Olympics: Most medals won by sport ahead of Tokyo 2020

Tokyo 2020: Ahead of the Games in 2021 in the Japanese capital, we take a look at the highest number of medals won by individuals across different Olympic sports over the years.

Published : Jul 22, 2021 14:31 IST

The Tokyo 2020 Olympic medals.

Ahead of the Tokyo 2020 Games, Sportstar takes a look at the highest number of medals won by individuals across different Olympic sports over the years.

AQUATICS

Men's event(s)

28 (23 Gold, 3 Silver, 2 Bronze) - Michael Phelps (USA, 2004-2016)

12 (6 Gold, 3 Silver, 3 Bronze) - Ryan Lochte (USA, 2004-2012)

11 (9 Gold, 1 Silver, 1 Bronze) - Mark Spitz (USA, 1968-1972)

11 (8 Gold, 2 Silver, 1 Bronze) - Matthew Biondi (USA, 1984-1992)

10 (5 Gold, 3 Silver, 2 Bronze) - Gary Jr. Hall (USA, 1996-2000)

Women's event(s)

12 (8 Gold, 3 Silver, 1 Bronze) - Jenny Thompson (USA, 1992-2004)
12 (4 Gold, 4 Silver, 4 Bronze) - Dara Torres (USA, 1984-2008)
12 (3 Gold, 4 Silver, 5 Bronze) - Natalie Coughlin (USA, 2004-2012)
10 (4 Silver, 6 Bronze) - Franziska Van Almsick (GER, 1992-2004)
9 (3 Gold, 5 Silver, 1 Bronze) - Leisel Jones (AUS, 2000-2012)

ARCHERY

Men's event(s)

9 (6 Gold, 3 Silver) - Hubert Van Innis (BEL, 1900-1920)
5 (1 Gold, 3 Silver, 1 Bronze) - Julien Louis Brule (FRA, 1920)
4 (2 Gold, 2 Silver) - Louis Van de Perck (BEL, 1920)
4 (3 Silver, 1 Bronze) - Leonce Gaston Quentin (FRA, 1920)
4 (1 Gold, 2 Silver, 1 Bronze) - Eugene Grisot (FRA, 1908-1920)

Women's event(s)

6 (4 Gold, 1 Silver, 1 Bronze) - Soo-Nyung Kim (KOR, 1988-2000)
4 (3 Gold, 1 Silver) - Sung-Hyun Park (KOR, 2004-2008)
3 (3 Gold) - Mi-Jin Yun (KOR, 2000-2004)
3 (3 Gold) - Matilda Scott Howell (USA, 1904)
3 (2 Gold, 1 Silver) - Sung-Jin Lee (KOR, 2004-2012)

ATHLETICS

Men's event(s)

12 - Paavo Nurmi (FIN, 1920-1928)
10 - Carl Lewis (USA, 1984-1996)
8 - Usain Bolt (JAM, 2008-2016)
8 - Ray Ewry (USA, 1900-1908)
8 - Ville Ritola (FIN, 1924-1928)

Women's event(s)

9 - Allyson Felix (USA, 2004-2016)
9 - Merlene Ottey-Page (JAM-SLO, 1980-2004)
8 - Veronica Campbell-Brown (JAM, 2000-2016)
7 - Irena Szewinska (POL, 1964-1976)
7 - Shirley Strickland-de la Hunty (AUS, 1948-1956)

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BADMINTON

Men's event(s)

3 - Dong-Moon Kim (KOR, 1996-2004)
3 - Chong Wei Lee (MAS, 2008-2016)
3 - Haifeng Fu (CHN, 2008-2016)
3 - Nan Zhang (CHN, 2012-2016)

Women's event(s)

4 - Ling Gao (CHN, 2000-2004)
3 - Young-Ah Gil (KOR, 1992-1996)
3 - Yunlei Zhao (CHN, 2012-2016)

BASKETBALL

Men's event(s)

4 - Carmelo Anthony (USA, 2004-2016)
4 - Gennadi Volnov (URS, 1960-1972)
4 - Sergei Belov (URS, 1968-1980)

Women's event(s)

5 - Teresa Edwards (USA, 1984-2000)
4 - Tamika Catchings (USA, 2004-2016)
4 - Diana Taurasi (USA, 2004-2016)
4 - Lisa Leslie (USA, 1996-2008)
4 - Sue Bird (USA, 2004-2016)

