Olympic Gymnast Louis Smith: Bronze Medal....Golden 'X Factor' Voice?

Only a fraction of Olympic athletes ever rise to the level at which their chosen sports provide a self-sustaining career path and income. A good fall-back never hurt anything.

Luckily, we live in a day and age wherein if average Joes and Jills can parlay reality television into fame, notoriety and fortune, then an Olympian with an extra gift just has all the more likelihood of mining some gold beyond the medal stand.

Meet Great Britain's Louis Smith. Alas, the gymnast didn't strike a gilded mother lode in his homeland's 2012 Summer Olympics, but he'll settle for a bronze medal. It must be nice consolation that, according to E! Online, he previously came closer than many to a coveted spot on the U.K.'s "The X Factor."

Alas, there he came up short, as well. He just didn't come up so short as to discourage him.

"I have made it through to the fourth round of 'X Factor,' which is when I get to appear on television and meet Simon Cowell and the rest of the judges for the first time," the 23-year-old said in a 2009 interview with The Telegraph. "I just really want to hear what Simon says about my voice - whether he thinks I could make it as a solo singer."

Hey, it's a bar U.S. track and field great Carl Lewis has easily set low enough to clear.

Actually, gauging from the clip below - and I say this as someone who is as much a Jason Mraz fan as I would be a fan of Floyd Mayweather speed-bagging my man parts - he's actually not bad. Sure, no one's mistaking him for Michael Bublé anytime soon, but he's got the kind of soft voice that could sweeten the right song.

All that said, Smith isn't yet foreseeing a quick change to a new line of work.

"I'm still continuing with my training, but you've got to think about what you are going to do afterwards," Smith said.