These Are the USA's Olympic Athletes With the Most Gold Metals

The United States is the single most successful country when it comes to Olympic gold medals. As a result, it should come as no surprise to learn that it is home to numerous individuals who have managed to win more than one gold medal over the course of their career.

Michael Phelps

Michael Phelps is the athlete with the most Olympic gold medals ever. In total, he has 23 of them, which he earned by dominating the swimming events at four Olympic Games. It is interesting to note that Phelps has both less lactic acid and more flexible joints that make him particularly well-suited for the water.

Carl Lewis

After Phelps, there is a tie between the next two most successful gold medalists from the United States, both of whom have earned gold medals. One would be Carl Lewis, who did very well as a sprinter as well as a long jumper from the early 1980s to the early 1990s. Since then, he has gone on to become an actor of some note.

Mark Spitz

Mark Spitz would be the other American athlete with nine gold medals. Like Phelps, he was also a swimmer. In Spitz's case, he managed to get seven gold medals at the 1972 Summer Olympics, which was an unbroken record for 36 years before Phelps earned eight gold medals at the 2008 Summer Olympics.