Home

 › 

Featured

 › 

Sports

 › 

Athletes Who Won the Most Medals in a Single Winter Olympics

Athletes Who Won the Most Medals in a Single Winter Olympics

The 24th Winter Olympics will be held in Beijing from Feb. 4-20, a much-needed distraction from the pandemic and the economic ills plaguing the nation.

Every four years, the Olympics plucks athletes from obscurity and enshrines them as heroes in their own country, sometimes vaulting them to worldwide glory as they win multiple medals in recognition of their skills.

To determine the most individual medals won at a single Winter Olympics, 24/7 Tempo reviewed the top individual medal winners at each edition of the Winter Olympics using the data platform Olympedia.

Given the number of events in sports such as speed skating and skiing, both cross-country and malpine, there are opportunities for athletes to win more than one medal in a single Olympics. Two cross-country skiers from Norway, for instance, each won four medals at the 1992 Winter Olympics in Albertville, France, and two from Sweden won four each in Pyeongchang, South Korea. (These are the countries with the most Winter Olympics gold medals.) 

Norway holds the distinction of the most decorated medalists at individual Olympics, with 10 of its Olympians snagging four medals each at a single Olympiad. Norwegian Marit Bjørgen, who retired after the 2018 (Pyeongchang, South Korea) Olympics, won five medals each at two different Olympiads in cross-country skiing – in 2010 in Vancouver and 2018 (Pyeongchang, South Korea) in Pyeongchang. He also holds the record for the most overall individual medals at the Winter Olympics Games – 15.

As great as their accomplishments are, one Olympian stands alone with the greatest-ever single Winter Olympics performance – a feat singular enough to get his image put on Wheaties boxes. This athlete, who won five gold medals in speed skating at a single Winter Olympics, is not from a traditional winter sports powerhouse such as Germany, Russia, or a Scandinavian country. He is Eric Heiden, of Madison, Wisconsin. (See how many Olympians are from your state.)

Source: Maddie Meyer / Getty Images Sport via Getty Images

31. Aleksandr Bolshunov
> Total medals: 4
> Medal breakdown: 3 silver, 1 bronze
> Games: 2018 (Pyeongchang, South Korea) (Pyeongchang, South Korea)
> Discipline: Cross-country skiing
> Nation: Russian Olympic Committee

Source: Public Domain / Wikimedia Commons

30. Sixten Jernberg
> Total medals: 4
> Medal breakdown: 1 gold, 2 silver, 1 bronze
> Games: 1956 (Pyeongchang, South Korea)
> Discipline: Cross-country skiing
> Nation: Sweden

Source: Al Bello / Getty Images Sport via Getty Images

29. Stina Nilsson
> Total medals: 4
> Medal breakdown: 1 gold, 2 silver, 1 bronze
> Games: 2018 (Pyeongchang, South Korea) (Pyeongchang, South Korea)
> Discipline: Cross-country skiing
> Nation: Sweden

Source: Quinn Rooney / Getty Images Sport via Getty Images

28. Charlotte Kalla
> Total medals: 4
> Medal breakdown: 1 gold, 3 silver
> Games: 2018 (Pyeongchang, South Korea)
> Discipline: Cross-country skiing
> Nation: Sweden

Source: Public Domain / Wikimedia Commons

27. Tatyana Averina-Barabash
> Total medals: 4
> Medal breakdown: 2 gold, 2 bronze
> Games: 1976 (Innsbruck, Austria)
> Discipline: Speed skating
> Nation: Soviet Union

Source: Pascal Rondeau / Getty Images Sport via Getty Images

26. Gunde Svan
> Total medals: 4
> Medal breakdown: 2 gold, 1 silver, 1 bronze
> Games: 1984 (Sarajevo, Yugoslavia)
> Discipline: Cross-country skiing
> Nation: Sweden

Source: Matthias Hangst / Getty Images

25. Petter Northug
> Total medals: 4
> Medal breakdown: 2 gold, 1 silver, 1 bronze
> Games: 2010 (Vancouver, Canada)
> Discipline: Cross-country skiing
> Nation: Norway

Source: Public Domain Dedication / Wikimedia Commons

24. Karin Enke-Kania
> Total medals: 4
> Medal breakdown: 2 gold, 2 silver
> Games: 1984 (Sarajevo, Yugoslavia)
> Discipline: Speed skating
> Nation: East Germany

Source: Mike Powell / Getty Images Sport via Getty Images

23. Bjørn Dæhlie
> Total medals: 4
> Medal breakdown: 2 gold, 2 silver
> Games: 1994 (Lillehammer, Norway)
> Discipline: Cross-country skiing
> Nation: Norway

Source: Pascal Rondeau / Getty Images Sport via Getty Images

22. Marja-Liisa Kirvesniemi-Hämäläinen
> Total medals: 4
> Medal breakdown: 3 gold, 1 bronze
> Games: 1984 (Sarajevo, Yugoslavia)
> Discipline: Cross-country skiing
> Nation: Finland

Source: By Oleg Bkhambri (Voltmetro) - Own work, CC BY-SA 4.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=38907859

21. Viktor An
> Total medals: 4
> Medal breakdown: 3 gold, 1 bronze
> Games: 2006 (Turin, Italy)
> Discipline: Short track speed skating
> Nation: Republic of Korea

Source: By Kremlin.ru, CC BY 4.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=65504135

20. Viktor An
> Total medals: 4
> Medal breakdown: 3 gold, 1 bronze
> Games: 2014 (Sochi, Russia)
> Discipline: Short track speed skating
> Nation: Russian Federation

