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Who Has Won the Most Number of Olympic Medals in Swimming for USA?

Published 07/14/2021, 12:02 PM EDT

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The United States has always been a powerhouse at the Olympic games. They’ve dominated almost every sport, and swimming is Team USA’s forte. From Michael Phelps to Katie Ledecky, there have been plenty of inspiring athletes. So who are all the top medal winners from Team USA in the Olympics? 

Swimming has a rich history at the Olympic games. It has been a part of every modern Olympics and will continue to be an important sport in the summer games. The United States stands tall as the leading medal winner in this sport. The USA has amassed more than 500 medals in swimming, while no other country has crossed 200 yet. 

Top 5 male athletes with most swimming medals for USA

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Of course, there is one name that everyone would bring up when talking about men’s swimming. He forged an identity for him in such a way that people would still talk about his years after his retirement. Yes, we’re talking about Michael Phelps. 

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Phelps is the most decorated Olympian ever. Hence it is obvious that he is Team USA’s winningest swimmer in history. So, it is a no-brainer that Phelps is #1 on the list. But who are the other four?

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RankName Gold SilverBronze Total
1Michael Phelps 233228
2Ryan Lochte63312
3Mark Spitz91111
3Matt Biondi82111
5Gary Hall, Jr.53210

Top 5 women’s swimmers with most medals for USA

While there has not been a swimmer who could replicate the amount of impact Michael Phelps created, Team USA has always groomed excellent women’s swimmers. If you look at this generation, Katie Ledecky has a plethora of records to her name and she’s hungry for more. 

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Likewise, Jenny Thompson dominated in the pool during the late 90s and the early 2000s. Missy Franklin had her fair share of success too, winning five golds and one bronze medal in two Olympic appearances. 

RankName Gold SilverBronze Total
1Jenny Thompson 83112
1 Dara Torres44412
3Allison Schmitt4228
4Dana Vollmer5117
4Amy Van Dyken6006

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It should be noted that no current men’s swimmer has made it to the aforementioned list. This denotes that the 2021 team is quite young and has to prove a lot on the big stage. It is a similar picture in women’s swimming as well. However, Katie Ledecky can make a breakthrough in the Top 5 if she wins a handful of medals at the Tokyo Olympics. 

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Written by:

Arjun Athreya

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Arjun Athreya is a senior writer at Essentially Sports and has been contributing since early 2020. Having developed an avid interest in sports at an early age, he pursued a Journalism degree and graduated from Madras Christian College. Arjun manages the Golf division and its content, and primarily covers news pertaining to the NBA as well.
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