Olympics Men’s Swimming: See 22 of the Best Photos From Rio 2016
Ah, the Olympics. Every four years — well, every two years, if you count the Winter Olympics — we gather to celebrate the glory that is the human body and all of the seemingly superhuman things it can do. Between flipping in the air, working as a team, and going really, really, really fast, athletes who compete at the Olympic games are the actual best at what they do.
The other thing that we've happened to notice is that, in addition to being totally talented, Olympians also happen to be totally good looking. Nowhere is this more apparent than in the Aquatics Stadium, where the male swimmers competing wear Speedos and ... actually, not much else. (Michael Phelps's Darth Vader-esque hoodie notwithstanding.)
As such, we present to you 22 photos of the male swimmers vying for the gold this year. Some have already won. But they're all winners in our eyes, for reasons. Yeah, reasons. Let's just go with that.
Getty Images1/23This is James Guy of Great Britain.
RIO DE JANEIRO, BRAZIL - AUGUST 06: James Guy of Great Britain looks on in the Men's 400m Freestyle heat 7 on Day 1 of the Rio 2016 Olympic Games at the Olympic Aquatics Stadium on August 6, 2016 in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. (Photo by Clive Rose/Getty Images)
Getty Images2/23And this is Sun Yang of China.
(And
competitionfriends! Hi, friends.)
Getty Images3/23And this is the Brazilian freestyle relay team.What do they all have in common? They're Olympic athletes. They're swimmers. They're also... very shirtless.
RIO DE JANEIRO, BRAZIL - AUGUST 07: Marcelo Chierighini of Brazil celebrates after heat two of the Men's 4 x 100m Freestyle Relay on Day 2 of the Rio 2016 Olympic Games at the Olympic Aquatics Stadium on August 7, 2016 in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. (Photo by Julian Finney/Getty Images)
Getty Images4/23Take Adam Peaty, for example.
RIO DE JANEIRO, BRAZIL - AUGUST 07: Adam Peaty of Great Britain prepares before the Men's 100m Breaststroke Final on Day 2 of the Rio 2016 Olympic Games at the Olympic Aquatics Stadium on August 7, 2016 in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. (Photo by Clive Rose/Getty Images)
Getty Images5/23Adam is like if Ron Weasley got really really athletic.
RIO DE JANEIRO, BRAZIL - AUGUST 7: Gold medalist Adam Peaty of Great Britain celebrates winning the Men's 100m Breaststroke Final during the swimming competition of the 2016 Olympic Games at Olympic Aquatics Stadium on August 7, 2016 in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. (Photo by Jean Catuffe/Getty Images)
Getty Images6/23(He's from Great Britain, so this analogy works. Just go with it.)
RIO DE JANEIRO, BRAZIL - AUGUST 7: Adam Peaty of Great Britain prepares for the Men's 100m Breaststroke Final during the swimming competition of the 2016 Olympic Games at Olympic Aquatics Stadium on August 7, 2016 in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. (Photo by Jean Catuffe/Getty Images)
Getty Images7/23Sun Yang, like Adam Peaty, has abs that you could wash your clothes on. (This is how people came up with the term "washboard abs," after all.)
RIO DE JANERIO, BRAZIL - AUGUST 08: Sun Yang of China celebrates after winning gold medal in the Men's 200m Freestyle Final of the Rio 2016 Olympic Games at the Olympic Aquatics Stadium in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil on August 08, 2016. (Photo by Salih Zeki Fazlioglu/Anadolu Agency/Getty Images)
Sports Illustrated/Getty Images8/23But when Brazil's Felipe França enters the arena, he prefers to do it semi-clothed. We don't hate it.
Swimming: 2016 Summer Olympics: Brazil Felipe Franca walking out to starting block before race in Men's 100M Breaststroke Final at Olympic Aquatic Centre.Rio de Janeiro, Brazil 8/7/2016CREDIT: Donald Miralle (Photo by Donald Miralle /Sports Illustrated/Getty Images)(Set Number: SI84 TK1 )
Getty Images9/23Of course, Michael Phelps needs no introduction.
RIO DE JANEIRO, BRAZIL - AUGUST 08: Michael Phelps of the United States after the second Semifinal of the Men's 200m Butterfly on Day 3 of the Rio 2016 Olympic Games at the Olympic Aquatics Stadium on August 8, 2016 in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. (Photo by Adam Pretty/Getty Images)
AFP/Getty Images10/23Nor do his teammates. (Hi, Nathan! Hi, Caeleb!)
USA's Nathan Adrian (C), USA's Michael Phelps (2ndR) and USA's Caeleb Dressel (R) celebrate after team USA won the Men's 4x100m Freestyle Relay Final during the swimming event at the Rio 2016 Olympic Games at the Olympic Aquatics Stadium in Rio de Janeiro on August 7, 2016. / AFP / GABRIEL BOUYS (Photo credit should read GABRIEL BOUYS/AFP/Getty Images)
Getty Images11/23And this is Michael Phelps's nemesis, Chad Le Clos.
