List of Athletes with the Most Olympic Medals in History

Michael Phelps, an iconic figure in Olympic history, has set an unparalleled standard with his 28 medals, 23 of which are gold, making him the most decorated Olympian of all time. His achievements have left an indelible mark on the sport of swimming and the Olympics as a whole.

Aug 16, 2024, 19:14 IST

Talking about the most decorated Olympian of all time, Michael Phelps, a professional American swimmer, is the winner of 23 gold medals and 28 Olympic medals overall.

Greece was the first country to hold the first Olympics in 1896, attracting around 241 athletes from 14 countries. Since then, the Olympics have grown into a global event, featuring thousands of athletes from over 200 countries competing in a variety of sports.

Talking about the most decorated Olympian of all time, Michael Phelps, a professional American swimmer, is the winner of 23 gold medals and 28 Olympic medals overall. His dominance in the pool has solidified his legacy as one of the greatest athletes in Olympic history.

However, there are more athletes from a variety of countries who have also made significant impacts on the Olympics. This article will explore some of the other notable athletes who have left their mark on the Olympic Games throughout history.

Record Breakers: Most Decorated Olympians Ever

Here's the list of the top athletes who have won multiple medals in the Olympics:

Rank	Athlete	Country	Sport	Gold	Silver	Bronze	Total
1	Michael Phelps	U.S.	Swimming	23	3	2	28
2	Larisa Latynina	U.S.S.R.	Gymnastics	9	5	4	18
3	Marit Bjørgen	Norway	Cross-country Skiing	8	4	3	15
4	Nikolay Andrianov	U.S.S.R.	Gymnastics	7	5	3	15
5	Katie Ledecky	U.S.	Swimming	9	4	1	14
6	Ole Einar Bjørndalen	Norway	Biathlon, Cross-country Skiing	8	4	1	13
7	Boris Shakhlin	U.S.S.R.	Gymnastics	7	4	2	13
8	Ireen Wüst	Netherlands	Speed Skating	6	5	2	13
8	Edoardo Mangiarotti	Italy	Fencing	6	5	2	13
10	Ono Takashi	Japan	Gymnastics	5	4	4	13
11	Paavo Nurmi	Finland	Athletics	9	3	0	12
12	Birgit Fischer	Germany	Kayaking	8	4	0	12
12	Bjørn Daehlie	Norway	Cross-country Skiing	8	4	0	12
14	Katō Sawao	Japan	Gymnastics	8	3	1	12
14	Jenny Thompson	U.S.	Swimming	8	3	1	12
16	Isabell Werth	Germany	Equestrian	7	5	0	12
17	Ryan Lochte	U.S.	Swimming	6	3	3	12
18	Emma McKeon	Australia	Swimming	6	2	4	12
19	Dara Torres	U.S.	Swimming	4	4	4	12
20	Alexei Nemov	Russia	Gymnastics	4	2	6	12
21	Natalie Coughlin	U.S.	Swimming	3	4	5	12
22	Mark Spitz	U.S.	Swimming	9	1	1	11
23	Matthew Biondi	U.S.	Swimming	8	2	1	11
24	Věra Čáslavská	Czechoslovakia	Gymnastics	7	4	0	11
25	Viktor Chukarin	U.S.S.R.	Gymnastics	7	3	1	11
25	Allyson Felix	U.S.	Track and Field	7	3	1	11
25	Simone Biles	U.S.	Gymnastics	7	2	2	11
28	Carl Townsend Osburn	U.S.	Shooting	5	4	2	11
29	Arianna Fontana	Italy	Speed Skating	2	4	5	11
30	Carl Lewis	U.S.	Track and Field	9	1	0	10
31	Aladár Gerevich	Hungary	Fencing	7	1	2	10
32	Nakayama Akinori	Japan	Gymnastics	6	2	2	10
33	Vitaly Scherbo	Belarus	Gymnastics	6	0	4	10
34	Ágnes Keleti	Hungary	Gymnastics	5	3	2	10
34	Gary Hall, Jr.	U.S.	Swimming	5	3	2	10
36	Polina Astakhova	U.S.S.R.	Gymnastics	5	2	3	10
37	Raisa Smetanina	U.S.S.R.	Cross-country Skiing	4	5	1	10
38	Allison Schmitt	U.S.	Swimming	4	3	3	10
39	Aleksandr Dityatin	U.S.S.R.	Gymnastics	3	6	1	10
40	Stefania Belmondo	Italy	Cross-country Skiing	2	3	5	10
41	Franziska van Almsick	Germany	Swimming	0	4	6	10