BOXING

Men's event(s)

3 - Laszlo Papp (HUN, 1948-1956)
3 - Teofilo Stevenson (CUB, 1972-1980)
3 - Felix Savon (CUB, 1992-2000)
3 - Shiming Zou, (CHN, 2004-2012)
3 - Oleg Saitov (RUS, 1996-2004)

Women's event(s)

2 (2 Gold) - Nicola Adams (GBR, 2012-2016)
2 (1 Silver, 1 Bronze) - Cancan Ren (CHN, 2012-2016)

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CANOE

Men's event(s)

8 (6 Gold, 1 Silver, 1 Bronze) - Gert Fredriksson (SWE, 1948-1960)
7 (4 Gold, 3 Silver) - Ivan Patzaichin (ROU, 1968-1984)
6 (3 Gold, 2 Silver, 1 Bronze) - Knut Holmann (NOR, 1992-2000)
6 (3 Gold, 3 Bronze) - Rudiger Helm (GDR, 1976-1980)
5 (4 Gold, 1 Silver) - Ian Gordon Ferguson (NZL, 1984-88)

Women's event(s)

12 (8 Gold, 4 Silver) - Birgit Fischer (GDR-GER, 1980-2004)
8 (3 Gold, 5 Silver) - Katalin Kovacs (HUN, 2000-2012)
7 (3 Gold, 2 Silver, 2 Bronze) - Agneta Andersson (SWE, 1984-1996)
6 (5 Gold, 1 Silver) - Danuta Kozak (HUN, 2008-2016)
6 (4 Gold, 1 Silver, 1 Bronze) - Kathrin Wagner-Augustin (GER, 2000-2012)

CYCLING

Men's event(s)

8 (5 Gold, 1 Silver, 2 Bronze) - Bradley Wiggins (GBR, 2000-2016)
7 (6 Gold, 1 Silver) - Chris Hoy (GBR, 2000-2012)
7 (6 Gold, 1 Silver, 1 Bronze) - Jason Kenny (GBR, 2008-2016)
6 (2 Gold, 3 Silver, 1 Bronze) - Burton Downing (USA, 1904)
5 (4 Gold, 1 Bronze) - Marcus Hurley (USA, 1904)

Women's event(s)

6 (4 Gold, 1 Silver, 1 Bronze) - Leontien Zijlaard-van Moorsel (NED, 2000-2004)
6 (2 Gold, 1 Silver, 3 Bronze) - Ana Mears (AUS, 2004-2016)
4 (4 Gold) - Laura Trott (GBR, 2012-2016)
4 (1 Gold, 2 Silver, 1 Bronze) - Jeannie Longo-Ciprelli (FRA, 1992-2000)
4 (4 Silver) - Sarah Hammer (USA, 2012-2016)

EQUESTRIAN (events mixed since 1952)

Men's event(s)

8 (6 Gold, 2 Bronze) - Reiner Klimke (EUA-FRG, 1960-1988)
7 (5 Gold, 1 Silver, 1 Bronze) - Hans Gunter Winkler (EUA-FRG, 1956-1976)
6 (2 Gold, 4 Silver) - John Michael Plumb (USA, 1960-1992)
6 (2 Gold, 2 Silver, 2 Bronze) - Josef Neckermann (EUA-FRG, 1960-1972)
6 (2 Gold, 1 Silver, 3 Bronze) - Mark James Todd (NZL, 1984-2012)

Women's event(s)

10 (6 Gold, 4 Silver) - Isabell Werth (GER, 1992-2016)
9 (3 Gold, 5 Silver, 1 Bronze) - Anky van Grunsven (NED, 1988-2012)
5 (2 Gold, 2 Silver, 1 Bronze) - Liselott Linsenhoff (EUA-FRG, 1956-1972)
5 (1 Gold, 3 Silver, 1 Bronze) - Christine Stueckelberger (SUI, 1972-2000)

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FENCING

Men's event(s)

13 (6 Gold, 5 Silver, 2 Bronze) - Edoardo Mangiarotti (ITA, 1936-1960)
10 (7 Gold, 1 Silver, 2 Bronze) - Aladar Gerevich (HUN, 1932-1960)
9 (3 Gold, 4 Silver, 2 Bronze) - Giulio Gaudini (ITA, 1928-1936)
8 (3 Gold, 4 Silver, 1 Bronze) - Philippe Cattiau (FRA, 1920-1936)
8 (3 Gold, 4 Silver, 1 Bronze) - Roger Francois Ducret (FRA, 1920-1928)

