Larisa Latynina

Soviet gymnast Larisa Latynina won 18 Olympic medals (9 gold, 5 silver, 4 bronze) across the 1956, 1960, and 1964 Olympics — the most Olympic medals ever won by any athlete for 48 years until Michael Phelps surpassed her in 2012. She was the dominant female gymnast of her era, winning 14 individual world championship medals, and later served as head coach of the Soviet national gymnastics team from 1967 to 1977.