Inspired by the ancient games held in the Greek town of Olympia from the 8th century BC, the Olympic Games is arguably the biggest sporting occasion on the planet (although the football World Cup certainly gives it a run for its money).
The first modern games took place in Athens in 1896 and now take place every four years.
In that time only 35 athletes have won 10 or more Olympic medals - dominating their respective sports to a remarkable degree at several successive games.
When it comes to medal tables - and determining the best Olympians of all time - it’s usually a case of simply who has won most gold medals.
This means that American athlete Carl Lewis comes 5th on the all-time list, with nine gold medals and one silver.
But Lewis is only 27th in the list of competitors who have won the most medals of any colour.
Here are the top 10.
9. Ireen Wust
Dutch speed skater Ireen Wüst's 13 Winter Olympic medals came between 2006 and 2022. She skated her way to 6 golds, 5 silvers and 2 bronzes. | Getty Images
10. Takashi Ono
Japanese gymnast Takashi Ono won his 13 Olympic medals between 1952 and 1964 - 5 golds, 4 silvers and 4 bronzes. | Getty Images