Michael Phelps

Michael Phelps is the most decorated Olympian in history, winning 28 Olympic medals (23 gold) across 4 Games from 2000 to 2016. At the 2008 Beijing Olympics, he captured 8 gold medals in a single Games, surpassing Mark Spitz's 1972 record of 7 by winning his 8th gold by a razor-thin 0.01 seconds in the 100m butterfly. This feat outperforms #2 Larisa Latynina’s 18 medals, as Phelps alone earned 10 more career medals. He held world records in 7 individual events simultaneously and is the only swimmer to win 4 consecutive Olympic gold medals in the same individual event, further cementing his dominance with a 93.5% gold medal rate across his career.