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Gymnastics has been an essential Olympic event ever since the founding of the modern games. Its roots can be traced back to ancient Greece and its evolution to the modern day dominance of Simone Biles and Kohei Uchimura. Te sport has indeed come a long way.
Over the decades, the world of gymnastics has seen the rise of many great performers. While USA, Russia, and Japan have been traditionally good, other countries have also managed to make their presence felt.
To appreciate the story of this wonderful sport, it would be useful to get acquainted with the names of some of the greatest figures who have competed in it. Let's look at the top 5 greatest gymnasts who have dazzled on the biggest sporting stage - the Olympic Games.
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#1. Kohei Uchimura
Kohei Uchimura, widely regarded as one of the greatest male gymnasts in the history of the sport, won three gold medals and four silvers, and was addressed with love as 'King Kohei'.
In 2016, he became the first man in 44 years to defend the Olympics all-around champion crown. Two of his three Olympic gold medals came in 2016 while one gold had been earned by him in the previous edition in 2012. He also won two silver medals each at the 2008 and the 2012 Olympics.
Uchimura’s plan was always to scale back and not do the all-around for his last Olympics, which was in Tokyo. The legendary gymnast wouldn't have wanted to end his career without a medal at the Tokyo Olympics. Unfortunately, in 2019, Uchimura started struggling with his shoulder injuries.
However, he did compete in Tokyo, but it was a bad day for King Kohei, as he fell off the horizontal bar after losing his grip. Within a few seconds, his hopes of winning a medal came crashing down in his home Olympics.
Kōhei Uchimura announced his retirement at the age of 33 earlier this year. The Japanese stalwart bid adieu as one of the greatest male gymnasts the sport has seen.
#2. Sawao Kato
Kato is a former Japanese gymnast and perhaps one of the most decorated Olympians of all time. Between 1968 and 1976, he won 12 Olympic medals, including eight golds, three silvers, and one bronze.
He is renowned for his self-discipline and dedication to the sport of gymnastics, while always being admired for the style that he carried on and off the bars.
Katō retired at the young age of 29, and went on to become a professor at Tsukuba University. In 2001, he was inducted into the Gymnastics Hall of Fame.
#3. Boris Shakhlin
Boris Shakhlin, a gymnast representing the Soviet Union, is an Olympic legend with a total of 13 Olympic medals (seven gold, four silver, and two bronze). This is a record for male athletes from 1964-1980.
Boris wrecked the record throughout his glittering career not only with the medals but additionally with the awards as well.
He was awarded the Red Banner of Labor in 1956 and the Order of Lenin in 1960 by his nation. In 2002, he was inducted into the International Gymnastics Hall of Fame.
He suffered a heart attack at the age of 35 which eventually forced the legend to retire from competitive gymnastics in 1966. However, by the time he had done his part, his record of most medals won by a male Olympian stood tall for 16 long years.
#4. Nikolai Andrianov
Nikolai Andrianov won his 14th Olympic medal in Moscow in 1980, shattering his compatriot Boris Shakhlin's 16-year long standing record of most medals by a male gymnast.
Nikolai bagged 15 Olympic medals, a record for most medals for a male gymnast at the Summer Games. He is a seven-time Olympic gold medalist (1972, four in 1976, two in 1980), five-time silver medalist (1972, two in 1976, two in 1980), and three-time bronze medalist (1972, 1976, 1980).
He wasn't the most gifted gymnast, but his determination led to consistency. This was the reason for his historic feat at the Olympics. Competitor Bart Conner called Nikolai the “toughest gymnast I’ve ever seen.”
#5. Vitaly Scherbo
Vitaly Scherbo is a six-time Olympic gold medalist (1992) and four-time bronze medalist (1996). He was inducted into the International Gymnastics Hall of Fame in 2009.
He was the most successful athlete at the 1992 Summer Olympics, winning 6 of 8 events – team, all-around, and four out of the six event finals. Winning six golds at one Olympics is a near-impossible achievement. Hence, Scherbo's name deserves to be mentioned on this list.
