Top 10 Highest Gold Medal Winner Players in Olympics till Date [2022]
The Olympics are the leading international sports event. Olympics featured in two categories Summer Olympics and Winter Olympics. Let us look at some of the most prominent athletes and participants in the modern Olympics games.
Here’s a list of the top 10 highest gold medalist ever in the Olympics.
Michael Phelps
Michael Phelps holds a total of 23 gold medals in the Olympics. Michael is an American swimmer who participated in the Olympics from the 2004 Athens Olympics to the 2016 Rio Olympics. In Athens he won gold in 100 m butterfly, 200 m butterfly, 200 m medley, 400 m medley, 4×200 m freestyle, 4×100 m medley. In the 2008 Beijing Olympics he won 8 gold medals in 200 m freestyle, 100 m butterfly, 200 m butterfly, 200 m medley, 400 m medley, 4×100 m freestyle, 4×200 m freestyle, and 100 m medley. In 2012 he won 4 gold medals in 100 m butterfly, 200 m medley, 4×200 m freestyle, and 4×100 m medley. In his last Olympics at the 2016 Rio, he won 5 medals: 200 m butterfly, 200 m medley, 4×100 m freestyle, 4×200 m freestyle, 4×100 m medley.
Larisa Latynina
Larisa Latynina holds the second most number of gold medals and the most by a female with 9 gold medals. She is a Former Soviet Union artistic gymnast who participated in the 1956 Melbourne Olympics to the 1964 Tokyo Olympics. In the 1956 Melbourne Olympics, she won 4 gold medals in Team, All Around, Vault, Floor exercise. In the 1960 Rome Olympics, she won 3 medals in team, all-around, and floor exercise. In her last Olympics in Tokyo in 1964, she won 2 medals in team and floor exercise.
Paavo Nurmi
Paavo Nurmi holds the second most number of gold medals by a male athlete. Paavo was a runner and participated from 1920 Antwerp to 1928 Amsterdam Olympics and represented Finland. He was nicknamed “Flying Finn” because of numerous world records he set at the beginning of the last century. In the 1920 Antwerp Olympics he won 3 medals each in 10,000m, Individual Cross Country, and Team cross country. In 1924 Paris he won 5 medals each in 1500 m, 5000 m, Individual cross country, Team cross country, 3000m team. In his last Olympics in Amsterdam in the year 1928, he won gold in 10,000m.
Mark Spitz
Representing the United States of America Mark Spitz holds the second most medals by a swimmer overall with 9 gold medals. He participated in the 1968 Mexico City and 1972 Munich Olympics. He won a medal in 4x100m freestyle and one in 4x200m freestyle during his first representation in the 1968 Mexico City Olympics. In his second and last Olympics in 1972 he won 7 gold Medals in 100 m butterfly, 100 m freestyle, 200 m butterfly, 200 m freestyle, 4×100 freestyle, 4×100 m medley, 4×200 m freestyle.
Carl Lewis
Carl Lewis won a total of 9 gold medals for the United States in Athletics from 1984 Los Angeles to 1996 Atlanta. In his first Olympics in 1984 Los Angeles, he won 4 gold medals in 100m, 200m, 4x100m relay and Long Jump. In 1988 Seoul he won 2 gold medals each in 100m and long jump. In 1992 Barcelona he won 2 gold medals in 4x100m relay and long jump. In his last 1996 Atlanta Olympics, he won gold in Long Jump.
Birgit Fischer
Birgit Fischer represented East Germany from 1980 Moscow to 1988 Seoul and Germany From 1992 Barcelona to 2004 Athens. She bagged a total of 8 gold medals in Kayaking. In 1980 she won a gold medal in the K1 500m. In 1988 Seoul she won two gold medals in k-2 500 and k-4 500m. Representing Germany in 1992 she won a gold in K-1 500m. In 1996 she won a gold in K-4 500m. She won 2 gold medals in Sydney in 2000 in K-2 500m and K-4 500m. In her last Olympics games in Athenes 2004, she won a gold in K-4 500m.
Sawao Kato
Sawao Kato, a Japanese gymnast participated in the Olympics from 1968 to 1976. He grabbed a total of 8 gold medals, the most by a participant of Asian descent. He won three golds in 1968 Mexico Olympics in team, all-round, and floor. In the 1972 Munich games, he won a total of 3 medals in Team, Parrell Bar and All-round. In his last games in 1976 he won two medals in team and parallel bars.
Jenny Thompson
Jenny Thompson is a swimmer from the United States who participated from 1992 to 2000 Olympics and won 8 gold medals in total. She holds the 2nd most medals by a female athlete. In the 1992 Barcelona Olympics, she won a medal in 4x100m freestyle and a medal in 4x100m medley. In 1996 Atlanta she won 3 medals each in 4x100m freestyle, 4x200m freestyle, and 4x100m medley. In 2000 she won the exact same medals as in 1996.
Matt Biondi
Matt Biondi is a former Swimmer who represented the United States from 1984 to 1992. He won a total of 8 gold. In his first Olympics in 1984 Los Angeles he won a medal in 4x100m Freestyle. In 1988 Seoul he won 5 medals in 50 m freestyle, 100 m freestyle, 4x100m freestyle, 4x200m freestyle, and 4x100m medley. In his last representation, he won two medals in 4x100m freestyle and 4x100m medley.
Usain Bolt
The infamous Usain Bolt holds a total of 8 medals from 3 different Olympics from 2008 Beijing to 2016 Rio. He is the only athlete in the Olympics who holds all the gold medals in at least 3 different events and 3 different Olympics. In his first-ever Olympics, he won two medals in 100m and 200m. In 2012 London he won 3 medals in 100m, 200m, and 4x100m relay. In his last Olympics in Rio, he won exactly 3 medals at the 2012 London Olympics.
