Olympic Facts: From Youngest to Oldest to most successful medalists and more

The 2024 Olympics in Paris starts from 26th July and thousands of athletes will represent their countries from across the globe to register their names in the history books. Many Olympic heavyweight nations will try to top the medal table with impressive performances. Several records have been broken so far and milestones have been set in past editions of the Olympics. In this article on Olympic facts, we'll look at the youngest to oldest most successful medalists and such more stats.

Read Also: Top 10 teens to watch at Paris Olympics 2024

Athletes and teams with the most Olympic medals

Michael Phelps, the legendary American swimmer, holds the record as an athlete with the most medals in Olympics history. He has won 28 Olympic medals and 23 of those are gold medals. He has also won the most number of gold medals in the Olympics.

As for women, Soviet Union's Larisa Latynina holds the record for the most Olympic medals (18 medals). Nine of those medals are gold, which is also the record for most gold medals won by a woman athlete in the Olympics.

As for countries, the United States are far above than any other nation with 2,629 Olympic medals. 1,061 of those medals are gold, which is the most that a single nation has won in the Olympics.

Athletes with the most gold medals in a single edition of the Olympics

As for male athletes, Michael Phelps holds the record. Phelps won eight gold medals at the 2008 Beijing Olympics. German swimmer Kristin Otto holds the record for women with six gold medals at the 1988 Olympics in Seoul. As for countries, the USA won 83 gold medals at the 1984 Los Angeles Olympics.

Athletes with the most consecutive golds in the same event

USA’s Carl Lewis (long jump), Alfred Oerter (discus throw), and Denmark’s Paul Elvstrom (sailing) have won gold medals in four back-to-back editions of the Olympics among male athletes. Japanese wrestler Kaoro Icho leads the charts for women with four consecutive gold medals.

As for team events, Hungarian fencer Aladar Gerevich leads with six consecutive golds representing the male sabre team. As for women’s team events, USA basketball player Lisa Leslie has won four consecutive Olympic golds.

Read Also: All-time Olympic medal tally: USA top with 2,629 medals; India placed at 58

Athletes with the most Olympic appearances

Equestrian rider from Canada Ian Millar has represented his country in 10 editions of the Olympics from 1972 to 2012. But unfortunately, he won only one silver medal.

German-Italian canoer Josefa Idem-Guerrini holds that record for women as she participated in eight games editions from 1984 till 2008 winning one gold, two silver medals, and one bronze.

Olympic Facts: Youngest medallists in the Olympics

Denmark’s Inge Sorensen became the youngest female athlete to win an individual Olympic medal in the 1936 Berlin Olympics. The swimmer was just 12 years and 24 days old when she won the 200m breaststroke event. Nils Skoglund, also from Denmark, is the youngest male athlete to win an individual Olympic medal. He was 14 years and 11 days old when he won silver at the plain high diving competition at the 1920 Antwerp Games.

Among team events, Greece gymnast Dimitrios Loundras was only 10 years and 218 years old when he became the youngest male to win an Olympic medal. He was part of the Greek parallel bars team at the 1896 Olympics and won the bronze medal.

Italy’s Luigina Giavotti is the youngest female medallist in a team event at the Olympics. At the 1928 Amsterdam Games, she won silver with the gymnastics team.

Youngest gold medallists at the Olympics

Marjorie Gestring of the USA is still the youngest individual Olympic gold medallist. She was just 13 years and 268 days old when she won a gold medal in the 3m springboard event at the 1936 Berlin Games. Kusuo Kitamura of Japan is the youngest male individual gold medallist at the Olympics. He was 14 years and 309 days old when he won the 1500m freestyle gold at the 1932 Los Angeles Olympics.

Oldest Olympic Medalists

Swedish shooter Oscar Swahn was 72 years and 279 days old when he became the oldest Olympic champion. He won gold in the 100m running deer double shots team event at the 1920 Antwerp Olympics. USA’s Eliza Pollock is the oldest female to win an Olympic gold medal. She won the archery event at the 1904 Olympics at the age of 63 years and 331 days.