Most Gold Medals Winners—Olympic Champions

Here's a list of the athletes with their Olympic gold medal counts:

Rank	Athlete	Country	Sport	Gold
1	Michael Phelps	U.S.	Swimming	23
2	Larisa Latynina	U.S.S.R.	Gymnastics	9
2	Katie Ledecky	U.S.	Swimming	9
2	Paavo Nurmi	Finland	Biathlon, Cross-country Skiing	9
2	Caeleb Dressel	U.S.	Swimming	9
2	Mark Spitz	U.S.	Swimming	9
2	Carl Lewis	U.S.	Track and Field	9
8	Marit Bjørgen	Norway	Cross-country Skiing	8
8	Ole Einar Bjørndalen	Norway	Biathlon, Cross-country Skiing	8
8	Birgit Fischer	Germany	Kayaking	8
8	Katō Sawao	Japan	Gymnastics	8
8	Jenny Thompson	U.S.	Swimming	8
8	Matthew Biondi	U.S.	Swimming	8
8	Bjørn Daehlie	Norway	Cross-country Skiing	8
8	Ray Ewry	U.S.	Track and Field	8
8	Usain Bolt	Jamaica	Track and Field	8
17	Nikolay Andrianov	U.S.S.R.	Gymnastics	7
17	Boris Shakhlin	U.S.S.R.	Gymnastics	7
17	Isabell Werth	Germany	Equestrian	7
17	Věra Čáslavská	Czechoslovakia	Gymnastics	7
17	Viktor Chukarin	U.S.S.R.	Gymnastics	7
17	Allyson Felix	U.S.	Track and Field	7
17	Aladár Gerevich	Hungary	Fencing	7
17	Simone Biles	U.S.	Gymnastics	7
17	Jason Kenny	England	Cycling	7
17	Svetlana Romashina	Russia	Artistic Swimming	7
27	Ireen Wüst	Netherlands	Speed Skating	6
27	Edoardo Mangiarotti	Italy	Fencing	6
27	Ryan Lochte	U.S.	Swimming	6
27	Emma McKeon	Australia	Swimming	6
27	Nakayama Akinori	Japan	Gymnastics	6
27	Vitaly Scherbo	Belarus	Gymnastics	6
27	Hubert van Innes	Belgium	Archery	6
27	Valentina Vezzali	Italy	Fencing	6
27	Lyubov Yegorova	Russia	Cross-country Skiing	6
27	Gerd Fredriksson	Sweden	Canoeing	6
27	Danuta Kozak	Hungary	Canoeing	6
27	Reine Klimke	Germany	Equestrian	6
27	Viktor Ahn	South Korea/Russia	Speed Skating	6
27	Chris Hoy	England	Cycling	6
27	Natalie Geisenberger	Germany	Luge	6
27	Nedo Nadi	Italy	Fencing	6
27	Rudolf Kárpáti	Hungary	Fencing	6
27	Pál Kovács	Hungary	Fencing	6
27	Kristin Otto	Germany	Swimming	6
27	Amy van Dyken	U.S.	Swimming	6
27	Lidiya Skoblikova	U.S.S.R.	Speed Skating	6

Conclusion

The most medals in the history of the Olympics go to Michael Phelps, an American swimmer who has won a total of 28 Olympic medals, including 23 gold medals. In the recent 2024 Summer Olympics, Leon Marchand of France emerged as a rising star in swimming, winning four gold medals.

Although this topic is dynamic and constantly evolving, new talents like Marchand demonstrate the ever-changing landscape of competitive sports.

As these athletes continue to push the boundaries of human performance, we can expect to see new records and memorable moments that will captivate audiences around the world for years to come.

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List of Athletes with the Most Olympic Medals in History

Michael Phelps, an iconic figure in Olympic history, has set an unparalleled standard with his 28 medals, 23 of which are gold, making him the most decorated Olympian of all time. His achievements have left an indelible mark on the sport of swimming and the Olympics as a whole.

Record Breakers: Most Decorated Olympians Ever

Most Gold Medals Winners—Olympic Champions

Conclusion

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