The 17 Best Photos Of Olympians In The ’80s

The shorts were short, the track suits baggy, and the mullets positively ravishing.

1. First, let’s talk about the hair.

Swimmer Kristin Otto of East Germany at the 1988 Seoul games.

Source: olympic.org

2. Big!

Long jumper Jacqueline Joyner-Kersee of USA at the 1988 Seoul games.

Source: olympic.org

3. Flowy!

Tennis player Steffi Graf of Germany at the 1988 Seoul games.

Source: olympic.org

4. Big and flowy!

Long jumper Heike Drechsler of Germany at the 1988 Seoul games.

Source: olympic.org

5. These cyclists competed for speed while their hair competed for lusciousness.

Erika Salumae (Soviet Union) wins gold, Christa Luding (East Germany) wins silver and Connie Paraskevin-Young (USA) wins bronze.

Source: olympic.org

6. Moving on: the MUSTACHE was big.

Jurgen Hingsen of West Germany at the 1984 Los Angeles games. Tony Duffy /Allsport.

Source: olympic.org

7.

Decathlete Daley Thompson of Great Britain at the 1984 Los Angeles games. Allsport UK/Allsport.

Source: olympic.org

8. And the shorts, well, short.

Brazil v. Yugoslavia at the 1980 Moscow games.

Source: olympic.org

9.

Brazil team member at the 1988 Seoul games.

Source: olympic.org

10.

Stefan Edberg of Sweden at the 1984 Los Angeles games.

Source: olympic.org

11.

Sprinter Carl Lewis of USA at the 1984 Los Angeles games.

Source: olympic.org

12.

Marathon runner Joan Benoit of USA at the 1984 Los Angeles games.

Source: olympic.org

13.

Dainis Kula of the Soviet Union at the 1980 Moscow games.

Source: olympic.org

14. The gymnastics leotards were not nearly as sparkly.

Romanian gymnasts at the 1984 Los Angeles games.

Source: olympic.org

15.

Nadia Comaneci of Romania at the 1980 Moscow games.

Source: olympic.org

16.

Mary Lou Retton of USA at the 1984 Los Angeles games.

Source: olympic.org

17. But one thing remains just about the same today…

The proportions of this style of men’s swimming briefs. Here, Stephan Van Den Berg of the Netherlands at the 1984 Los Angeles games.

Source: olympic.org