Most Career Olympic Medals Won

The Summer Olympic Games are a competition not only between nations, but individuals as well. They are where the best athletes in the world converge to battle for the ultimate bragging rights in each sport. The Olympics put events that are normally thought of as obscure right in the middle of the worldwide spotlight.

Individual medals are the main focus of the Olympics, and few have ever won more than two or three medals. This list is devoted to those who have truly been outstanding and awe-inspiring in obtaining more Summer Games medals than anyone else.

Women:

18 - LATYNINA, Larisa (URS), gymnastics 1956-1964
12 – TORRES, Dara (USA), aquatics 1984-1992, 2000-2008
12 – THOMPSON, Jenny (USA), aquatics 1992-2004
12 – FISCHER-SCHMIDT, Birgit (GDR-GER), canoe/kayak 1980-2004
11 – COUGHLIN, Natalie (USA) aquatics, 2004-2008
11 – CASLAVSKA, Vera (TCH) gymnastics, 1960-1964
10 – VAN ALMSICK, Franziska, (GER), aquatics, 1992-2004
10 – KELETI, Agnes (HUN), gymnastics 1956-1960
10 – ASTAKHOVA, Polina (URS), gymnastics 1956-1964

Men:

16 – PHELPS, Michael (USA), aquatics 2004-2008
15 – ANDRIANOV, Nikolay (URS), gymnastics, 1972-1980
13 – SHAKHLIN, Boris (URS), gymnastics, 1956-1964
13 – MANGIAROTTI, Edoardo (ITA), fencing, 1936-1960
13 – ONO, Takashi (JPN), gymnastics, 1952-1964
12 – KATO, Sawao (JPN), gymnastics, 1968-1976
12 – NURMI, Paavo (FIN), athletics, 1920-1928
12 – NEMOV, Alexei (RUS), gymnastics, 1996-2000

Source: olympic.org