Olympic records: Most gold medals won at the same edition of the Summer Games

Tokyo Olympics: Ahead of the 2020 edition of the Summer Games, Sportstar takes a look at the athletes who have won the most number of gold medals at a single Olympics.

A collage of all eight gold medals that Michael Phelps won at the Beijing Olympics in 2008.

Individual brilliance is a regular feature across all sports, and when they occur at the Olympic Games, they get etched in memory for many years to come. 

Sportstar looks at those male and female athletes who won multiple gold medals at the same edition of the prestigious event. 

8-Michael Phelps, Aquatics, 2008 Beijing

Arguably the greatest Olympian of all time, Michael Phelps won eight gold medals in swimming across various categories in Beijing in 2008.

The American swimmer won one gold medal in the 100m freestyle event, won three gold medals, one each in the 200m freestyle, butterfly and medley events, one in the 400m medley and one each in the 4x100m freestyle, 4x200m freestyle and 4x100m medley events.

Phelps broke Mark Spitz's record of seven gold medals, which he achieved at the 1972 Munich Olympics in Beijing.

7-Mark Spitz, Aquatics, 1972 Munich 

The American swimmer won seven gold medals — each backed by a world record — in the 1972 Munich Olympics.

He won a gold medal in the 100m butterfly and freestyle events, two gold medals in the 200m butterfly and freestyle events and three gold medals, each in the 4x100m freestyle, 4x200m freestyle and 4x100m medley events, respectively.

His feat towered above all other achievements in the Olympics for 36 years till his compatriot Michael Phelps bettered it, winning eight gold medals in the Beijing Olympics in 2008.

6-Vitaly Scherbo, Gymnastics, Barcelona 1992

Representing the Unified Team, Vitaly Scherbo had a memorable outing at the Barcelona Games in 1992.

Scherbo won six gold medals at these Games, each coming in Team, All-Around, Pommel Horse, Rings, Vault and Parallel Bars events. 

4-Michael Phelps, Aquatics, Athens 2004

Four years before his sensational run of eight gold medals in Beijing, Phelps had yet another successful run at Athens in 2004, where he won four gold medals. 

The American swimmer won a gold each in the 100m butterfly, 200m butterfly, 200m medley and 400m medley events.

WOMEN

6-Kristin Otto, Aquatics, Seoul 1988

The German swimmer had an incredible 1988 Seoul Olympics, where she won six gold medals.

Otto's gold medals came in the 50m freestyle, 100m freestyle, 100m butterfly, 100m backstroke, 4x100m freestyle and 4x100m medley events.