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.
Click here to see the most individual medals won at a single Winter Olympics
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.)
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
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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
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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
28. Charlotte Kalla
> Total medals: 4
> Medal breakdown: 1 gold, 3 silver
> Games: 2018 (Pyeongchang, South Korea)
> Discipline: Cross-country skiing
> Nation: Sweden
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27. Tatyana Averina-Barabash
> Total medals: 4
> Medal breakdown: 2 gold, 2 bronze
> Games: 1976 (Innsbruck, Austria)
> Discipline: Speed skating
> Nation: Soviet Union
26. Gunde Svan
> Total medals: 4
> Medal breakdown: 2 gold, 1 silver, 1 bronze
> Games: 1984 (Sarajevo, Yugoslavia)
> Discipline: Cross-country skiing
> Nation: Sweden
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25. Petter Northug
> Total medals: 4
> Medal breakdown: 2 gold, 1 silver, 1 bronze
> Games: 2010 (Vancouver, Canada)
> Discipline: Cross-country skiing
> Nation: Norway
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24. Karin Enke-Kania
> Total medals: 4
> Medal breakdown: 2 gold, 2 silver
> Games: 1984 (Sarajevo, Yugoslavia)
> Discipline: Speed skating
> Nation: East Germany
23. Bjørn Dæhlie
> Total medals: 4
> Medal breakdown: 2 gold, 2 silver
> Games: 1994 (Lillehammer, Norway)
> Discipline: Cross-country skiing
> Nation: Norway
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22. Marja-Liisa Kirvesniemi-Hämäläinen
> Total medals: 4
> Medal breakdown: 3 gold, 1 bronze
> Games: 1984 (Sarajevo, Yugoslavia)
> Discipline: Cross-country skiing
> Nation: Finland
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
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20. Viktor An
> Total medals: 4
> Medal breakdown: 3 gold, 1 bronze
> Games: 2014 (Sochi, Russia)
> Discipline: Short track speed skating
> Nation: Russian Federation
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19. Ivar Ballangrud
> Total medals: 4
> Medal breakdown: 3 gold, 1 silver
> Games: 1936 (Garmisch Partenkirchen, Germany)
> Discipline: Speed skating
> Nation: Norway
18. Lyubov Yegorova
> Total medals: 4
> Medal breakdown: 3 gold, 1 silver
> Games: 1994 (Lillehammer, Norway)
> Discipline: Cross-country skiing
> Nation: Russian Federation
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17. Bjørn Dæhlie
> Total medals: 4
> Medal breakdown: 3 gold, 1 silver
> Games: 1998 (Nagano, Japan)
> Discipline: Cross-country skiing
> Nation: Norway
16. Janica Kostelić
> Total medals: 4
> Medal breakdown: 3 gold, 1 silver
> Games: 2002 (Salt Lake City, Utah)
> Discipline: Alpine skiing
> Nation: Croatia
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15. Vegard Ulvang
> Total medals: 4
> Medal breakdown: 3 gold, 1 silver
> Games: 1992 (Albertville, France)
> Discipline: Cross-country skiing
> Nation: Norway
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14. Bjørn Dæhlie
> Total medals: 4
> Medal breakdown: 3 gold, 1 silver
> Games: 1992 (Albertville, France)
> Discipline: Cross-country skiing
> Nation: Norway
13. Lidiya Skoblikova
> Total medals: 4
> Medal breakdown: 4 gold, 0 silver
> Games: 1964 (Innsbruck, Austria)
> Discipline: Speed skating
> Nation: Soviet Union
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12. Ole Einar Bjørndalen
> Total medals: 4
> Medal breakdown: 4 gold
> Games: 2002 (Salt Lake City, Utah)
> Discipline: Biathlon
> Nation: Norway
11. Roald Larsen
> Total medals: 5
> Medal breakdown: 2 silver, 3 bronze
> Games: 1924 (Chamonix, France)
> Discipline: Speed skating
> Nation: Norway
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10. Yelena Välbe
> Total medals: 5
> Medal breakdown: 1 gold, 4 bronze
> Games: 1992 (Albertville, France)
> Discipline: Cross-country skiing
> Nation: Unified Team
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9. Cindy Klassen
> Total medals: 5
> Medal breakdown: 1 gold, 2 silver, 2 bronze
> Games: 2006 (Turin, Italy)
> Discipline: Speed skating
> Nation: Canada
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
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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
6. Ireen Wüst
> Total medals: 5
> Medal breakdown: 2 gold, 3 silver
> Games: 2014 (Sochi, Russia)
> Discipline: Speed skating
> Nation: Netherlands
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5. Clas Thunberg
> Total medals: 5
> Medal breakdown: 3 gold, 1 silver, 1 bronze
> Games: 1924 (Chamonix, France)
> Discipline: Speed skating
> Nation: Finland
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4. Marit Bjørgen
> Total medals: 5
> Medal breakdown: 3 gold, 1 silver, 1 bronze
> Games: 2010 (Vancouver, Canada)
> Discipline: Cross-country skiing
> Nation: Norway
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
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2. Lyubov Yegorova
> Total medals: 5
> Medal breakdown: 3 gold, 2 silver
> Games: 1992 (Albertville, France)
> Discipline: Cross-country skiing
> Nation: Unified Team
1. Eric Heiden
> Total medals: 5
> Medal breakdown: 5 gold
> Games: 1980 (Lake Placid, New York)
> Discipline: Speed skating
> Nation: USA
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