The Olympic Games are the biggest sporting event in the world. As such, they have a history full of amazing achievements and exceptional records. The reality is that most of those records will end up being broken. However, there are a few that are so impressive that it appears they could stand the test of time. Let’s check out some of the top Olympic records that will probably never be broken.
Most Medals at a Single Olympics By a Country
Record: United States With 248 Medals at the 1904 Olympics
The 1904 Olympics, held in St. Louis, saw the host country, the United States, dominate the majority of the events. Team USA managed to win a whopping 248 medals, although some sources claim the number is actually 231 or 238 because there are doubts about whether certain events were part of the Olympics. In 1904, only ten countries participated, which was part of the reason why Team USA got so many medals. Today, the entire world takes part, making it much more difficult for a single country to be so dominant.
Most Gold Medals By a Single Olympian
Record: Michael Phelps With 23 Gold Medals
Michael Phelps is often considered the greatest swimmer of all time and perhaps the greatest Olympian ever. Phelps won 28 medals at the Olympics, 23 of which were gold. No other athlete in the history of the Olympics, regardless of the event, has more than nine gold medals. This makes it safe that Phelps’ record will stand for a long time and perhaps never be broken.
Most Appearances at the Olympics
Record: Ian Millar With 10
Ian Millar is a Canadian equestrian who has 10 Olympic appearances, more than any other athlete in history. The reason why Millar’s record is likely never to be broken is that someone would need to remain at the top of their game for more than 40 years in order to challenge Millar. Also, only two athletes have managed to take part in the Olympics nine times.