Becoming an Olympic champion even once in a lifetime is an unattainable dream for many athletes. But some lucky ones manage to win gold, silver, and bronze medals not once, not twice, but ten or more times.
We present to you a list of the most decorated Olympic champions in the history of sports.
10. Birgit Fischer, Germany
Total medals: 12.
Of these, 8 are gold, 4 are silver, and 0 are bronze.
Here is a photo of the only woman who managed to win at least two medals in five Olympics.
Fischer was 42 when she won gold in the 500m quadruple sprint and silver in the 500m pair sprint, making her the oldest Olympic champion in canoeing and kayaking.
It's funny that Fischer is also the youngest champion, as she won her first gold in 1980, at the age of 18.
9. Paavo Nurmi, Finland
Total medals: 12.
Of these, 9 are gold, 3 are silver, and 0 are bronze.
This runner was part of a group of Finnish athletes known as the "Flying Finns." He quickly gained international fame when he began his career at the 1920 Antwerp Olympics. His even, mechanical stride at the start of the race would give way to a furious burst of speed with only a few meters remaining to the finish line.
Nurmi set 22 official world records in distances ranging from 1,500 meters to 20 kilometers. He is considered the greatest track and field athlete of all time.
8. Ole Einar Bjoerndalen, Norway
Total medals: 13.
Of these, 8 are gold, 4 are silver, and 1 is bronze.
At the 2012 Winter Olympics, Bjørndalen left his opponents with no chance, winning four out of four possible victories. He became the first person in the world to become the overall Olympic champion in biathlon.
However, Bjørndalen only won his individual gold medal 12 years after his moment of glory in Salt Lake City. It happened in Sochi in 2014. Back then, the pride of the Norwegian team managed to beat his closest rival by just over a second, despite missing one shot at the start. That year, Bjørndalen became the oldest individual biathlon winner in Olympic history.
Most recently, in 2018, the Norwegian athlete announced the end of his sports career.
7. Takashi Ono, Japan
Total medals: 13.
Of these, 5 are gold, 4 are silver, and 4 are bronze.
This Japanese gymnast is one of only three Olympians to have won at least four medals of each category. He also became the first Japanese Olympic champion in artistic gymnastics.
At the opening ceremony of the 1964 Tokyo Olympics, Takashi Ono was honored to recite the Olympic oath on behalf of all athletes. At that same Olympics, he won his fifth and final gold medal.
6. Edoardo Mangiarotti, Italy
Total medals: 13.
Of these, 6 are gold, 5 are silver, and 2 are bronze.
When it comes to fencing, no one comes close to Italian maestro Edoardo Mangiarotti, who has proven to be the most prolific winner at the Olympic Games and World Championships.
A talent for fencing literally runs through the Mangiarotti family. Edoardo's father was a 17-time Italian épée champion. He also advised his son to become left-handed (even though he was naturally right-handed) to gain an advantage in the sport. Edoardo's fencing style was unfavorable for his opponents.
Mangiarotti began taking fencing lessons at the age of eight. He trained with his brother, Dario, also an accomplished fencer. Edoardo won his first gold medal at the age of 17.
5. Boris Shakhlin, USSR
Total medals: 13.
Of these, 7 are gold, 4 are silver, and 2 are bronze.
The top five Olympic medalists included two male and one female gymnast from the USSR. Shakhlin is the first of this trio.
Being an orphan, he managed to reach the top of the sport without any patronage from above, largely thanks to the support of his first coach, V. A. Porfiryev, who taught the boy to fight to the end.
For his calm and confident demeanor during sporting events, foreign journalists have dubbed Shakhlin the "Russian Bear.".
4. Marit Bjørgen, Norway
Total medals: 15.
Of these, 8 were gold, 4 were silver, and 3 were bronze.
Although Soviet gymnast Larisa Latynina has more Olympic medals than Bjørgen, the Norwegian skier is the most decorated athlete in the Winter Olympics. She is considered the most accomplished female skier in modern history.
However, Marit Bjørgen's name is also associated with high-profile scandals. In 2009, she received FIS approval to use asthma medications containing doping substances, including formoterol. This caused discontent among many other athletes. For example, Polish skier Justyna Kowalczyk stated that Bjørgen would not have achieved her current stunning results without the help of the medications.
3. Nikolay Andrianov, USSR
Total medals: 15.
Of these, 7 are gold, 5 are silver, and 3 are bronze.
Adrianov's first coach, Nikolai Tolkachev, played a huge role in his illustrious career. He persuaded the boy to stick with gymnastics, even helping him with his homework and attending parent-teacher meetings. Tolkachev's efforts paid off handsomely. His protégé became a multiple World, USSR, and European Champion.
Until 2008, this Soviet athlete held the title of absolute record holder for the number of Olympic medals, until American Michael Phelps received his 16th medal.
2. Larisa Latynina, USSR
Total medals: 18.
Of these, 9 were gold, 5 were silver, and 4 were bronze.
This multiple Olympic champion helped establish the Soviet Union as a dominant force in gymnastics.
Although Michael Phelps beat her in total medals, Latynina's record for medals won in individual events (14) remains unbroken.
Latynina was so dedicated to the sport that she competed at the 1958 World Championships in Moscow while four months pregnant. Her performances combined the grace and spectacle of dance with the consistency and skill of an experienced athlete.
In 1966, Latynina became coach of the USSR national artistic gymnastics team. Her team won gold three times during the 1968, 1972, and 1976 Olympic Games.
1. Michael Phelps, USA
Total medals: 28.
Of these, 23 were gold, 3 were silver, and 2 were bronze.
The clear winner in the ranking of the most decorated Olympic champions is American swimmer Michael Phelps. He boasts both the most Olympic gold medals and the most medals overall. He is called "the greatest Olympian of all time.".
«The "Baltimore Bullet" (one of Phelps's nicknames) became the only person in sports history to win 23 Olympic gold medals. However, other Olympians have a chance to surpass this achievement, as Phelps announced his final retirement from competitive sports after the 2016 Rio Olympics.
Why is he so good?
Michael Phelps's strengths are his height, weight, and the length of his arms and legs. His long torso and short legs reduce drag in the water and allow him to swim forward as quickly as possible. He wears a size 11 shoe.
Phelps's reach is 203 cm (6'1") and his height is 193 cm (6'3"). Even as a schoolboy, he could hug five classmates in one go. Noticing this advantageous trait for a swimmer, coach Bob Bowman invited the young man to join the swimming team.
While the average person is made up of 801 liters of water, Phelps is made up of 901 liters of water. He even made it into the Guinness Book of World Records as the athlete who can drink more liquid than his own body weight—91 liters.
His heart is capable of pumping approximately 30 liters of blood per minute. Thanks to this, the most decorated athlete in history recovered quickly after strenuous swims.