Women's event(s)

9 (6 Gold, 1 Silver, 2 Bronze) - Valentina Vezzali (ITA, 1996-2012)
8 (4 Gold, 1 Silver, 3 Bronze) - Giovanna Trillini (ITA, 1992-2008)
7 (2 Gold, 3 Silver, 2 Bronze) - Ildiko Rejto-Ujlaki (HUN, 1960-1976)
6 (4 Gold, 1 Silver, 1 Bronze) - Elena Novikova-Belova (URS, 1968-1976)
5 (3 Gold, 1 Silver, 1 Bronze) - Galina Gorokhova (URS, 1960-1972)

FOOTBALL

Men's event(s)

3 (2 Gold, 1 Bronze) - Dezso Novak (HUN, 1960-1968)

Women's event(s)

4 (3 Gold, 1 Bronze) - Christie Rampone (USA, 1996-2012)

GYMNASTICS

Men's event(s)

15 (7 Gold, 5 Silver, 3 Bronze) - Nikolay Andrianov (URS, 1972-80)
13 (7 Gold, 4 Silver, 2 Bronze) - Boris Shakhlin (URS, 1956-1964)
13 (5 Gold, 4 Silver, 4 Bronze) - Takashi Ono (JPN, 1952-1964)
12(8 Gold, 3 Silver, 1 Bronze) - Sawao Kato (JPN, 1968-1976)
12 (4 Gold, 2 Silver, 6 Bronze) - Alexei Nemov (RUS, 1996-2000)

Women's event(s)

18 (9 Gold, 5 Silver, 4 Bronze) - Larisa Latynina (URS, 1956-1964)
11 (7 Gold, 4 Silver) - Vera Caslavska (TCH, 1960-1968)
10 (5 Gold, 3 Silver, 2 Bronze) - Agnes Keleti (HUN, 1952-1956)
10 (5 Gold, 2 Silver, 3 Bronze) - Polina Astakhova (URS, 1956-64)
9 (5 Gold, 3 Silver, 1 Bronze) - Nadia Comaneci (ROU, 1976-1980)

HANDBALL

Men's event(s)

4 (3 Gold, 1 Bronze) - Andrey Lavrov (URS-EUN-RUS, 1988-2004)

Women's event(s)

4 (1 Gold, 2 Silver, 1 Bronze) - Sung-Ok Oh (KOR, 1992-2008)
3 (2 Gold, 1 Bronze) - Zinaida Turchina (URS, 1976-1988)
3 (2 Gold, 1 Bronze) - Larisa Karlova (URS, 1976-1988)
3 (2 Gold, 1 Bronze) - Marit Malm Frafjord (NOR, 2008-2016)
3 (1 Gold, 2 Silver) - Kyeong Lim O (KOR, 1992-2004)

HOCKEY

Men's event(s)

4 (3 Gold, 1 Silver) - Leslie Walter Claudius (IND, 1948-56)
4 (3 Gold, 1 Silver) - Udham Singh Kullar (IND, 1952-64)
4 (2 Gold, 2 Silver) - Teun de Nooijer (NED, 1996-2012)

Women's event(s)

4 (2 Silver, Bronze) - Luciana Aymar (ARG, 2000-2012)

JUDO

Men's event(s)

4(1 Gold, 2 Silver, 1 Bronze) - Angelo Parisi (FRA-GBR, 1972-1984)
3 (3 Gold) - Tadahiro Nomura (JPN, 1996-2004)
3 (2 Gold, 1 Bronze) - Teddy Riner (FRA, 2008-2016)
3 (2 Gold, 1 Bronze) - David Douillet (FRA, 1992-2000)
3 (1 Gold, 2 Bronze) - Mark Huizinga (NED, 1996-2004)

Women's event(s)

5 (2 Gold, 2 Silver, 1 Bronze) - Ryoko Tani (JPN, 1992-2008)
4 (1 Gold, 1 Silver, 2 Bronze) - Driulys Gonzalez (CUB, 1992-2008)
3 (1 Gold, 1 Silver, 1 Bronze) - Idalys Ortiz (CUB, 2008-2012)
3 (1 Gold, 1 Silver, 1 Bronze) - Sun Hui Kye (PRK, 1996-2004)
3 (2 Silver, 1 Bronze) - Yoko Tanabe (JPN, 1988-1996)

