Larisa Latynina
Before Michael Phelps broke her record, Larisa Latynina of the Soviet Union held an impressive 18 Olympic medals, including five golds. Her triumphs spanned from 1956 to 1964, after which she transitioned into coaching for the Soviet team. Under her guidance, the Soviet women’s team won gold in 1968, 1972, and 1976. After retiring from coaching, Latynina served as an organizer for the gymnastics competition at the 1980 Moscow Games. Currently, she resides in Russia at a rural estate.
Larisa Latynina
Paul Hamm
Paul Hamm made history by becoming the sole American gymnast to win the all-around in both the Olympics and the Gymnastics World Championships, following his gold medal win at the 2004 Athens Games. Although Hamm’s victory was marred by a scoring error that affected one of his rivals, the gold medal remained with him, and he also took home two silver medals. Despite being unable to qualify for the team in 2008 and 2012, Hamm remained active in the sports world and even appeared on the Japanese iteration of Ninja Warrior.
Paul Hamm