Greatest Olympian From Every Country

There is one worldwide, connecting thread to athletic greatness — winning an Olympic gold medal. It’s a unifying athletic feat that makes you a hero no matter where you’re from. 

These are the greatest Olympians from the 30 countries with the most medals in the Summer Olympics and Winter Olympics combined.

Born: April 15, 1973 (Sau Paolo, Brazil)

Olympics: Atlanta 1996, Sydney 2000, Athens 2004, Beijing 2008, London 2012

Medals: 5, Gold 2, Silver 2, Bronze 1

Total country medals: 129

Bottom line: Robert Scheidt’s father bought him his own boat when he was just 9 years old so he could practice sailing at a local dam. It would prove to be the springboard to Olympic greatness. 

Scheidt competed for Brazil in five consecutive Olympics and became not only one of the greatest Brazilian Olympians of all time, but one of the greatest Olympic sailors of all time.

Notably, Scheidt is the only Olympian to win sailing medals in both dinghy and keelboat classes. 

*All medal counts are the totals heading into the 2024 Olympics in Paris, France. 

Born: Feb. 29, 1952 (Mokhcha, Russian SFSR, Soviet Union)

Olympics: Innsbruck 1976, Lake Placid 1980, Sarajevo 1984, Calgary 1988, Albertville 1992

Medals: 10, Gold 4, Silver 5, Bronze 1

Total medals: 135

Bottom line: Raisa Smetanina made history competing in five consecutive Olympics for the Soviet Union and for the Unified Team by becoming the first woman to win 10 Olympic medals in the Winter Olympics. 

Smetanina grabbed the spotlight whenever she was on the biggest stage. At her first Winter Olympics, in 1976, she won two gold medals and one silver medal, making her the most successful athlete at those games. 

At her final Winter Olympics in 1992, she won another gold medal — at 39 years old, making her the oldest woman to win gold at the Winter Olympics. 

Born: Feb. 24, 1866 (Elewijt, Belgium)

Died: Nov. 25, 1961 (age 95, Zemst, Belgium)

Olympics: Paris 1900, Antwerp 1920

Medals: 9, Gold 6, Silver 3 

Total country medals: 137

Bottom line: There aren’t many more movie-worthy stories than Belgian archer Hubert Van Innis, who competed in two Olympics, 20 years apart in 1900 and 1920, and won nine total medals. 

Van Innis reportedly delivered milk to the villagers around Brussels with his dog and a cart, practicing his archery along the way. He didn’t compete in the Olympics until he was 34 years old in 1900, and then again at 54 years old in 1920, when he won another two gold medals. 

Incredibly, he won his final world championship in 1933 when he was 67 years old. 

Born: Oct. 10, 1982 (Galicia, Spain)

Olympics: Athens 2004, Beijing 2008, London 2012

Medals: 5, Gold 1, Silver 4

Total country medals: 154

Bottom line: Spanish canoe champion David Cal was a reserve on Spain’s Olympic team at the 2000 games in Sydney, when he was just 17 years old. He then competed in the next three Olympics for his country. 

Cal won his first and only gold medal at the 2004 Olympics in Athens. His final silver medal in 2012 made him the Spanish athlete with more Olympic medals than anyone else.