If you’re aiming for a mountain of Olympic gold medals, you could try being Johannes Klaebo, the phenomenal cross-country skier who dominated all six of his events at the 2026 Milan Games. His latest triumph was a gold in the grueling 50-kilometer mass start individual race.
Otherwise, perhaps consider becoming a swimmer!
Below is a look at some of the most golden athletes in modern Olympic history.
Eight Golds
Michael Phelps, 2008
The undisputed monarch of the Olympics is, of course, Michael Phelps.
His legendary performance in 2008 in Beijing saw him clinch an astounding eight swimming gold medals: one in freestyle, two in medleys, two in butterfly, and three in relays.
It certainly helps when your nation excels in your chosen sport. Had Phelps hailed from, say, Myanmar or Ecuador, those relay golds would have been a far tougher conquest.
A prime example of Phelps’s thrilling victories was the 4×100 freestyle relay.
Phelps, swimming the leadoff leg, was initially out-touched by Australia’s Eamon Sullivan. By the final leg, France was fiercely challenging the United States for the gold.
It took a truly miraculous rally by Phelps’s teammate, Jason Lezak, to secure the gold by the narrowest of margins.
Seven Golds
Mark Spitz, 1972
The formidable record Phelps ultimately surpassed was set by Mark Spitz, who achieved a perfect seven-for-seven in 1972.
Not only did he win gold in every single one of his events, but he also shattered all existing world records in the process.
Much like Phelps, Spitz captured the imagination of the American public, leading to numerous endorsement deals and widespread fame.
However, just days after his final swim, the celebratory mood was tragically overshadowed by the kidnapping and eventual death of 11 Israeli hostages at the Games.
Six Golds
Phelps, 2004
Before Klaebo’s recent achievement, three other athletes had reached the impressive milestone of six Olympic golds. Unsurprisingly, one of them was Michael Phelps himself.
There was speculation that year about him winning seven or even eight golds.
Competing in the same events he would later dominate in 2008, Phelps earned bronze medals in the 200 freestyle and the 4×100 freestyle relay. Nevertheless, he still clinched victories in the other six events.
Six Golds
Kristin Otto, 1988
Kristin Otto was a member of East Germany’s final Olympic team before the nation’s reunification with West Germany. The country’s athletes, particularly the women, frequently faced accusations of using performance-enhancing drugs.
While some athletes later confessed, Otto was never implicated in any doping scandal.
What remains beyond dispute is that Otto, a phenomenal sprint specialist, swam with incredible speed. Her versatility was also remarkable, as she secured golds in freestyle, butterfly, backstroke, and various relays.
Six Golds
Vitaly Scherbo, 1992
And now, a rare non-swimmer on this list!
Vitaly Scherbo was the undisputed master of gymnastics at the Barcelona Games.
He captured gold medals on the horse, rings, parallel bars, and vault. Additionally, he won the individual all-around title and contributed to the team event victory as part of the “Unified Team,” which succeeded the Soviet Union. (He represented Belarus.)
If you’re curious why celebrated female gymnastic stars like Nadia Comaneci aren’t higher on this list, it’s worth noting they are typically limited to four individual apparatus events, unlike the six available to men like Scherbo.
Six Golds
Klaebo, 2026
Johannes Klaebo is, quite simply, the greatest male cross-country skier in history.
His fame is such that eight years ago, a notorious hill in South Korea – the infamous Klaebo bakken – was named after him. This incline notoriously “broke” almost every cross-country skier who dared to face it, with the notable exception of Klaebo himself.
He earned three golds in Pyeongchang, two in Beijing, and now a phenomenal six more in Milan: the skiathon, the sprint, the individual, the mass start, and two different relays.
This brings his total to 11 Olympic golds. Still, that places him second overall, behind Phelps’s staggering 28. Gulp!