RIO DE JANEIRO, BRAZIL - AUGUST 08: Chad Le Clos of South Africa looks on before the second Semifinal of the Men's 200m Butterfly on Day 3 of the Rio 2016 Olympic Games at the Olympic Aquatics Stadium on August 8, 2016 in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. (Photo by Clive Rose/Getty Images)
Sports Illustrated/Getty Images12/23You may remember him from the video of #MichaelPhelpsFace.
Swimming: 2016 Summer Olympics: South Africa Chad Guy Bertrand le Clos before Men's 200M Freestyle second Semifinal Heat at Olympic Aquatic Centre.Rio de Janeiro, Brazil 8/7/2016CREDIT: Donald Miralle (Photo by Donald Miralle /Sports Illustrated/Getty Images)(Set Number: SI84 TK1 )
AFP/Getty Images13/23This is Australia's Kyle Chalmers. G'day, mate.
Australia's Kyle Chalmers prepares to compete in a Men's 100m Freestyle heat during the swimming event at the Rio 2016 Olympic Games at the Olympic Aquatics Stadium in Rio de Janeiro on August 9, 2016. / AFP / GABRIEL BOUYS (Photo credit should read GABRIEL BOUYS/AFP/Getty Images)
Getty Images14/23Rami Anis is representing the refugee team. (He's originally from Syria.)
RIO DE JANEIRO, BRAZIL - AUGUST 09: Rami Anis of the Refugee Olympic Team looks on in his Men's 100m Freestyle heat on Day 4 of the Rio 2016 Olympic Games at the Olympic Aquatics Stadium on August 9, 2016 in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. (Photo by Clive Rose/Getty Images)
Getty Images15/23Hi again, Chad!
RIO DE JANEIRO, BRAZIL - AUGUST 08: Chad Le Clos of South Africa reacts ahead of the second Semifinal of the Men's 200m Butterfly on Day 3 of the Rio 2016 Olympic Games at the Olympic Aquatics Stadium on August 8, 2016 in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. (Photo by Adam Pretty/Getty Images)
Getty Images16/23Of course, these world-class athletes are attractive in clothes, too. Allow bronze medalist Gabriele Detti to demonstrate.
RIO DE JANEIRO, BRAZIL - AUGUST 06: Bronze medalist Gabriele Detti of Italy poses during the medal ceremony for the Men's 400m Freestyle on day 1 of the Rio 2016 Olympic Games at Olympic Aquatics Stadium on August 6, 2016 in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. (Photo by Jean Catuffe/Getty Images)
Getty Images17/23Another example, from American — and possible hair model — Cody Miller.
RIO DE JANEIRO, BRAZIL - AUGUST 07: Bronze medalist Cody Miller of the United States poses on the podium during the medal ceremony for the Men's 100m Breaststroke Final on Day 2 of the Rio 2016 Olympic Games at the Olympic Aquatics Stadium on August 7, 2016 in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. (Photo by Clive Rose/Getty Images)
Getty Images18/23The French team isn't afraid of wearing white pants.
RIO DE JANEIRO, BRAZIL - AUGUST 07: Mehdy Metella, Fabien Gilot, Florent Manaudou and Jeremy Stravius of France pose on the podium after winning the silver medal in the Men's 4x100m Freestyle Relay Finalon Day 2 of the Rio 2016 Olympic Games at the Olympic Aquatics Stadium on August 7, 2016 in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. (Photo by Clive Rose/Getty Images)
Getty Images19/23And the USA's Ryan Murphy — no, the other Ryan Murphy — shows off his shiny gold medal.
RIO DE JANEIRO, BRAZIL - AUGUST 08: Gold medalist Ryan Murphy of the United States poses during the medal ceremony for the Men's 100m Backstroke Final on Day 3 of the Rio 2016 Olympic Games at the Olympic Aquatics Stadium on August 8, 2016 in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. (Photo by Al Bello/Getty Images)
VCG via Getty Images20/23Xu Jiayu is adorable — and understandably excited about his silver medal.
RIO DE JANEIRO, BRAZIL - AUGUST 08: Silver medalist Xu Jiayu of China attends the press conference after the Men's 100m Backstroke Final on Day 3 of the Rio 2016 Olympic Games at the Olympic Aquatics Stadium on August 8, 2016 in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. (Photo by VCG/VCG via Getty Images)
AFP/Getty Images21/23And while Chad came in second to Phelps, he still is like, second in the world. (NBD.)
South Africa's Chad Guy Bertrand Le Clos poses with his silver medal on the podium of the Men's 200m Freestyle during the swimming event at the Rio 2016 Olympic Games at the Olympic Aquatics Stadium in Rio de Janeiro on August 8, 2016. / AFP / GABRIEL BOUYS (Photo credit should read GABRIEL BOUYS/AFP/Getty Images)
Getty Images22/23But nothing tops this bromantic moment. Remember, kids: showing your feelings is the most attractive thing of all.
RIO DE JANEIRO, BRAZIL - AUGUST 07: Gold medalists Nathan Adrian, Ryan Held, Michael Phelps and Caeleb Dressell of the United States pose on the podium during Day 2 of the Rio 2016 Olympic Games at Olympic Aquatics Stadium on August 7, 2016 in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. (Photo by Ian MacNicol/Getty Images)
