Blog Archives
Summer Olympics: Top 10 Athletes with the Most Medals All Time
Gymnast Larysa Latynina Has the Most Olympic Medals of All Time, but Michael Phelps Is Just Two Behind
The Summer Olympics are on the way.
Actually there’s still a little time. The Opening Ceremony will be on Friday, July 27th in London.
So you’ve got plenty of time to brush up on your Olympic knowledge, like this previous post, countries with the most basketball medals, or like today’s post, the top 10 athletes with the most Summer Olympics medals ever.
American swimmer Michael Phelps is just two medals away from becoming the most decorated Olympian of all time (summer or winter). If Phelps does it, he’ll overtake Soviet gymnast Larysa Latynina, who currently is tops with 18 medals.
Those two sports offer ample opportunity to pick up a bunch of metal.
Follow me on Twitter @VinGetz.
| ATHLETE | COUNTRY | SPORT | TOT | G | S | B | YEARS | |
| 1. | Larysa Latynina | Soviet Union | Gymnastics | 18 | 9 | 5 | 4 | 1956, 1960, 1964 |
| 2. | Michael Phelps | United States | Swimming | 16 | 14 | 0 | 2 | 2004, 2008 |
| 3. | Nikolay Andrianov | Soviet Union | Gymnastics | 15 | 7 | 5 | 3 | 1972, 1976, 1980 |
| 4. | Borys Shakhlin | Soviet Union | Gymnastics | 13 | 7 | 4 | 2 | 1956, 1960, 1964 |
| 4. | Edoardo Mangiarotti | Italy | Fencing | 13 | 6 | 5 | 2 | 1936, 1948, 1952, 1956, 1960 |
| 4. | Takashi Ono | Japan | Gymnastics | 13 | 5 | 4 | 4 | 1952, 1956, 1960, 1964 |
| 7. | Paavo Nurmi | Finland | Athletics | 12 | 9 | 3 | 0 | 1920, 1924, 1928 |
| 7. | Birgit Fischer-Schmidt | East Germany / Germany | Canoeing | 12 | 8 | 4 | 0 | 1980, 1988, 1992, 1996, 2000, 2004 |
| 7. | Jenny Thompson | United States | Swimming | 12 | 8 | 3 | 1 | 1992, 1996, 2000, 2004 |
| 7. | Sawao Kato | Japan | Gymnastics | 12 | 8 | 3 | 1 | 1968, 1972, 1976 |
| 7. | Dara Torres | United States | Swimming | 12 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 1984, 1988, 1992, 2000, 2008 |
| 7. | Aleksey Nemov | Russia | Gymnastics | 12 | 4 | 2 | 6 | 1996, 2000 |
Photo: msn.com / greenobles.com
Summer Olympics Basketball: Countries with the Most Medals
The 1992 United States Basketball Team - The "Dream Team"
So who are the best basketball countries in the world? Well, right now, if you look over the last 20 years, it’s the United States (of course), Argentina, Spain, Italy, France, Lithuania, Croatia, and Serbia and Montenegro.
These eight countries have monopolized all the Olympic medals (15) over the last 20 years – see second list below.
Today’s main list looks at all medaling since basketball became an official modern Olympic sport in 1936. These 15 countries have won all 51 Olympic basketball medals since then.
The U.S. is up top, followed by the Soviet Union and Yugoslavia rounding out the top three.
Thanks to my source, sports-reference.com.
Follow me on Twitter @VinGetz.
OLYMPIC BASKETBALL MEDALS BY COUNTRY
| COUNTRY | TOTAL | GOLD | SILVER | BRONZE | |
| 1. | United States | 16 | 13 | 1 | 2 |
| 2. | Soviet Union | 9 | 2 | 4 | 3 |
| 3. | Yugoslavia | 5 | 1 | 3 | 1 |
| 4. | Brazil | 3 | 0 | 0 | 3 |
| 4. | Lithuania | 3 | 0 | 0 | 3 |
| 6. | Argentina | 2 | 1 | 0 | 1 |
| 6. | France | 2 | 0 | 2 | 0 |
| 6. | Italy | 2 | 0 | 2 | 0 |
| 6. | Spain | 2 | 0 | 2 | 0 |
| 6. | Uruguay | 2 | 0 | 0 | 2 |
| 11. | Canada | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
| 11. | Croatia | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
| 11. | Cuba | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| 11. | Mexico | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| 11. | Serbia and Montenegro | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
CHRONOLOGICAL
| YEAR | GOLD | SILVER | BRONZE |
| 2008 | United States | Spain | Argentina |
| 2004 | Argentina | Italy | United States |
| 2000 | United States | France | Lithuania |
| 1996 | United States | Serbia and Montenegro | Lithuania |
| 1992 | United States | Croatia | Lithuania |
| 1988 | Soviet Union | Yugoslavia | United States |
| 1984 | United States | Spain | Yugoslavia |
| 1980 | Yugoslavia | Italy | Soviet Union |
| 1976 | United States | Yugoslavia | Soviet Union |
| 1972 | Soviet Union | United States | Cuba |
| 1968 | United States | Yugoslavia | Soviet Union |
| 1964 | United States | Soviet Union | Brazil |
| 1960 | United States | Soviet Union | Brazil |
| 1956 | United States | Soviet Union | Uruguay |
| 1952 | United States | Soviet Union | Uruguay |
| 1948 | United States | France | Brazil |
| 1936 | United States | Canada | Mexico |
Photo: interbasket.net
