After Usain Bolt and Michael Phelps, the Olympian who captured the minds of the sporting fraternity is Simone Biles. The number of accolades she won in her career is unmatchable. Claiming around 32 Olympic and World Championship medals, Biles’ name in the competition sends shock waves to other competitors. Simply because she is that dominant. However, what if someone says she is not the most decorated gymnast in the Olympics?

Sounds strange, right? But that recognition goes to the legendary Larisa Latynina. Her medal count is simply extraordinary.

Step aside, Simone Biles!

The famous gymnast won an astonishing 18 Olympic medals (nine gold, five silver, and four bronze) and stays atop of the rankings. The title of the most decorated gymnast in the world seems unlikely to change because it is one of those records that is hard to match. In three Olympic Games, she won all these medals.

One of the greatest competitors in the floor exercise, she won three consecutive gold medals in 1956, 1960, and 1964 Olympics. One of the greatest gymnasts to dance to groovy tunes, Latynina, is an icon of the sport.

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For Biles, she made her Olympics debut at the 2016 Rio Olympics. From there, she had a rollercoaster career to date. She won four gold medals and a bronze to put her name amongst the pantheon of famous gymnasts. After that, she added two more at the 2020 Tokyo Olympics, which was noted for her withdrawal because of mental health struggles. A chance to improve her medal tally, but Biles could not add to her illustrious career.

After Latynina, Nikolai Andrianov (15), Boris Shakhlin (13), Takashi Ono (13), and Sawao Kato (12) rank on top for most medals won by gymnasts at the Olympic Games. In the meantime, where does Latynina rank among the top Olympians of all time? Surely, but stunningly, she is ranked two after a certain swimmer from Baltimore.

Michael Phelps leads the way

Michael Phelps tops it with 28 Olympic medals in the list of medal winners. Meanwhile, Latynina ranks second with 18, followed by the gymnast, Nikolai Andrianov with 15 medals. Stunningly, Phelps won 23 gold medals in the Olympics, more than Latynina’s all-time Olympic medals. The dominance of the Olympics swimmer showcased inside the pool is a tale to tell for generations to come.

Out of the top 15 medal winners, 11 swimmers and gymnasts rank inside the top 15 rankings. With the number of events they have, it is natural to see them ranking on top of the winners’ list. As for Biles, the 2024 Paris Olympics is the next destination to win more medals. Can she win more medals in the Olympics?

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