The Olympic Games are the true pinnacle of sporting excellence, and with a wide variety of sports showcased, it highlights the talent around the world. Over the years, many former Olympians have ended up moving on to be involved in professional wrestling, transferring their already impressive physical skills from one sport to another.
Of course, making that transition isn't a simple situation because not every former Olympian turned wrestler comes from an amateur wrestling background. This has led to a mixed levels of success over the years for Olympic athletes in professional wrestling, with some having put together gold medal performances, while others have struggled.
10 Anthony Ogogo (London, 2012)
Anthony Ogogo is very early into his professional wrestling career, so it's hard to judge his success too much. There is a long way to go for the former boxer, but the early signs for the AEW star are positive.
He burst onto the scene when he won bronze at the London 2012 games, and he made quite the impact during his feud with Cody Rhodes as well. Ogogo has a strong gimmick and good in-ring abilities that should serve him well.
9 Chad Gable (London, 2012)
Another professional wrestler who was involved in the London 2012 Olympic Games was Chad Gable. He's someone who has had mixed success in professional wrestling, from thriving in NXT to struggling on the main roster.
There's no doubt about Gable's skill, both in the ring and on the microphone. However, WWE's push for him has blown hot and cold at times, which hasn't helped develop his career as well as it should have.
8 Jeff Cobb (Athens, 2004)
Jeff Cobb competed at the 2004 Olympic Games, showcasing his amateur wrestling skills. However, as a professional wrestler, Cobb has had even more success working around the world with the likes of Ring Of Honor and New Japan Pro Wrestling.
Cobb is a gifted heavyweight who can move around the ring with ease and he has built up a great career for himself so far. However, it does feel like the best is yet to come for him. In a few year's time, he will probably rank much higher on a list such as this.
7 Bad News Brown (Montreal, 1976)
Bad News Brown was a feared professional wrestler in the eyes of the fans, which is something that helped his in-ring career. He was one of the top stars of the 1980s, putting together some fantastic matches in the main event scene.
He also managed to have a great run in Japan as well, which added to his legacy and helped to make him an unforgettable professional wrestler. It's often easy to overlook the fact that he was a part of the Olympics in 1976.
6 Masa Saito (Tokyo, 1964)
Masa Saito wasn't able to pick up a medal at the Tokyo Olympic Games in 1964, but his professional wrestling career did bring more success for him. He became a big star in the industry, with his physical approach really helping him to stand out.
Saito thrived in WWE once he was signed, mainly in the tag team division. He held the titles several times with Mr. Fuji, with the duo being one of the top teams at that period of time. In retrospect, Saito probably could have achieved even more.
5 Mad Dog Vachon (London, 1948)
Mad Dog Vachon is another memorable professional wrestler who had a fantastic career both as an Olympian and in the ring. He thrived while working for AWA, holding the World Title five times, and he was a convincing heel that audiences truly despised.
Mad Dog left a great legacy behind when he hung up his boots, and the fact that he was inducted into the WWE Hall Of Fame showcases what an impact he had on the industry.
4 Ronda Rousey (Athens, 2004 & Beijing, 2008)
Ronda Rousey might not have been around in professional wrestling as long as many of the other former Olympians, but her impact has been huge. Ronda dominated during her time with WWE, putting together incredible matches with the whole roster that elevated the entire division.
Alongside Becky Lynch and Charlotte Flair, she helped to make women's wrestling a WrestleMania main event attraction for the first time in history, which is an incredible legacy to leave behind.
3 Karl Gotch (London, 1948)
Karl Gotch might not be a name every wrestling fan is familiar with as he wasn't a top WrestleMania headliner. However, in his era, there were few wrestlers more gifted than Gotch, who was a natural inside the ring.
Gotch had a fantastic career, particularly in Japan where he helped take the professional wrestling industry to a new level. Many wrestlers took inspiration from Gotch's style, with his impact being felt for a long time after he was retired.
2 Mark Henry (Barcelona, 1992 & Atlanta, 1996)
Mark Henry didn't compete at just one Olympic Games, but he was involved in two, although he wasn't able to pick up a medal at either. However, he managed to gain plenty of championships across his incredible wrestling career.
Henry proved to be a great entertainer inside the ring, putting on brilliant matches and a great range of storylines. He could be comedic as Sexual Chocolate, or a monster with his Hall Of Pain, and the fact he was so versatile is what allowed him to have such a long and successful career.
1 Kurt Angle (Atlanta, 1996)
Kurt Angle is the most famous example of a professional wrestler transitioning from an Olympian to a professional wrestler, but he's also had the best career too. His professional wrestling career was tremendous, winning everything there was to be won and earning a Hall Of Fame spot in the process.
The great thing about Angle is that he didn't take himself too seriously. Rather than just pushing being a great wrestler, which he was, Angle added great comedy to his work which helped to make him one of the all-time greats.