Larisa Latynina, who represented the Soviet Union in women’s gymnastics from 1956-1964, today still holds the distinction of having won the most medals of any athlete, male or female, in Olympic history.
In 1964, the last year she competed in the Olympics, Latynina took home two gold, two silver, and two bronze medals, bringing her total to 18. Over the years, she won a medal in every event in which she competed, except for the 1956 balance beam. She has nine gold, five silver, and four bronze medals.
Latynina is the only female athlete to have ever held the record for most gold medals. Tied with three men, they are second only to Michael Phelps. Within women’s gymnastics she is the only woman to win an all-around title in more than two Olympiads, and the only woman to win an individual event, the floor exercise, in more than two Olympiads.
After retiring, Latynina became a coach for the Soviet national gymnastics team, and in 1980 she organized the gymnastics competition for the Moscow Games.
