You probably already know that the United States is the most successful country in the history of the Summer Olympics. The U.S. Olympians brought home a whopping 2,629 medals, almost as much as the next three countries combined. However, do you know which U.S. Olympians have the most medals? Let’s find that out.
Carl Osburn
Sport: Shooting
Medals: 11
For a long time, Carl Osburn was the most successful U.S. Olympian. Osburn competed at three Olympics—1912 Stockholm, 1920 Antwerp, and 1924 Paris—and won five gold medals, four silvers, and two bronze medals. He is still the athlete with the most combined medals in shooting at the Olympics.
Matt Biondi, Katie Ledecky, Mark Spitz
Sport: Swimming
Medals: 11
Swimmers Biondi, Ledecky, and Spitz have 11 medals each. Biondi won eight gold medals, two silvers, and one bronze at three Olympic appearances. Ledecky has seven gold medals, three silver medals, and one bronze, while Spitz has nine gold medals, one silver, and one bronze.
Allyson Felix
Sport: Track and Field
Medals: 11
Allyson Felix is the most successful female track and field Olympian of all time. She won 11 medals from 2004 through 2020, including seven golds, three silvers, and one bronze.
Natalie Coughlin, Ryan Lochte, Jenny Thompson, Dara Torres
Sport: Swimming
Medals: 12
Four U.S. Olympians have 12 medals each, and all four are swimmers. Coughlin has three gold medals, four silvers, and five bronze medals. Lochte has six golds and three silvers and bronze medals apiece, while Torres has four gold, silver, and bronze medals. Thompson is the most successful of the bunch, having eight gold medals, three silvers, and one bronze.
Michael Phelps
Sport: Swimming
Medals: 28
Finally, the most successful Olympian of all time is swimmer Michael Phelps. Competing at four Olympics – 2004 Athens, 2008 Beijing, 2012 London, and 2016 Rio de Janeiro – Phelps amassed 28 medals, 10 more than the next most successful Olympian, Soviet gymnast Larisa Latynina (18). Phelps won 23 gold medals, three silver medals, and two bronze medals.