The Olympics have long served as a stage for some of the world's most awe-inspiring athletic feats. It has turned standout competitors into household names.
The 2024 Olympics boosted all-time medal counts for multiple athletes. Here are the top U.S. Olympians of all time by gold medals.
Michael Phelps: 23 gold (28 total)
Phelps has more gold medals and more total medals than any athlete in the history of the Olympic Games. The swimmer won eight of his golds at the 2008 Beijing Summer Olympics, the most ever at a single games. Phelps won nine more golds over the next two Olympics.
Katie Ledecky: 9 gold (14 total)
The reigning queen of the pool, Ledecky earned her ninth gold medal in the 800m freestyle at the 2024 Olympics. With the victory, Ledecky became the winningest female Olympian of all time from the United States.
Mark Spitz: 9 gold (11 total)
Spitz set multiple world records in the pool at the 1972 Munich Summer Olympics, including winning seven gold medals. Spitz clinched his seventh gold in the 400-meter medley relay.
Carl Lewis: 9 gold (10 total)
Lewis won four of his gold medals at the 1984 Los Angeles Summer Olympics. No athlete had accomplished that feat since Jesse Owens at the 1936 Berlin Summer Games. Lewis' golden victories in 1984 came in the 100 meters, 200 meters, long jump and 4x100-meter relay. The latter was achieved in a world-record time of 37.83 seconds.
Caeleb Dressel: 9 gold (10 total)
Dressel took home 2 gold medals and a silver medal at the 2024 Olympics. The swimmer previously won two golds at the 2016 Rio Summer Olympics, pacing the field in both the 4x100-meter freestyle relay and the 4x100-meter medley relay. Dressel followed that performance by winning five more golds at the 2020 Tokyo Olympics, including the top prize in the 50-meter freestyle, 100-meter freestyle and 100-meter butterfly.
Jenny Thompson: 8 gold (12 total)
All of Thompson's gold medals came in relay events. Her only individual medals came in the 100-meter freestyle at the 1992 Barcelona Summer Olympics (silver) and 2000 Sydney Summer Olympics (bronze).
Matt Biondi: 8 gold (11 total)
Biondi won seven medals in swimming, including five golds, at the 1988 Seoul Summer Olympics. His five golds in 1988 came in the 50-meter freestyle, 100-meter freestyle and all three medleys.
Ray Ewry: 8 gold (8 total)
Despite being paralyzed by polio as a child, Ewry developed strength in his legs and became one of the most decorated Olympians in the standing jumps. Ewry won three golds in both the 1900 Paris Summer Olympics and 1904 St. Louis Summer Olympics.
Allyson Felix: 7 gold (11 total)
Felix has been a mainstay on the U.S. women's relay teams since the 2008 Beijing Summer Olympics. Since Beijing, Felix has helped lead the United States to four straight gold medals in the 4x400-meter relay. Felix also won an individual gold in the 200 meters at the 2012 London Summer Olympics.
Simone Biles: 7 gold (11 total)
Biles has won the most Olympic medals out of any American gymnast, with 10 to her name. She took home gold in the team all-around final, individual all-around final, and vault final at the 2024 Olympics.
Ryan Lochte: 6 gold (12 total)
Lochte's seven individual Olympic medals rank second in the history of men's swimming behind only Phelps. Lochte won gold in the 200-meter backstroke at the 2008 Beijing Summer Olympics and in the 400-meter individual medley at the 2012 London Summer Olympics.
Amy Van Dyken: 6 gold (6 total)
Van Dyken won four gold medals at the 1996 Atlanta Summer Olympics, leading the way in both the 50-meter freestyle and 100-meter butterfly events and helping the U.S. to the 4x100-meter freestyle and 4x100-meter medley crowns.
Diana Taurasi: 6 gold (6 total)
The U.S. women's basketball team defeated France to capture their eighth consecutive gold medal at the Paris Olympics. With the triumph, Taurasi became the winningest women's basketball player in Olympic history, with 6 gold medals. Her unprecedented run includes gold medals in 2004, 2008, 2012, 2016, 2020, and 2024.
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