Source: Public Domain / Wikimedia Commons

19. Ivar Ballangrud
> Total medals: 4
> Medal breakdown: 3 gold, 1 silver
> Games: 1936 (Garmisch Partenkirchen, Germany)
> Discipline: Speed skating
> Nation: Norway

Source: Getty Images / Getty Images Sport via Getty Images

18. Lyubov Yegorova
> Total medals: 4
> Medal breakdown: 3 gold, 1 silver
> Games: 1994 (Lillehammer, Norway)
> Discipline: Cross-country skiing
> Nation: Russian Federation

Source: Matt Roberts / Getty Images Sport via Getty Images

17. Bjørn Dæhlie
> Total medals: 4
> Medal breakdown: 3 gold, 1 silver
> Games: 1998 (Nagano, Japan)
> Discipline: Cross-country skiing
> Nation: Norway

Source: Agence Zoom / Getty Images Sport via Getty Images

16. Janica Kostelić‡
> Total medals: 4
> Medal breakdown: 3 gold, 1 silver
> Games: 2002 (Salt Lake City, Utah)
> Discipline: Alpine skiing
> Nation: Croatia

Source: Shaun Botterill / Getty Images Sport via Getty Images

15. Vegard Ulvang
> Total medals: 4
> Medal breakdown: 3 gold, 1 silver
> Games: 1992 (Albertville, France)
> Discipline: Cross-country skiing
> Nation: Norway

Source: Getty Images / Staff / Getty Images

14. Bjørn Dæhlie
> Total medals: 4
> Medal breakdown: 3 gold, 1 silver
> Games: 1992 (Albertville, France)
> Discipline: Cross-country skiing
> Nation: Norway

Source: By Koch, Eric / Anefo - [1] Dutch National Archives, The Hague, Fotocollectie Algemeen Nederlands Persbureau (ANeFo), 1945-1989, Nummer toegang 2.24.01.05 Bestanddeelnummer 920-0909, CC BY-SA 3.0 nl, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=27273716

13. Lidiya Skoblikova
> Total medals: 4
> Medal breakdown: 4 gold, 0 silver
> Games: 1964 (Innsbruck, Austria)
> Discipline: Speed skating
> Nation: Soviet Union

Source: Richard Heathcote / Getty Images Sport via Getty Images

12. Ole Einar Bjørndalen
> Total medals: 4
> Medal breakdown: 4 gold
> Games: 2002 (Salt Lake City, Utah)
> Discipline: Biathlon
> Nation: Norway

Source: Public Domain / Wikimedia Commons

11. Roald Larsen
> Total medals: 5
> Medal breakdown: 2 silver, 3 bronze
> Games: 1924 (Chamonix, France)
> Discipline: Speed skating
> Nation: Norway

Source: By Иван Исаев - File:Elena Vaelbe by Ivan Isaev from Russian Ski Magazine.jpg, CC BY 3.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=14464582

10. Yelena Välbe
> Total medals: 5
> Medal breakdown: 1 gold, 4 bronze
> Games: 1992 (Albertville, France)
> Discipline: Cross-country skiing
> Nation: Unified Team

Source: Jasper Juinen / Getty Images Sport via Getty Images

9. Cindy Klassen
> Total medals: 5
> Medal breakdown: 1 gold, 2 silver, 2 bronze
> Games: 2006 (Turin, Italy)
> Discipline: Speed skating
> Nation: Canada

Source: Maddie Meyer / Getty Images Sport via Getty Images

8. Marit Bjørgen
> Total medals: 5
> Medal breakdown: 2 gold, 1 silver, 2 bronze
> Games: 2018 (Pyeongchang, South Korea)
> Discipline: Cross-country skiing
> Nation: Norway

Source: Clive Rose / Getty Images Sport via Getty Images

7. Manuela Di Centa
> Total medals: 5
> Medal breakdown: 2 gold, 2 silver, 1 bronze
> Games: 1994 (Lillehammer, Norway)
> Discipline: Cross-country skiing
> Nation: Italy

Source: Ronald Martinez / Getty Images Sport via Getty Images

6. Ireen Wüst
> Total medals: 5
> Medal breakdown: 2 gold, 3 silver
> Games: 2014 (Sochi, Russia)
> Discipline: Speed skating
> Nation: Netherlands

Source: Public Domain / Wikimedia Commons

5. Clas Thunberg
> Total medals: 5
> Medal breakdown: 3 gold, 1 silver, 1 bronze
> Games: 1924 (Chamonix, France)
> Discipline: Speed skating
> Nation: Finland

Source: Quinn Rooney / Getty Images Sport via Getty Images

4. Marit Bjørgen
> Total medals: 5
> Medal breakdown: 3 gold, 1 silver, 1 bronze
> Games: 2010 (Vancouver, Canada)
> Discipline: Cross-country skiing
> Nation: Norway

Source: Adam Pretty / Getty Images Sport via Getty Images

3. Larisa Lazutina
> Total medals: 5
> Medal breakdown: 3 gold, 1 silver, 1 bronze
> Games: 1998 (Nagano, Japan)
> Discipline: Cross-country skiing
> Nation: Russian Federation

Source: By Mil.ru, CC BY 4.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=106341921

2. Lyubov Yegorova
> Total medals: 5
> Medal breakdown: 3 gold, 2 silver
> Games: 1992 (Albertville, France)
> Discipline: Cross-country skiing
> Nation: Unified Team

Source: Central Press / Hulton Archive via Getty Images

1. Eric Heiden
> Total medals: 5
> Medal breakdown: 5 gold
> Games: 1980 (Lake Placid, New York)
> Discipline: Speed skating
> Nation: USA

To top