London 2012: 5 most successful Olympians in history

By Hamza Khan Aug 9th, 2012 ( No Comment )

London: Hundreds of athletes from across the world participate in summer Olympics after every four years and many of them win Gold, Silver and Bronze medals for their countries but there are only few players who have won most numbers of medals in the games and created the history and they will always be remembered in the history.

Following are most successful Olympians in history:

Michael Phelps (2004 – 2012)

Michael Fred Phelps II was born on 30 June in 1985. American swimmer made his debut in 2004 Athens Olympics. He was most successful Olympian of all time with 22 medals. Phelps holds the all-time records for 18 gold medals gold medals in individual 11 events, and Olympic medals in individual 13 events for a male. He won eight of those gold medals at the 2008 Beijing Games. Phelps took the record for the most first-place finishes at any single Olympic Games. Five of those victories were in individual events, tying the single Games record. In the 2012 Summer Olympics in London, Phelps won four golds and two silver medals just before retiring.

Larisa Latynina (1956 – 1964)

Larisa Semyonovna Latynina was born on 27 December 1934. Soviet gymnast won 14 individual Olympic medals and four team medals between 1956 and 1964. She won 18 Olympic medals was a record for 48 years until surpassed by American swimmer Michael Phelps on July 31, 2012. Although Phelps broke her total medal count record, her record for individual 14 event medals still stands. She is credited with helping to establish the Soviet Union as a dominant force in gymnastics.

Nikolai Andrianov (1972 – 1980)

Nikolai Yefimovich Andrianov was born on 14 October 1952. Soviet Russian gymnast held the record for men for the most Olympic 15 medals with 7 gold medals, 5 silver medals and 3 bronze medals until Michael Phelps surpassed him at the 2008 Beijing Summer Olympics. Andrianov is the third athlete (male or female) in cumulative Olympic medals after Phelps’s 22 and Larisa Latynina, who earned 18. Andrianov won the most medals at the 1976 Summer Olympics with 6 individual medals and one team medal. Within the sport of Men’s Artistic Gymnastics, he also holds the men’s record for most individual Olympic medals with 12 and shares the male record for most individual Olympic Gold medals in gymnastics with 6, tied with Boris Shakhlin and Dmitry Bilozerchev.

Boris Shakhlin (1956 – 1964)

Boris Anfiyanovich Shakhlin was born on 27 January 1932. Soviet gymnast was the 1960 Olympic all-around champion and the 1958 all-around World Champion. He won total of 13 medals including seven gold medals at the Summer Olympics, and was the most successful athlete at the 1960 Summer Olympics. He held the record for most Olympic medals by a male athlete record until gymnast Nikolai Andrianov won his 14th and 15th medal at the 1980 Summer Olympics.

Edoardo Mangiarotti (1936 – 1960)

Edoardo Mangiarotti was born on 7 April 1919. Italian fencer won more Olympic titles and World championships than any other fencer in the history of the sport. His name is synonymous with 21 titles including six Olympic individual and team gold, five silver and two bronze medals from 1936 to 1960.