Paris 2024 Paralympics: Top 10 athletes who have won most gold medals at Summer Paralympic Games
From Trischa Zorn-Hudson to Zipora Rubin-Rosenbaum, Sportstar takes a look at the top 10 most successful Paralympians in history.
Published : Aug 27, 2024 15:58 IST , CHENNAI - 5 MINS READ
The 17th edition of the Summer Paralympic Games is set to be held in Paris, France, from August 28 to September 8.
Every gold medal is precious for a para athlete. However, there are some Paralympians who have created records by winning multiple gold medals across multiple disciplines in multiple editions.
Here is the list of top 10 Paralympians with the most gold medals (as per the International Paralympic Committee) at the Summer Paralympic Games:
Trischa Zorn-Hudson (USA) - 32 gold medals
The most decorated athlete in Paralympic history is USA’s Trischa Zorn-Hudson. The American para swimmer won 46 medals including 32 gold medals, nine silver medals and five bronze medals.
Zorn-Hudson was born with a genetic eye condition that left her blind. She first competed in the Paralympics at Arnhem 1980 at the age of 16 and won seven gold medals.
She was inducted into the International Paralympic Hall of Fame in 2012 and the U.S. Olympic & Paralympic Hall of Fame in 2022.
Beatrice Hess (France) - 20
French para swimmer Beatrice Hess is second on this list with 20 gold medals, won across five Paralympics.
Hess took up para swimming as part of her rehabilitation for cerebral palsy. She made her debut at the Stoke Mandeville and New York 1984 Paralympic Games and grabbed four gold medals.
She was the flag bearer for France at the 1996 Atlanta and 2000 Sydney Games.
Sarah Storey (Great Britain) - 17
Sarah Storey is a British para swimmer and para cyclist who is set to compete at the Paralympics for the ninth time as she has been selected for the upcoming edition in Paris.
According to The Guardian, Storey was born without a left hand. Her arm got entangled in the umbilical cord in the womb and the hand did not completely develop.
Storey is the most successful British Paralympian in history. She made her debut as a swimmer in Barcelona in 1992 aged 14 and won two gold medals. She won three more gold medals in para swimming at the next edition in Atlanta.
She switched to para cycling at the 2008 Beijing Games and since then, she has won 12 more gold medals.
Jonas Jacobsson (Sweden) - 17
Jonas Jacobsson is a para shooter from Sweden who competed in 10 Paralympic Games from 1980 to 2016.
Born with a disability in lower limbs, Jacobsson had to use a wheelchair. He started shooting after being encouraged by his parents and two brothers who are also shooters.
With 17 gold medals, he is the most successful male Paralympian in history.
Jessica Long (USA) - 16
Jessica Long is an American para swimmer who will compete at the upcoming Paris Games.
She was born with fibular hemimelia – she didn’t have fibulas, ankles, heels and most of the other bones in her feet. She was adopted from a Russian orphanage at 13 months old. Five months later, her legs were amputated below the knees so she could be fitted for prosthetic legs and learn how to walk.
She made her Paralympic debut at the 2004 edition in Athens and won three gold medals at the age of 12. Since then, she has won 13 more gold medals.
Roberto Marson (Italy) - 16
Roberto Marson was an Italian Paralympian who competed in para athletics, para swimming and para fencing.
Marson lost the use of his legs at the age of 16 when the pine tree he was chopping fell on his back.
Marson made his Paralympic debut as a para athlete at the 1964 edition where he won two gold medals, setting a new world record of 24.20m in the men’s javelin C classification. He also clinched a gold in men’s epee team event in fencing.
At the 1968 edition in Tel Aviv, he won three gold medals in para athletics, three gold medals in para swimming and four gold medals in para swimming.
He won three more gold medals in para fencing at the 1972 Heidelberg Games.
He passed away at the age of 67 in 2011.
Mike Kenny (Great Britain) - 16
Mike Kenny is a British para swimmer who competed in four Paralympics from 1976 to 1988 and won 16 gold medals.
Kenny fell from a ladder at work and became paralysed at the age of 26 in 1971.
He made his Paralympic debut in Toronto in 1976 and won three gold medals. He won three, five and five gold medals respectively at the next three editions.
Ihar Boki (Belarus) - 16
Ihar Boki is a visually impaired para swimmer from Belarus who will compete at the Paris Paralympic Games.
The 30-year-old Boki has competed at the last three Paralympic Games. In his debut edition in London in 2012, he won five gold medals and broke four world records.
At the 2016 edition in Rio, he clinched six gold medals and set two new world records. At the most recent edition in Tokyo, he grabbed five more gold medals.
Mayumi Narita (Japan) - 15
Mayumi Narita is a Japanese para swimmer who competed in six Paralympic Games between 1996 and 2020 and won 15 gold medals.
Narita had to use a wheelchair since she was 13 years old because of myelitis, In 1994, she was involved in a traffic accident which left her quadriplegic.
Zipora Rubin-Rosenbaum (Israel) - 14
Zipora Rubin-Rosenbaum is an Israeli Paralympian who competed at the Paralympic Games seven times from 1964 to 1988.
At the age of four, Rubin-Rosenbaum had polio.
Coached by Israeli pole vault champion Itzik Levy and national javelin champion Edna Medalia, Rubin-Rosenbaum made her debut at the 1964 Tokyo Games and set a a world record in the shot put D event.
She also competed in para swimming, para table tennis, and wheelchair basketball and won 13 more gold medals.