her several titles, including the U.S. and Austrailian Open, she is known for her beauty and popular appeal. She has had several major endorsements with companies including Nike and Tiffany & Co. and has been cited for her attractiveness in several popular magazines including People and Maxim.

Spanish tennis player Rafael Nadal has been ranked among the world's top 5 since 2003. At the 2008 Beijing Olympics he defeated Novak Djokovic of Serbia and Fernando Gonzalez of Chile to win his first Olympic gold medal. He has also enjoyed significant fame in popular culture, including several endorsements and an appearance in Columbian singer Shakira's "Gypsy" music video.

An alternate for the 2004 Olympics, soccer goalie Hope Solo finally got her chance in the 2008 Gamers, bringing home the Gold medal. The athlete soon gained media attention as a contestant on Dancing with the Stars, making it all the way to the show's semifinals. That same year she posed nude in ESPN magazine's "Body Issue."