The top 10 athletes with the most Olympic medals

By Akanksha - July 20, 2024 - Last updated on Jul 20, 2024 12:26 PM
The top 10 athletes with the most Olympic medals

The Olympic Games, which showcase physical skill and cross-cultural interchange on a worldwide scale, stand as the epitome of global sportsmanship and harmony. Through the global language of sport, the Olympics encourage competitors to push the bounds of human potential in various disciplines, including track and field, swimming, gymnastics, and team sports.

Within the world of Olympic athletes, a select handful are well-known for their outstanding achievements in taking home the most medals from various Games. These athletes are the epitome of extraordinary talent, perseverance, and unflinching commitment to Olympic principles. These people are among the athletes who have won the most medals in the Olympic Games, and their remarkable athleticism and perseverance have inspired generations of athletes, leaving their names entrenched in Olympic folklore. With the most winning medals, their vast medal collections serve as a monument to their unrivalled pursuit of greatness on the international Olympic stage.

The top 10 athletes with the most Olympic medals

10. Paavo Nurmi

Paavo Nurmi

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Paavo Nurmi, who competed in track events during three Olympic Games from 1920 to 1928, is still regarded as one of the finest middle and long-distance runners in Olympic history. Nurmi, well-known for his remarkable endurance and astute racing techniques, won 12 Olympic medals in all, including nine gold ones.

9. Takashi Ono

Takashi Ono

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Throughout four Olympic Games from 1952 to 1964, Takashi Ono competed in several events, becoming one of Japan's finest gymnasts in history. Ono won 13 Olympic medals in all. He was well-known for his technical accuracy and creative pommel horse, rings, and floor routines.

8. Ireen Wust

Ireen Wust

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As the most successful Dutch Olympian in the Winter Olympics history, Ireen Wust won five gold medals in speed skating between 2006 and 2022. Wust won a total of 13 Olympic medals, including six gold, because of her supremacy in both sprint and distance events. She was well-known for her strong strides and cunning race strategies.

7. Edoardo Mangiarotti

Edoardo Mangiarotti

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Edoardo Mangiarotti, who competed in foil and epee events throughout six Olympic Games from 1936 to 1960, is still regarded as one of the most decorated fencers in Olympic history. His outstanding talent, strategic aptitude, and good sportsmanship brought him 13 gold Olympic medals. Mangiarotti was a tough competitor on the Olympic stage because of his ability to modify his fencing technique to suit different opponents and conditions.

6. Boris Shakhlin

Boris Shakhlin

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In the 1960s, Boris Shakhlin enthralled spectators with his extraordinary gymnastics talents and adaptability. Shakhlin participated in three Olympic Games and won 13 medals overall for his vault, parallel bars and horizontal bar performances. His proficiency with a variety of tools demonstrated both his physical strength and technical accuracy.

5. Ole Einar Bjorndalen

Ole Einar Bjorndalen

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In the 1960s, Boris Shakhlin enthralled spectators with his extraordinary gymnastics talents and adaptability. Shakhlin participated in three Olympic Games and won 13 medals overall for his vault, parallel bars and horizontal bar performances. His proficiency with a variety of tools demonstrated both his physical strength and technical accuracy.

4. Nikolai Andrianov

 Nikolai Andrianov

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As one of the most accomplished male gymnasts in Olympic history, Nikolai Andrianov made a lasting impression on the sport of gymnastics. Andrianov participated in three Olympics, from 1972 to 1980, and won a total of fifteen medals for his strong achievements in pommel horse, rings, and floor exercises. A fierce competitor and a renowned personality in Soviet athletics, he combined power, agility, and artistic flare.

3. Marit Bjorgen

Marit Bjorgen

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Being the most decorated Winter Olympian in history, Marit Bjorgen is well-known for her supremacy in cross-country skiing. During her Olympic career, which took her from Salt Lake City in 2002 to PyeongChang in 2018, Bjorgen demonstrated remarkable stamina and skill on the tracks coated in snow. With fifteen Olympic medals in all, eight of them gold, Bjorgen's accomplishments cemented her place in the annals of winter sports history.

2. Larisa Latynina

Larisa Latynina

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Before Michael Phelps, Larisa Latynina became the most successful female Olympian in history. Latynina, who represented the Soviet Union in the 1956, 1960, and 1964 Olympics, was an exceptional gymnast who excelled in uneven bars, floor exercises, and balancing beam. Her elegant performances and deft technical execution won her eighteen Olympic medals, nine of which were gold.

1. Michael Phelps

Michael Phelps

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As the most Olympic medals won by any athlete, Michael Phelps holds the record. He is sometimes acknowledged as the greatest swimmer of all time. At the age of fifteen, he competed in the 2000 Sydney Olympics and won his first international medal. From Athens 2004 to Rio 2016, Phelps went on to win five gold medals in the pool at the Olympics. Phelps, who was renowned for his adaptability and unrivalled stamina, accumulated an amazing 23 gold medals, which included his record-breaking eight golds in Beijing 2008.

Also Read: The Top 10 Most Memorable Moments in Olympic History

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