Medal Count: Which summer Olympians have the most medals of all time?

10. Sawao Kato – Japan

Sport: Gymnastics

Medal Count: 12 (8 gold, 3 silver, 1 bronze)

Games attended: 1968, 1972, 1976

Kato kicks off the list, as one of two Japanese gymnasts to hold a spot on the all-time medal count for Summer Olympians. Sawao’s debut as an Olympic athlete came just four years after his debut on the World Championship circuit.

His strong suit was the parallel bars and all-around. However, he was a skilled athlete in all gymnastics events, as he would help lead the Japanese National team to 15 of 21 individuals in 1972. He was on the up-and-up, but a rival story arc began to brew between Japan and the then-Soviet Union.

Kato would have been on the road to get another gold to add to his arsenal, but he’d lose that opportunity against Soviet gymnast, Nikolai Andrianov. That one gold could have been the difference that would have put him ahead of the next athlete on this list.