Which athlete holds the record for the most Olympic medals won by a woman?

Which athlete holds the record for the most Olympic medals won by a woman? Larisa Latynina does, with 18 medals.

The Soviet gymnast won those medals across three consecutive Summer Games: Melbourne 1956, Rome 1960 and Tokyo 1964. Her haul included nine golds, five silvers and four bronzes, making her one of the most successful gymnasts in Olympic history.

Latynina’s record stood for 48 years before Michael Phelps surpassed her overall Olympic total in 2012. She remains the female record-holder for total Olympic medals, although Katie Ledecky matched her nine-gold tally in 2024. Those are different records: Latynina has more total medals, while the gold-medal record is shared.

A common mix-up is with Marit Bjørgen, who holds the record for the most Winter Olympic medals won by a woman, with 15. Simone Biles is among the greatest modern gymnasts, but her Olympic total is lower.