Olympic Athletes Who Won Gold Medals in 2 Different Sports

Few things are more impressive than winning a gold medal at the Olympics. Olympians are some of the best athletes in the world and have spent most of their lives training and preparing to play professionally.

Winning multiple gold medals as an Olympic athlete is an incredible accomplishment. Out of all the gold medalists, Michael Phelps has the most with 23 in swimming and 28 medals altogether.

If it wasn’t impressive enough for an Olympian to win a gold medal in their sport, seven Olympic athletes have won gold medals in two different sports.

While the athletes listed here aren’t the only ones to compete or win medals in multiple sports, they are the only ones to win the gold in two Olympic sports. There have also been four Olympic athletes who won medals in three different sports, six female Olympic athletes who won medals in two different sports, and over 80 Olympic athletes who have won medals in more than one sport.

To create this list of the Olympic athletes who won gold medals in two sports at different Olympic events, 24/7 Tempo consulted several sources including Topend Sports, CNN, and Britannica. (After this article, check out what happens to Olympic villages after the Games.)

• Team: United States
• Sports: Volleyball, Beach Volleyball

Charles Frederick Kiarly, also known as Karch Kirarly, is an Olympic gold medalist from the United States. Kirarly first competed in the Olympics in the Los Angeles 1984 Games, winning his first gold medal in volleyball.

Beach volleyball made its debut as an Olympic sport at the 1992 Olympics. At the Atlanta 1996 Olympics, Kirarly competed in the Beach Volleyball event, winning his third gold medal, this time in a different sport.

• Team: Sweden
• Sports: Equestrian, Gymnastics

Norling, a Swedish Olympian, won three Olympic gold medals in his athletic career. He won his first two gold medals at the London 1908 Olympics and the Stockholm 1912 Olympics while competing in the Artistic Gymnastics events.

At the Antwerp 1920 Olympics, Norling took a different path and competed in the Team Jumping Equestrian Event. This led to Norling winning his third Olympic gold medal.

• Team: Great Britain
• Sports: Swimming, Water Polo

Radmilovic, an Olympic swimmer from Great Britain, competed in five Olympic events. At his first Olympic competition in 1908, Radmilovic won a gold medal in two different sports: swimming and water polo.

Radmilovic continued his winning streak at the next two Olympic events, winning two more gold medals in water polo. Although he didn't win any medals at his last Olympic event in 1928, he competed again in swimming and water polo.

• Team: Netherlands
• Sports: Cycling Road, Cycling Track

Vos first competed in the Olympics at the Beijing 2008 Games. From her first event, she competed in both Cycling Road and Cycling Track, taking home a gold medal her first year.

Vos last won a gold medal at the London 2012 Summer Olympics in the Individual Road Race Cycling Event. After the 2008 Olympic events, she became the only world champion to win a world title in the cyclo-cross, road race, and points race.

• Team: Great Britain
• Sports: Cycling Road, Cycling Track

Wiggins has eight medals total, making him the most decorated Olympic athlete from Great Britain. He brought home his first gold medal at his second Olympic event in 2004. At the Athens Games, he won a gold, bronze, and silver medal in Cycling Track.

At the London 2012 Olympics, Wiggins switched to Cycling Road, winning his fourth gold medal in the Individual Time Trial Event. He also won a gold medal in the Team Pursuit, 4,000 meters event at the Rio 2016 Olympics.

• Team: United States
• Sports: Art competitions, Shooting

Winans was an Olympic athlete from the United States who first competed in the London 1908 Olympics. That year, Winans won his first gold medal in the Running Target, Double Shot Shooting Event.

When Winans competed again in the Stockholm 1912 Olympics, he competed not only in the Shooting events but also as an artist in the Sculpturing event. He ended up winning a gold medal in the Art Competition, leading to him having a gold medal in two different Olympic sports.

• Team: Russian Federation
• Sports: Cycling Road, Cycling Track

Ekimov was another Olympic cyclist who won gold in Cycling Track and Cycling Road. Ekimov first competed in the Seoul 1988 Olympics, winning his first gold medal in the Team Pursuit, 4,000 meters Cycling Track event.

When Ekimov returned to compete again at the Sydney 2000 Olympics, he ended up winning his second gold medal in the Individual Time Trial Cycling Road event. This Olympic gold medalist came back and won a third gold medal at the Athens 2004 Olympics in the Individual Time Trial event again. (Don't miss the greatest comeback stories in Summer Olympic history.)