No pain, no gold! Images show the incredible toll competing takes on Olympic athletes’ bodies – from swimmer’s ultra-wrinkled feet to a weightlifter’s bleeding hands
- Athletes from all over the world have been training hard ahead of Olympics
- They shared online the toll their hard labour of passion has taken on their bodies
- Some show legs deformed by veins while other have blistered and callous hands
Everyone knows that to compete at the Olympics requires huge physical stamina, but now the incredible toll on athletes’ bodies has been revealed in fascinating images.
Collated in a gallery for trivia website Bored Panda, incredible images show a sprawl of bulging veins on the leg of the American cyclist George Hincapie photographed by a fan after the Tour de France, and the bloodied and calloused hands of weightlifters.
Another image reveals the ultra-wrinkled feet of Dutch Olympic swimming champion Maarten Van Der Weijden after swimming 163km for charity.
Meanwhile, cyclists end up with hugely overdeveloped upper legs, including Olympic cyclist Robert Forstemann from Germany, who has 74cm thighs, that look even bigger in comparison to his ultra-toned calves.
Bored Panda has revealed the toll that intense training takes on Olympic athletes from around the world. Pictured: The feet of Dutch Olympic swimming champion Maarten Van Der Weijden After Swimming 163km/101 miles In 55 Hours To Raise Money For Cancer Research
A sprawl of bulging veins on the leg of the American cyclist George Hincapie photographed by a fan after the Tour de France
The bloodied hand of Canadian gymnast Ellie Black, who was ranked second gymnast in the world between 2014 and 2015
New Zealand cyclist Greg Henderson compared the legs of two German cyclists during an international competition
Cyclist Annemiek van Vleuten, from The Netherlands, pictured, showed the injuries she sustained in a fall while she was leading a race during the Rio Olympics of 2016
New Zealand cyclist Greg Henderson showed what his legs look like during training, with prominent veins and muscles
A Reddit user claimed this is what an X-ray of a gymnast’s spine looks like when they perform a manouevre
Polish cyclist Paweł Poljański shared a picture of the veins on his legs after the Tour de France 2017
The calloused hands of Philippines’ first ever gold winner Hidilyn Diaz, who struck gold at the Tokyo Olympics this week
American Olympic swimmer Ryan Lochte revealed he sometimes takes baths with 30lbs blocks of ice to ease the pain of his overworked muscles
The hands of British three time Olympic champion in rowing Alex Gregory after he left them in wet gloves for too long
Jamaica’s sprinting sensation Usain Bolt revealed the stones on the tracks ended up on his back when he ran
Olympic Cyclist Robert Forstemann (right), from Germany, has 74cm thighs thanks to the impact of his intense training