From the legendary Simone Biles, widely regarded as the greatest of all time, to icons like Nadia Comaneci, Larisa Latynina, Mary Lou Retton, and modern stars such as Sunisa Lee and Rebeca Andrade, these gymnasts have dominated World Championships and Olympic Games.
Whether you’re searching for the best gymnasts in the world, greatest gymnasts of all time, top Olympic gymnasts, or women’s artistic gymnastics legends, this ranking highlights their record-breaking performances, difficult skills, and lasting impact on the sport.
Gymnastics is consistently ranked among the most popular sports in the world, and these athletes are the reason why.
10. Rebeca Andrade
Rebeca Andrade is Brazil’s most decorated Olympian and one of the world’s greatest gymnasts.
Andrade began gymnastics at age 4, practicing swings on a bunk bed before training at a gym where her aunt worked.
She walked hours daily from her favela to practice until age 10, later relocating to Rio to train at the Flamengo club.
Andrade burst onto the international stage at Tokyo 2020, becoming Brazil’s first-ever Olympic women’s gymnastics gold medalist (vault) and the first Brazilian to reach the all-around podium (silver).
At Paris 2024, she won four more medals: team bronze, all-around silver, vault silver, and floor gold, totaling six Olympic medals, making her Brazil’s most decorated Olympian of all time.
Her floor gold was particularly historic, with Simone Biles paying her a tribute. She also overcame three devastating ACL injuries (2015, 2017, 2019) requiring reconstructive surgeries, demonstrating remarkable mental resilience.
Known as “Rebeyonce” for her Beyoncé floor routines, Andrade now helps support her family, having bought them an apartment.
9. Sunisa Lee
Sunisa “Suni” Lee is an American gymnast and one of the most decorated Olympic gymnasts of all time.
The first Hmong American Olympian and first woman of Asian descent to win the Olympic all-around title, she began gymnastics at age 6 at Midwest Gymnastics Centre after her father built her a backyard balance beam.
At Tokyo 2020, Lee won Olympic all-around gold (57.433 points), team silver, and uneven bars bronze, becoming the fifth consecutive American to win all-around gold.
After competing in NCAA gymnastics at Auburn University (2022-2023), she returned to dominate Paris 2024, winning team gold as part of the “Golden Girls,” all-around bronze, and uneven bars bronze, earning her sixth Olympic medal total.
Remarkably, Lee couldn’t get out of bed in December 2023 due to health struggles, yet achieved this historic comeback.
Lee’s historic achievements also make her one of the most popular athletes in the world today.
She is also a two-time U.S. uneven bars champion and won silver on floor and bronze on bars at the 2019 World Championships.
8. Artur Dalaloyan
Artur Dalaloyan is a Russian artistic gymnast who has achieved significant success in the sport.
Dalaloyan has won several medals in various competitions, including the Olympic Games and World Championships. He was part of the teams that won gold at the 2020 Olympic Games and 2019 World Championships and silver at the 2018 World Championships.
In the 2018 World Championships, he became the all-around World Champion, becoming the first Russian to achieve that feat since 1999, when Nikolai Kryukov won.
He earned 87.598 total points, as did Xiao Ruoteng, though after tie-breaking rules were enforced (which dropped the lowest exercise score), Dalaloyan was named All-Around Champion.
He also won the floor exercise and team gold titles in Doha in 2018 and the team gold in Stuttgart in 2019.
In addition to his achievements in competitions, Dalaloyan has received several awards and honors for his accomplishments. He was named an Elite Athlete of National Class by the General Administration of Sport of China in 2012 and received the Beijing May 4 Youth Medal in 2020.
He has also been nicknamed “King Artur” by fans and the media due to his impressive performances in competitions.
Dalaloyan has faced several challenges in his career, including a severe Achilles tendon tear in April 2021, which doctors said would take a year to recover from.
However, he made a “miracle” recovery and went on to win the team gold medal at the Tokyo Olympics.
7. Kenzō Shirai
Kenzō Shirai is a Japanese artistic gymnast who has left a significant impact on the sport.
Shirai’s greatest achievements include his remarkable performances at the World Championships and the Olympic Games.
He has won multiple medals in these competitions, showcasing his exceptional talent and dedication to the sport. Notably, he has achieved success in individual events such as floor exercise and vault, where his innovative and technically demanding routines have set him apart as a world-class gymnast.
Throughout his career, Shirai has earned 13 major medals and has left a lasting legacy in the world of artistic gymnastics.
His contributions to the sport have been widely recognized, and he has become known as one of the most decorated and accomplished gymnasts in Japanese gymnastics.
6. Max Whitlock
Max Whitlock is a British artistic gymnast whose greatest achievements include his remarkable performances at the Olympic Games and World Championships.
