The first big Olympic news to come out on Instagram? Well, a photo revealed that Michael Phelps' girlfriend is a 20-something . Aside from that shocker, there are other photos that reveal personal details about the athletes. A lot of the pictures show a side not seen in years past: rooms in the Olympic Village, celebrity meet-ups, and quiet moments with family. The I.O.C.’s permission-to-post picture rule for athletes hasn't exactly halted the flow of candid shots filtering out of London. more than 65,000 photos have been shared of the Olympics via Instagram, and athletes have joined fans and girlfriends in posting celeb portraits and behind-the-scenes snapshots. Here are 10 of the best athletes to follow if you’re looking to get an inside look at the 2012 Olympics.
Pictures: 18
Followers: 11,215
Snapshot: A lot of .
Pictures: 460
Followers: 197,393
Snapshot: Self portraits. Group portraits with her gymnastic teammates.
(Allyson Felix)
Pictures: 101
Followers: 18,868
Snapshot: and portraits.
Pictures: 16
Followers: 17,430
Snapshot: Random pics, from food to .
Pictures: 148
Followers: 1,863
Snapshot: Australians, from fans to relatives.
(Lolo Jones)
Pictures: 17
Followers: 34,742
Snapshot: The best captions.
Pictures: 37
Followers: 64,251
Snapshot: Facial hair updates and pictures .
Pictures: 247
Followers: 22,244
Snapshot: and behind the camera.
Pictures: 56
Followers: 919,666
Snapshot: From and the bus.
Pictures: 62
Followers: 103,078
Snapshot: .
For more on the Olympics and social media, check out the “Top 10 US Olympic Athletes on Twitter” and the “Top 10 International Athletes on Twitter.”
—Joe Spring