MODERN PENTATHLON

Men's event(s)

7 (2 Gold, 2 Silver, 3 Bronze) - Pavel Lednev (URS, 1968-1980)
5 (3 Gold, 2 Silver) - Andras Balczo (HUN, 1960-1972)
5 (1 Gold, 2 Silver, 2 Bronze) - Carlo Massullo (ITA, 1984-1992)
4 (2 Gold, 2 Silver) - Igor Novikov (URS, 1956-1964)

Women's event(s)

1 - 15 athletes have won one medal

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ROWING

Men's event(s)

6 (5 Gold, 1 Bronze) - Steven Redgrave (GBR, 1984-2000)
5 (3 Gold, 2 Silver) - Jack Beresford (GBR, 1920-1936)
5 (3 Gold, 2 Bronze) - Eskild Ebbesen (DEN, 1996-2012)

Women's event(s)

8 (5 Gold, 2 Silver, 1 Bronze) - Elisabeta Lipa-Oleniuc (ROU, 1984-2004)
6 (5 Gold, 1 Bronze) - Georgeta Andrunache-Damian (ROU, 2000-2008)
6 (4 Gold, 1 Silver, 1 Bronze) - Doina Ignat (ROU, 1992-2008)
6 (2 Gold, 3 Silver, 1 Bronze) - Veronica Cochelea-Cogeanu (ROU, 1988-2000)

SAILING

Men's event(s)

5 (4 Gold, 1 Silver) - Ben Ainslie (GBR, 1996-2012)
5 (2 Gold, 2 Silver, 1 Bronze) - Robert Scheidt (BRA, 1996-2012)
5 (2 Gold, 2 Silver, 2 Bronze) - Torben Grael (BRA, 1984-2004)
4 (4 Gold) - Paul Elvstrom (DEN, 1948-1988)
4 (3 Gold, 1 Silver) - Jochen Schumann (GDR-GER, 1976-2000)

Women's event(s)

4 (1 Gold, 1 Silver, 2 Bronze) - Alessandra Sensini (ITA, 1996-2008)
3 (1 Gold, 1 Silver, 1 Bronze) - Barbara Kendall (NZL, 1992-2008)
3 (1 Silver, 2 Bronze) - Ruslana Taran (UKR, 1996-2004)

SHOOTING

Men's event(s)

11 (5 Gold, 4 Silver, 2 Bronze) - Carl Townsend Osburn (USA, 1912-1924)
9 (3 Gold, 3 Silver, 3 Bronze) - Alfred Swahn (SWE, 1908-1924)
8 (4 Gold, 3 Silver, 1 Bronze) - Otto M. Olsen (NOR, 1920-1924)
7 (5 Gold, 1 Silver, 1 Bronze) - Willis Lee (USA, 1920)
7 (4 Gold, 2 Silver, 1 Bronze) - Einar Liberg (NOR, 1908-1924)

Women's event(s)

6 (3 Gold, 1 Silver, 2 Bronze) - Kimberly Rhode (USA, 1996-2016)
5 (2 Gold, 1 Silver, 2 Bronze) - Marina Dobrancheva-Logvinenko (URS-EUN-RUS, 1988-2000)
5 (2 Gold, 3 Bronze) - Maria Grozdeva (BUL, 1992-2004)
5 (1 Gold, 3 Silver, 1 Bronze) - Jasna Sekaric (IOP-YUG-SCG, 1988-2008)
4 (2 Gold, 1 Silver, 1 Bronze) - Li Du (CHN, 2004-2016)

TABLE TENNIS

Men's event(s)

5 (2 Gold, 3 Silver) - Hao Wang (CHN, 2004-2012)
4 (3 Gold, 1 Silver) - Jike Zhang (CHN, 2012-2016)
4 (2 Gold, 1 Silver, 1 Bronze) - Guoliang Liu (CHN, 1996-2000)
4 (2 Gold, 2 Bronze) - Liqin Wang (CHN, 200-2008)
4 (1 Gold, 3 Bronze) - Nam-Kyu Yoo (KOR, 1988-1996)

Women's event(s)

