Have you ever wondered which Olympian has won the most medals? Then this chart from Wizard Pins is for you! This chart breaks down the winningest Olympian at every modern Olympic games, beginning with the Summer Olympics of 1896 through the most current winter Olympics of 2022.
When it comes to both the summer and winter Olympics, one name dominates the list. Michael Phelps won the most medals for four consecutive summer Olympics, all of which he won in various types of swimming races. In both 2004 and 2008 he won 8 medals and in 2012 and 2016 he won another 6 medals at each of the games.
The 28 medals he won over the course of these four Olympic games make Michael Phelps the most decorated Olympian of all time.
A few others athletes that made the list were the winningest Olympians for multiple Olympics games as well. They include Clas Thunberg who won the most medals for speed skating in the 1924 and 1928 winter Olympics with 7 medals total, as well as Lidiya Skoblikova who also won the most for speed skating during the 1960 and 1964 Olympics. She earned six medals between the two winter games. Lyubov Yegrova was the most decorated Olympian of both the 1992 and 1994 winter Olympic games, with 9 medals won for cross-country skiing.
And finally Viktor An is another one of the top Olympians to make the list for two consecutive years. He took home a total of 8 medals for short-track speed skating during the 2006 and 2014 winter Olympics.
Winning just one Olympic medal is an incredible feat, yet these athletes were able to do so multiple times over! Which of the many sporting events that take place during the summer or winter Olympics is your favorite to watch while cheering on your country?
