Athletes, who have won the most Olympic medals

Athletes train for many years to win a medal in Olympic games. However, only a very few manage to take an Olympics medal home. But there are a few legendary athletes, who have won the Olympic medal not just once but many times. Let us have a look at the athletes with the most Olympic medals.

1. Michael Phelps, Swimming

Michael Phelps, widely regarded as the greatest swimmer and one of the greatest athletes of all time, has won a total of 28 medals.

Phelps won six gold and two bronze medals at Athens 2004. He won eight gold medals in the eight events in Beijing in 2008. In London in 2012, he won four gold and two silver. After these Olympics, he decided to retire. However, he changed his mind. He returned for the Rio 2016 games, winning five more golds and one silver, and then, nevertheless, decided to retire eventually.

As a result, Phelps also holds the all-time records for Olympic gold medals (23), Olympic gold medals in individual events (13), and Olympic medals in individual events (16).

2. Larisa Latynina, Gymnastics

Between 1956 and 1964, Soviet artistic gymnast, Larisa Latynina won 14 individual Olympic medals and four team medals. She is the only woman to have won nine gold medals, and the only female gymnast to have twice won team gold, all-around gold, and an event final gold at the same Olympics.

She won six medals at each of the three Olympic Games in which she participated. Nine of those medals were gold. Latynina won four golds in Melbourne in 1956, three in Rome in 1960 and two in Tokyo in 1964.

For 48 years, Latynina held the record of having won the most Olympic medals until American swimmer Michael Phelps finally beat the record at London 2012.

3. Nikolai Andrianov, Gymnastics

Nikolai Andrianov, a Soviet gymnast, is one of the most decorated gymnasts of all time. He held the record for men for the most Olympic medals at 15 (7 gold medals, 5 silver medals, 3 bronze medals) until Michael Phelps surpassed him at the 2008 Beijing Summer Olympics. 

Andrianov was the 1976 Olympic all-around champion and the silver medalist in the 1980 all-around competition. Only the Soviet women’s gymnast Larissa Latynina, who won 18 medals in 1956, 1960, and 1964 games, and Phelps who has won 28 medals are ahead of him. (leankitchenco.com/)

Top olympic medal winners (male and female)