30 Olympic athletes who dominated their events

30. Natalie Coughlin

Natalie Coughlin might have missed the cut for this summer’s competition in Brazil, but at 33 years young she says she’s still far from hanging up her goggles and calling it a career. Even if she did call it quits, though, Coughlin would retire with 12 Olympic medals, tying her with Dara Torres and Jenny Thompson as the most decorated female American athlete of all time.

That’s quite the accomplishment. Not to mention Coughlin is one of only two athletes in history to enter at least 12 Olympic events and earn a medal in every single one of them (Finnish track legend Paavo Nurmi, who also made this list, is the other).

Coughlin’s dominance was never more apparent than at the 2004 Athens and 2008 Beijing Games. In Greece, she captured two gold medals, two silver medals, one bronze medal, and broke a world record while showing her prowess in the individual backstroke and freestyle relay. But that wasn’t enough, so she one-upped herself four years later in China, becoming the first female American athlete to win six medals in a single Olympics (one of which was gold).

It’s truly a testament to the 29 other incredible athletes on this countdown that Coughlin only ranks 30th here despite all her historic records and statistical milestones.

Next: 29. Dara Torres