Top 10 Athletes with the Most Olympic Medals Ever – List and Details
The Olympics are rich in history, culture and stories that are seasoned with determination, inspiration and resilience. The infamous Olympic medals – Gold, Silver and Bronze are considered the highest level of achievement at the Games and players around the world hustle and work hard for it for years.
Etching your name with an Olympic medal is the epitome of athletic excellence regardless of the nation as the entire world tunes in to see some of the best of the games participate for glory. Apart from the materialistic aspect of earning a medal at the Olympics, athletes are remembered for their remarkable personality, grit and legendary stories in achieving the medals.
Beginning from an Olive wreath in ancient Greece, the birthplace of the Olympics to the modern day medals, the physicality and the specifications of the medals have changed, but the glory remains.
Top 10 Athletes with the Most Olympic Medals in History
| Rank | Athlete | Nation | Sport | Years | Gold | Silver | Bronze | Total |
| 1 | Michael Phelps | USA | Swimming | 2004–2016 | 23 | 3 | 2 | 28 |
| 2 | Larisa Latynina | USSR | Gymnastics | 1956–1964 | 9 | 5 | 4 | 18 |
| 3 | Marit Bjørgen | Norway (Winter) | Cross-country skiing | 2002–2018 | 8 | 4 | 3 | 15 |
| 4 | Nikolai Andrianov | USSR | Gymnastics | 1972–1980 | 7 | 5 | 3 | 15 |
| 5 | Ole Einar Bjørndalen | Norway (Winter) | Biathlon | 1998–2014 | 8 | 4 | 1 | 13 |
| 6 | Boris Shakhlin | USSR | Gymnastics | 1956–1964 | 7 | 4 | 2 | 13 |
| 7 | Edoardo Mangiarotti | Italy | Fencing | 1936–1960 | 6 | 5 | 2 | 13 |
| 8 | Ireen Wüst | Netherlands (Winter) | Speed skating | 2006–2022 | 6 | 5 | 2 | 13 |
| 9 | Takashi Ono | Japan | Gymnastics | 1952–1964 | 5 | 4 | 4 | 13 |
| 10 | Paavo Nurmi | Finland | Athletics (long/middle dist) | 1920–1928 | 9 | 3 | 0 | 12 |
