Famous Olympic Gold Medal Winners
List of famous Olympic gold medal winners from every event, with photos of the athletes when available. These historic Olympic gold medal winners are listed by popularity, so the most historic Olympians are at the top of the list. Olympic medalists who have won the gold medal are among an elite group, as many athletes who train their entire lives will never even qualify for the Olympics. The famous Olympic competitors on this list may have either competed in the Summer Olympics or Winter Olympics, but what they all have in common is that they each took home a gold medal.
The list you're viewing contains people like Michael Phelps and Kobe Bryant.
If you're trying to answer the questions, "Which Olympians have won a gold medal?" and "How many people have won an Olympic gold medal?" then this list has you covered.
This list includes notable gold medal winners from almost every Olympics. They didn't all get their own Wheaties boxes, but every person who has ever won a gold medal is impressive enough to be included in this list.Ranked by
- Swimming
- Olympic Country: United States of America
- Date Of Birth: 1985-06-30
- Place Of Birth: Baltimore,United States of America,Maryland
- Nationality: United States of America
- Olympic Medalist Event Competition: Swimming at the 2008 Summer Olympics - Men's 100 metre butterfly,Swimming at the 2004 Summer Olympics - Men's 400 metre individual medley,Swimming at the 2004 Summer Olympics - Men's 4 x 100 metre medley relay,Swimming at the 2008 Summer Olympics - Men's 4 x 200 metre freestyle relay,Swimming at the 2004 Summer Olympics - Men's 4 x 200 metre freestyle relay
- Olympic Medalist Event: Men's 100m butterfly,Men's 400m individual medley,Men's 4x100m medley relay,Men's 4x200m freestyle relay,Men's 200m Freestyle
- Olympic Medalist Games: 2008 Summer Olympics,2004 Summer Olympics
- Olympic Games Participant: 2004 Summer Olympics,2008 Summer Olympics
- Olympic Medals Won: Gold medal,Bronze medal
Michael Fred Phelps II (born June 30, 1985) is an American retired competitive swimmer and the most successful and most decorated Olympian of all time, with a total of 28 medals. Phelps also holds ...more - Frederick Carlton "Carl" Lewis (born July 1, 1961) is an American former track and field athlete who won nine Olympic gold medals, one Olympic silver medal, and 10 World Championships medals, ...more
- Swimming
- Olympic Country: United States of America
- Date Of Birth: 1950-02-10
- Place Of Birth: Modesto,United States of America,California,Stanislaus County
- Nationality: United States of America
- Olympic Medalist Event Competition: Swimming at the 1972 Summer Olympics - Men's 200 metre butterfly,Swimming at the 1972 Summer Olympics - Men's 4 x 100 metre freestyle relay,Swimming at the 1972 Summer Olympics - Men's 100 metre freestyle,Swimming at the 1972 Summer Olympics - Men's 200 metre freestyle,Swimming at the 1972 Summer Olympics - Men's 100 metre butterfly
- Olympic Medalist Event: Men's 200m butterfly,Men's 4x100m freestyle relay,Men's 100m freestyle,Men's 200m Freestyle,Men's 100m butterfly
- Olympic Medalist Games: 1972 Summer Olympics,1968 Summer Olympics
- Olympic Games Participant: 1968 Summer Olympics,1972 Summer Olympics
- Olympic Medals Won: Gold medal,Bronze medal,Silver medal
Mark Andrew Spitz (born February 10, 1950) is an American former competitive swimmer and nine-time Olympic champion. He won seven gold medals at the 1972 Summer Olympics in Munich, all in world ...more - Track and field athletics
- Olympic Country: United States of America
- Date Of Birth: 1962-03-03
- Place Of Birth: East St. Louis,United States of America,Illinois,St. Clair County
- Nationality: United States of America
- Olympic Medalist Event Competition: Athletics at the 1996 Summer Olympics - Women's Long Jump,Athletics at the 1988 Summer Olympics - Women's heptathlon,Athletics at the 1988 Summer Olympics - Women's Long Jump,Athletics at the 1992 Summer Olympics - Women's heptathlon,Athletics at the 1984 Summer Olympics - Women's heptathlon
- Olympic Medalist Event: Women's Long jump,Women's Heptathlon
- Olympic Medalist Games: 1996 Summer Olympics,1988 Summer Olympics,1992 Summer Olympics,1984 Summer Olympics
- Olympic Games Participant: 1988 Summer Olympics,1992 Summer Olympics,1984 Summer Olympics,1996 Summer Olympics
- Olympic Medals Won: Bronze medal,Gold medal,Silver medal
Jacqueline Joyner-Kersee (born March 3, 1962) is an American retired track and field athlete, ranked among the all-time greatest athletes in the heptathlon as well as long jump. She won three gold, ...more - Speed skating, Road cycling
- Olympic Country: Canada
- Date Of Birth: 1972-09-27
- Place Of Birth: Winnipeg,Canada,Manitoba,Winnipeg Capital Region, Manitoba
- Nationality: Canada
- Olympic Medalist Event Competition: Speed Skating at the 2002 Winter Olympics – Women’s 5000m,Speed Skating at the 2006 Winter Olympics - Women's 5000m,Speed skating at the 2006 Winter Olympics – Women's team pursuit,Cycling at the 1996 Summer Olympics - Women's individual road race,Cycling at the 1996 Summer Olympics - Women's road time trial
- Olympic Medalist Event: Women's 5000 m,Women's Road cycling, individual road race,Women's Road cycling, individual time trial
- Olympic Medalist Games: 2002 Winter Olympics,2006 Winter Olympics,1996 Summer Olympics,2010 Winter Olympics
- Olympic Games Participant: 2006 Winter Olympics,2000 Summer Olympics,2002 Winter Olympics,2010 Winter Olympics,1996 Summer Olympics
- Olympic Medals Won: Bronze medal,Gold medal,Silver medal
Clara Hughes, (born September 27, 1972) is a Canadian cyclist and speed skater who has won multiple Olympic medals in both sports. Hughes won two bronze in the 1996 Summer Olympics and four medals ...more - Track and field athletics
- Olympic Country: United States of America
- Date Of Birth: 1913-09-12
- Place Of Birth: Oakville,Alabama
- Nationality: United States of America
- Olympic Medalist Event Competition: Athletics at the 1936 Summer Olympics – Men's long jump,Athletics at the 1936 Summer Olympics – Men's 200 metres,Athletics at the 1936 Summer Olympics – Men's 4x100 metre relay,Athletics at the 1936 Summer Olympics - Men's 100 metres
- Olympic Medalist Event: Men's Long jump,Men's Athletics, 200m,Men's Athletics, 4x100m relay
- Olympic Medalist Games: 1936 Summer Olympics
- Olympic Games Participant: 1936 Summer Olympics
- Olympic Medals Won: Gold medal
James Cleveland "Jesse" Owens (September 12, 1913 – March 31, 1980) was an American track and field athlete and four-time gold medalist in the 1936 Olympic Games. Owens specialized in the sprints and ...more
