Which countries and athletes have the most Olympic medals of all time?

There are astir 2,900 athletes competing successful 116 events astatine the 2026 Milano Cortina Winter Olympic Games, with each 1 hoping to bring location a medal. 

The prized gold, metallic and bronze medals volition spell location with lone a tiny information of the competitors. The organisation of awards astatine past Olympics provides immoderate penetration into which countries and athletes are the astir apt to predominate this year. 

During the 2022 Winter Games in Beijing, Norway took location the astir medals: 37, including 16 gold. After the Norwegians came the ROC — the banner nether which Russian athletes vie — followed by Germany, Canada and the United States. 

The U.S. came retired connected apical astatine the most caller Summer Games successful Paris successful 2024, taking location 126 medals, including 40 gold. It was followed by China, Britain and France. 

But which countries person taken location the astir medals overall, and which athletes person won astir often successful Olympic history? 

Which countries person the astir Olympic medals?

While the International Olympic Committee does not compile rankings, the Olympic Foundation for Culture and Heritage does support a medal tally. It puts the U.S. astatine the top, with 3,103 full medals.

The Olympic Foundation for Culture and Heritage, which is described by the Olympics arsenic the "leading planetary exponent successful promoting and disseminating Olympism successful the fields of culture, practice and values-based education," counts 1 medal per event, careless of however galore athletes whitethorn vie successful a winning team. The enactment does not number medals won successful the arts competitions oregon medals won during objection events. 

Team USA's Breezy Johnson shows her golden medal successful the alpine skis women's downhill race, astatine the 2026 Winter Olympics, successful Cortina d'Ampezzo, Italy, connected Feb. 8, 2026. Andy Wong / AP

The U.S. is followed successful the wide medal number by the Soviet Union, which was disbanded successful 1991, with its erstwhile republics present competing arsenic autarkic countries. The Soviet Union earned 1,204 medals. Germany comes successful 3rd with 1,091 medals.

Germany's nonstop medal number is simply a constituent of contention due to the fact that Germany has not ever competed successful each Olympics arsenic a unified country, which tin pb to confusing medal counts. At 1 point, the Federal Republic of Germany squad represented West Germany portion the German Democratic Republic squad represented East Germany.

While the U.S. leads successful the wide medal count, it does not clasp the apical spot erstwhile it comes to Winter Olympics medals. Norway dominates there, with 404 medals earned during the Winter Games.

The U.S., with 330, and Germany, with 286, are adjacent successful the Winter Olympics rankings. 

Which countries person the astir Olympic golden medals?

The U.S. has the astir golden medals overall: a full of 1,220, according to the Olympic Foundation. In 2nd place, the Soviet Union racked up 473 golden medals. Germany is third, with 355 golden medals. 

Great Britain, France, Italy, China, Sweden and Norway person each won much than 200 golden medals apiece, according to the Olympic Foundation.

The Winter Olympics circumstantial rankings spot Norway connected top, with 148 golden medals, followed by the U.S. and Germany, with 114 and 113 golden medals, respectively.

Which athletes person the astir Olympic medals overall?

American swimmer Michael Phelps is handily the Olympic jock with the astir medals. Phelps, who archetypal appeared successful the 2000 Sydney Olympic Games, has 23 golden medals, 3 metallic and 2 bronze, won crossed 5 games.

Former Soviet gymnast Larisa Latynina is the astir palmy pistillate Olympian, with 18 Olympic medals: 9 gold, 5 metallic and 4 bronze.

Norwegian skier Marit Bjørgen became the astir decorated wintertime Olympian successful 2018, with 15 medals, including 8 gold.

Gold medal-winning skier Marit Bjorgen of Norway astatine the PyeongChang 2018 Winter Olympic Games connected Feb. 25, 2018 successful South Korea. Maddie Meyer / Getty Images

Ole Einar Bjørndalen, besides a Norwegian skier, holds the astir medals for a antheral wintertime Olympian, with 14.

Speed skater Apolo Anton Ohno, who has earned 8 medals crossed 3 Winter Olympics, holds the apical spot for U.S. wintertime Olympians.

Apolo Anton Ohno of Team USA skates successful the men's 5000-meter relay abbreviated way contention connected Feb. 17, 2010, during the Winter Olympics successful Vancouver, British Columbia. George Bridges/MCT/Tribune News Service via Getty Images

Which athletes person the astir Olympic golden medals?

Phelps is not lone the jock with the astir decorated Olympian; he's besides the jock with the astir Olympic golds, earning 23 golden medals crossed 5 games. And Latynina, successful summation to being the winningest pistillate Olympian overall, besides holds the grounds for astir golds by a pistillate jock astatine the Olympics. She competed successful 3 games, starting successful 1956 successful Melbourne.

Norwegian skier Johannes Hoesflot Klaebo holds the grounds for the astir Winter Olympic golden medals aft winning the 9th golden of his career astatine the Milan-Cortina Games. He's won 11 medals overall.

Skiers Bjørgen and Bjørndalen, with 8 golden medals apiece, are tied with Bjørn Dæhlie, different Norwegian skier, for 2nd spot successful the golden medal count.

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• Olympics