People Are Doing a Double-Take After Olympic Swimmer Ryan Lochte Debuted His Virtually Unrecognizable New Look

Olympic swimmer Ryan Lochte is making waves both in and out of the pool after unveiling a dramatically different appearance and announcing his new role at Missouri State University. The 12-time Olympic medalist’s latest chapter comes more than a year after Kayla Reid filed for divorce, with Lochte now stepping into life as an assistant swim coach.

Lochte explained why coaching has become his new passion in a May 10th Instagram post:

“Over the last couple of years, something so unexpected happened. I might actually be more passionate about coaching than competing. Don't get me wrong, I had a pretty good swimming career, but honestly, I think I might even be a better swim coach.”

But while the video was meant to introduce fans to his career pivot, the internet quickly became distracted by something else entirely: his appearance.

Long gone is the bright blond swimmer fans remember from Rio. Lochte now sports dark-gelled hair, a Jersey Shore-approved tan, and facial scruff, with a dramatically different appearance that quickly became the focus online.

Many longtime followers were stunned by how much the former Olympian has changed since his bleach-blond Olympic days and appearances on reality TV shows like The Traitors. Lochte has remained a recognizable pop culture figure in the years since his Olympian days, generating headlines eve after his competitive swimming career peaked.

And honestly, reinvention seems to have become part of the Lochte brand.

For those who don’t recall: Lochte famously dyed his hair platinum silver-blue ahead of the 2016 Rio Olympics, only for chlorine to turn it mint green during the Games—a moment that somehow became just as memorable as his medals.

He previously explained the chaotic color evolution in classic Lochte fashion:

“It first started out as light bluish gray, and then it went to green. Now it's going back to blue, so it's all over the place.”

At the time, the dramatic hair color was meant to replace his signature Olympic grills with what he called a more “different” look. Nearly a decade later, reinvention still seems to be part of the Lochte formula.

The former Olympian also leaned fully into his post-competition era as he discussed the transition from athlete to coach.

Lochte joked about swapping competition for coaching:

“So, I traded in my goggles for a stopwatch, and I'm not gonna lie, it looks pretty good on me."

Even if the role is a far cry from Olympic fame, Lochte appears fully invested in his new reported $34-an-hour coaching position at Missouri State University.

You can view his new look and gig announcement here:

Although the coaching announcement marked a major milestone, social media users were far more focused on doing a collective double-take over Lochte’s transformation.

You can view the comments and meme comparisons below:

The swimmer’s girlfriend, Molly Gilliham, was among the first to celebrate the announcement in the comments section.

“I love you. I am beyond, beyond proud of you. This is what you were made to do!!! Congrats my lovie!”

Lochte’s move to Missouri State also appears tied to the major personal changes happening behind the scenes. After the university announced an opening on its coaching staff on April 1, Lochte quickly reached out to head coach Dave Collins about the opportunity. But after spending time in Springfield with Gilliham and her family, the move was more than a career decision.

Lochte explained why Springfield immediately felt like home:

“I just fell in love with the place. Not only her family, I love her family to death, they just treated me like home, and every place in Springfield was just—it felt so right. I don’t know what it was.”

Between the new coaching career, his blended family life, and a transformation that has fans barely recognizing him, Lochte appears to be fully embracing a completely different era from the one that made him an Olympic headline fixture.