Larisa Latynina

Larisa Latynina, the Soviet gymnastics legend, earned 9 gold, 5 silver, and 4 bronze—18 Olympic medals across 1956–1964—and held the record for most Olympic medals for 48 years until Michael Phelps surpassed her in 2012. Her 9 golds rank second only to Phelps among all Olympians, and she is the only female gymnast to win 18 medals, a total 7 more than the average for women on this list. At the 1956 Melbourne Games, she set a personal best with 4 golds, cementing her as the benchmark for consistency in gymnastics.