Who needs real life Olympians when you've got a host of athletically skilled guinea pigs to wow the cameras?

These fluffy bundles of joy are giving the likes of Tom Daley and Victoria Pendleton a run for their money with their sheer Olympic prowess.

Carrying the baton for possibly the sportiest group of guinea pigs ever seen, they've conquered a range of disciplines - from hurdling to diving and even horse riding - with skill and tenacity.

It's all in aid of a frankly genius calendar series titled Guinea Pig Games 2013. And animal lovers, rest assured - the actual pets used were shot in a studio with plenty of treats and their images were then digitally manipulated to conjure of scenes of Olympian glory.

Enjoy the madness, below.

Picture credit: www.themaverickshop.com/Rex Features

Olympic guinea pigs go for gold