50+ Drop-Dead Gorgeous Female Athletes from Around the World

McKayla Maroney is arguably the most popular of the 2012 Fierce Five. Her rise to stardom started when she won the silver medal in vault competition, and she plastered the sourest, most disappointed expression anyone could muster up. The photograph with her donning the silver medal went viral, and she became an internet celebrity overnight.

She retired briefly from gymnastics after the 2012 Olympics but returned a year later to attend several more events. In 2014, she sustained a knee injury that required surgery, but she never completely healed from it. In total, she raked in over $3 million in prize money since going pro.