Medal count: Which American Olympians have the most medals all time?

4. Dara Torres

Medal count: 12 (4 gold, 4 silver, 4 bronze)

Sport: Swimming

Games attended: 1984, 1988, 1992, 2000, 2008

Perhaps even more impressive than Dara Torres‘ 12 Olympic medals in the swimming pool is the fact that she won them a whopping 24 years apart. A sprint freestyle and butterfly specialist, Torres made headlines during the Beijing 2008 Olympic Games, her second comeback to the sport. In capturing three silver medals that summer at the age of 41, “DT” became the oldest swimmer in history to win an Olympic medal. The previous record was set 100 years prior by British swimmer William Robinson, who was 38 years young at the time of the London 1908 Games.

Torres attempted to qualify for what would have been her sixth Olympics in 2012. She missed a spot on Team USA by 0.09 seconds, finishing fourth in the 50 m freestyle at the qualifying meet. Her time in 2012 at the age of 45 was 24.82, almost a full second faster than her first world record time of 25.69 set in January of 1983. Needless to say, Torres’ longevity is unparalleled in competitive swimming.