A Look At the Most-Decorated Swimming Medalists On the International Stage; Katinka Hosszu Chasing 100

katinka-hosszu

A Look At the Most-Decorated Swimming Medalists On the International Stage; Katinka Hosszu Chasing 100

Heading into the European Championships in Rome, Hungarian star Katinka Hosszu sits just four medals shy of 100 for her career in major international competition. With 96 medals, Hosszu has excelled on the biggest stages during her career, and her surge to triple-digit medals is certainly a storyline to celebrate. Not only does it speak to her longevity, but also to her skill set across numerous events and distances.

Below, we look at a selection of the most-decorated athletes in the history of the sport on the international stage. Of course, this list must be viewed via a measured glance, as it obviously favors modern-day swimmers who have had the chance to race more frequently than those of yesteryear. It is also important to consider how certain global locales – United States, Europe and Australia – have also been offered greater international racing opportunities.

michael-phelps-

Photo Courtesy: Peter H. Bick

Take Michael Phelps for instance. He tallied 83 medals during his career, which defined him as the Greatest of All-Time. Only once did Phelps compete at the FINA World Short Course Championships, and that appearance was cut short as a preventative measure over a back injury. While Phelps was clearly best known for his long-course exploits, he could have piled up a decent number of short-course medals had he desired.

Keeping the aforementioned caveats in mind, it is still worth a look at some of the most-decorated athletes from the sport, and how they collected their hardware.

Katinka Hosszu (Hungary) – 96
Olympic Games: 4
World Championships (LC): 15
World Championships (SC): 27
European Championships (LC): 24
European Championships (SC): 26

Ryan Lochte (United States) – 90
Olympic Games: 12
World Championships (LC): 27
World Championships (SC): 38
Pan Pacific Championships: 12
Pan American Games: 1

Sarah Sjostrom (Sweden) – 84
Olympic Games: 4
World Championships (LC): 20
World Championships (SC): 11
European Championships (LC): 23
European Championships (SC): 26

Michael Phelps (United States) – 83
Olympic Games: 28
World Championships (LC): 33
World Championships (SC): 1
Pan Pacific Championships: 21

Jenny Thompson (United States) – 81
Olympic Games: 12
World Championships (LC): 14
World Championships (SC): 18
Pan Pacific Championships: 34
Pan American Games: 3

Laszlo Cseh (Hungary) – 74
Olympic Games: 6
World Championships (LC): 13
World Championships (SC): 4
European Championships (LC): 23
European Championships (SC): 25
World University Games: 3

Susie O’Neill (Australia) – 67
Olympic Games: 8
World Championships (LC): 7
World Championships (SC): 11
Pan Pacific Championships: 25
Pan American Games: 16

Natalie Coughlin (United States) – 60
Olympic Games: 12
World Championships (LC): 20
World Championships (SC): 8
Pan Pacific Championships: 16
Pan American Games: 4

Grant Hackett (Australia) – 58
Olympic Games: 7
World Championships (LC): 19
World Championships (SC): 8
Pan Pacific Championships: 13
Commonwealth Games: 8
Goodwill Games: 3

Pieter van den Hoogenband (Netherlands) – 58
Olympic Games: 7
World Championships (LC): 10
World Championships (SC): 3
European Championships (LC): 19
European Championships (SC): 15
Goodwill Games: 4

Emma McKeon (Australia) – 55
Olympic Games: 11
World Championships (LC): 17
Pan Pacific Championships: 7
Commonwealth Games: 20

Alexander Popov (Soviet Union/Russia) – 50
Olympic Games: 9
World Championships (LC): 11
World Championships (SC): 2
European Championships (LC): 26
European Championships (SC): 2

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Joe
Joe
1 year ago

In terms of international greatness, Olympic Games (LC) and World Championships (LC) medals are the “Gold” standard in determining who is the best ever. It’s MP – no argument!

Kim
Kim
1 year ago

It would give a more interesting picture if the numbers were without relays, which typically benefits the big nations, such as the US. The more impressive, Hosszu’s tally is.

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