5 (4 Gold, 1 Silver) - Nan Wang (CHN, 2000-2008)
4 (4 Gold) - Yining Zhang (CHN, 2004-2008)
4 (4 Gold) - Yaping Deng (CHN, 1992-1996)
4 (3 Gold, 1 Silver) – Xiaoxia Li (CHN, 2012-2016)
4 (3 Gold, 1 Silver) - Ning Ding (CHN, 2012-2016)

TAEKWONDO

Men's event(s)

3 (2 Gold, 1 Bronze) - Hadi Saeibonehkohal (IRI, 2000-2008)
3 (2 Gold, 1 Bronze) - Steven Lopez (USA, 2000-2008)

Women's event(s)

3 (2 Gold, 1 Bronze) - Kyung-Sun Hwang (KOR, 2004-2012)

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TENNIS

Men's event(s)

4 (1 Gold, 1 Silver, 2 Bronze) - Charles Percy Dixon (GBR, 1908-1912)
4 (1 Gold, 1 Silver, 2 Bronze) - Reginald Doherty (GBR, 1900-1908)
4 (2 Silver, 2 Bronze) - Gunnar Setterwall (SWE, 1908-12)

Women's event(s)

5 (4 Gold, 1 Silver) - Venus Williams (USA, 2000-2016)
5 (1 Gold, 2 Silver, 2 Bronze) - Kathleen McKane (GBR, 1920-1924)
4 (4 Gold) - Serena Williams (USA, 2008-2012)
4 (2 Silver, 2 Bronze) - Arantxa Sanchez-Vicario (ESP, 1992-1996)
3 (2 Gold, 1 Bronze) - Mary Joe Fernandez (USA, 1992-96)

TRIATHLON

Men's event(s)

2 (2 Gold) - Alistair Brownlee (GBR, 2012-2016)
2 (1 Gold, 1 Silver) - Simon Whitfield (CAN, 2000-2008)
2 (1 Silver, 1 Bronze) - Jonathan Brownlee (GBR, 2012-2016)
2 (1 Silver, 1 Bronze) - Bevan Docherty (NZL, 2004-2008)

Women's event(s)

2 (1 Gold, 1 Silver) - Nicola Spirig Hug (SUI, 2012-2016)

VOLLEYBALL

Men's event(s)

4 - Samuele Papi (ITA, 1996-2012)
4 (1 Gold, 1 Silver, 2 Bronze) - Sergey Tetyukhin (RUS, 2000-2012)

Women's event(s)

4 (3 Gold, 1 Bronze) - Ana Ivis Fernandez Valle (CUB, 1992-2004)
4(2 Gold, 2 Silver) - Inna Ryskal (URS, 1964-1976)

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WEIGHTLIFTING

Men's event(s)

4 (3 Gold, 1 Bronze) - Pyrros Dimas (GRE, 1992-2004)
4 (1 Gold, 2 Silver, 1 Bronze) - Ronny Weller (GDR-GER, 1988-2000)
4 (1 Gold, 1 Silver, 2 Bronze) - Nikolai Pechalov (BUL-CRO, 1992-2004)
4 (1 Gold, 1 Silver, 2 Bronze) - Norbert Schemansky (USA, 1948-1964)

Women's event(s)

3(2 Silver, 1 Bronze) - Raema Lisa Rumbewas (INA, 2000-2008)

WRESTLING

Men's event(s)

5 (1 Gold, 2 Silver, 2 Bronze) - Wilfried Dietrich (FRG-EUA, 1956-1968)
4 (3 Gold, 1 Silver) - Artur Taymazov (UZB, 2000-2012)
4 (3 Gold, 1 Silver) - Aleksandr Karelin (RUS-EUN-RUS, 1988-2000)
4 (2 Gold, 2 Silver) - Rudolf Svensson (SWE, 1924-32)
4 (2 Gold, 1 Silver, 1 Bronze) - Bruce Robert Baumgartner (USA, 1984-1996)

Women's event(s)

4 (4 Gold) - Kaori Icho (JPN, 2004-2016)
4 (3 Gold, 1 Silver) - Saori Yoshida (JPN, 2004-2016)

Olympics: Most medals won by sport ahead of Tokyo 2020

Tokyo 2020: Ahead of the Games in 2021 in the Japanese capital, we take a look at the highest number of medals won by individuals across different Olympic sports over the years.

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