Snakkle Celebrates London 2012 by Looking Back at Some of Our Favorite Summer Olympians Before They Were Famous

One of the most decorated Olympians of all time, swimmer Michael Phelps currently holds the record for the most gold medals won at a single Olympics. The mega-athlete won eight golds at the 2008 Beijing Games, breaking Mark Spitz’s record. Phelps also holds 14 gold medals, another all-time record, as well as two bronze. His great success made him the American hero of the last Olympics, as well as Sports Illustrated's 2008 Sportsman of the Year. After the 2008 Games, he started the Michael Phelps Foundation, which promotes swimming and a healthy lifestyle. Phelps continues to compete today and plans on participating in the upcoming 2012 Olympic Games. We can look forward to seeing what new records Phelps may break in London.

The unquestionable darling of the 1984 Los Angeles Olympics was Mary Lou Retton, a pert 16-year-old gymnast from West Virginia. Retton charmed audiences and judges alike by scoring perfect 10s on her floor routine and vault, winning the all-around title for the Games. Here is Retton in her brightest Olympic moment. This earned the Bela Karolyi-coached gymnast an appearance on the Wheaties cereal box and Sports Illustrated's Sportswoman of the Year. After her success in the 1984 Games, Retton went on to several lucrative endorsements, including becoming the first official spokesperson for Wheaties. Today she frequently works as a commentator for various gymnastics events.

Swimmer Mark Spitz became an American hero when he won seven gold medals at the 1972 Munich Games. After his great success in Munich, Spitz retired from competition at the age of 22. He went on to sign several lucrative endorsements, while a poster featuring Spitz, his bathing suit, and his seven gold medals made him a popular pinup. He was voted one of the six greatest Olympians by Sports Illustrated in 2000. Today, Spitz works as a motivational speaker and entrepreneur. Here is a video homage to Spitz’s 1972 Olympic wins.

Diver Greg Louganis was a star of both the 1984 Los Angeles and the 1988 Seoul Olympics, where he won gold in both the springboard and tower diving events. After the Games, Louganis enjoyed lucrative endorsements until he disclosed his HIV status in his 1995 best-selling autobiography Breaking the Surface. Only Speedo stood by the athlete, endorsing the diver until 2007. Today, Louganis works as a diving coach and an HIV activist. Actor Michael Fassbender cites Louganis as his physical inspiration for playing an android in the upcoming Ridley Scott film Prometheus.

Griffith-Joyner was a star of the 1988 Seoul Olympics, earning four medals, including three golds in the 100 meters, 200 meters, and the 100-meter relay. Known as Flo-Jo, she made an impression with her flashy fingernails and daring racing outfits. Here we see Griffith-Joyner running the 200 meter final in 1988. Griffith-Joyner tragically died in 1998 of epilepsy at the age of 38. She is still considered the “fastest woman of all time” and currently holds the world records for the 100 meters and 200 meters, both of which she set in 1988.

Swimmer Dara Torres competed in her first Olympics in 1984. She went on to become the first American swimmer to compete in five more Olympics, winning a total of 12 medals. But it was her stunning swim in the 2008 Olympics which made her a national hero. At the age of 41, Torres won two silver medals just minutes apart at the Beijing Games, first in the women's 50-meter freestyle and just 35 minutes later as a member of the U.S. 4x100-meter medley relay team. She is the first woman in history to compete in swimming at the Olympics over the age of 40. Today, Torres works as a TV sports commentator and motivational speaker.

Carl Lewis was already a world-class athlete before he became an Olympian, but it was the 1984 Los Angeles Games which propelled the track star into the national consciousness. Lewis took home four gold medals in track and field. Part of his goal was to pay homage to track and field great Jesse Owens, who won four gold medals at the 1936 Olympics. Lewis went on to qualify five times for the American Olympic team in the long jump, the only man ever to do so. He also won his ninth and final gold for the long jump at the 1996 Olympics in Atlanta. In 1999, Sports Illustrated named Lewis the best Olympian of the 20th century. Lewis has appeared in numerous film and TV spots since his last Olympics. In 2011, he attempted a different kind of race, unsuccessfully running as a Democrat for the New Jersey senate.

Many of us know Bruce Jenner today as the plastic surgery-prone patriarch of the Kardashian clan. But did you know that Kris Jenner’s better half was first an Olympic darling, winning the decathlon at the 1976 Montreal Olympics? Ultimately Jenner set a world record by compiling 8,618 points in the competition. He immediately became America’s hero, gracing Wheaties boxes everywhere. Here we see Jenner (check out those flowing locks!) competing in the 400 meter race in the decathlon.

The cold war was in full swing in 1984, when Los Angeles hosted the Games of the XXIII Olympiad. However, a Soviet boycott of these Olympics did nothing to sway the spirit of competing gymnast Bart Conner. A member of the gold-winning men’s gymnastics team, Conner also took home an individual gold with a stunning performance on the parallel bars, as seen here. In 1996, Conner married famed Romanian gymnast Nadia Comaneci, with whom he later had a son. Today, Conner works as a sports commentator for several TV networks. He also owns a production company that produces various gymnastics shows. Conner also supports a number of sports and health charities.