He has won multiple medals in these competitions, showcasing his exceptional talent and dedication to the sport. Notably, he won two gold medals at the 2016 Olympic Games in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, in the floor exercise and pommel horse events, becoming the first British gymnast to win Olympic gold medals in gymnastics.
He also won a bronze medal in the individual all-around event at the same Olympics.
In addition, he has won several medals at the World Championships, including gold medals in the pommel horse event in 2015 and 2019.
Throughout his career, Whitlock has earned 14 major medals and left a lasting legacy in the world of artistic gymnastics.
His contributions to the sport have been widely recognized, and he has become known as one of the most decorated and accomplished gymnasts in British gymnastics. Whitlock’s success in the sport has also earned him several awards and honors.
He was appointed Officer of the Order of the British Empire (OBE) in the 2017 New Year Honours for services to gymnastics. He has also been named the British Gymnastics Male Athlete of the Year six times, from 2013 to 2018.
5. Nikita Nagornyy
Nikita Nagornyy is a Russian artistic gymnast whose greatest achievements include his remarkable performances at the Olympic Games and World Championships.
He was part of the Russian team that won gold at the 2020 Olympic Games in Tokyo, Japan, and also won an individual gold medal in the vault event.
He has also won several medals at the World Championships, including gold medals in the team event in 2018 and 2019, and gold medals in the individual all-around, floor exercise, and team events in 2019.
Throughout his career, Nagornyy has earned 16 major medals and has left a lasting legacy in the world of artistic gymnastics.
His contributions to the sport have been widely recognized, and he has become known as one of the most decorated and accomplished gymnasts in Russian gymnastics.
Nagornyy’s success in the sport has also earned him several awards and honors. He was named the Russian Male Athlete of the Year in 2019 and 2020.
He has also been appointed Officer of the Order of Friendship by the President of Russia in 2020.
4. Sam Mikulak
Sam Mikulak is an American artistic gymnast who has achieved significant success in the sport. He was born on October 13, 1992, in Huntington Beach, California, and represented the United States in three Olympic Games (2012, 2016, and 2020). He is also a six-time U.S. national all-around champion (2013–2016, 2018–2019) and a gold medalist on rings and high bar at the 2018 U.S. National Championships.
Among his greatest achievements are winning a team bronze medal at the 2016 Olympic Games in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, and an individual bronze medal on the high bar at the 2018 World Championships in Stuttgart, Germany. He also received several honors and awards, such as being named the 2011 Big Ten Male Gymnast of the Year while competing for the University of Michigan, and receiving the Prize for Elegance at the 2019 World Championships in Stuttgart, Germany.
Throughout his career, Mikulak earned a total of five major medals. Although he never won an Olympic medal, his achievements in other competitions, such as the World Championships and the Pan American Games, solidified his place as one of the most accomplished American gymnasts of his time. He retired from gymnastics in 2020, after the Tokyo Olympics.
3. Gabby Douglas
Gabby Douglas is an American artistic gymnast who has achieved significant success in the sport. She was born on December 31, 1995, in Virginia Beach, Virginia, and became a two-time Olympic team member (2012 and 2016) and a three-time Olympic medalist (three golds).
She also made history as the first U.S. gymnast to win the all-around and team titles at the same Olympic Games and the first African American to win the Olympic all-around title.
Some of her greatest achievements include winning the team gold medal at the 2012 Olympic Games in London, where she also became the first American to claim gold medals in the team and individual all-around events.
She also won the all-around gold medal at the 2015 World Championships in Glasgow, Scotland, and the team gold medal at the 2011 and 2015 World Championships in Tokyo, Japan, and Glasgow, Scotland, respectively.
Throughout her career, Gabby Douglas earned three Olympic gold medals and an all-around silver at the 2015 World Championships.
She also received the Presidential Medal of Freedom in 2021, the highest civilian award in the United States, for her contributions to gymnastics and inspiring young people.
She is a role model for many aspiring gymnasts, especially those of color, who look up to her achievements and courage.
2. Kohei Uchimura
Kohei Uchimura is a retired Japanese artistic gymnast who is widely regarded as one of the greatest gymnasts of all time. He was born on January 3, 1989, in Kitakyushu, Japan.
Uchimura has won numerous medals in various competitions, including the Olympic Games and World Championships. He is known for his exceptional skills and achievements in individual events such as all-around, floor exercise, parallel bars, and the horizontal bar.
Uchimura’s greatest achievements include his remarkable performances at the Olympic Games and World Championships.
He won seven Olympic medals, including three golds, and 21 World Championship medals throughout his career.
He was the first gymnast to win six consecutive all-around titles at the World Championships, a feat he achieved from 2009 to 2015.
He also won two Olympic gold medals in the all-around event, one in 2012 and the other in 2016.
Uchimura’s other major titles include five World titles in the all-around event, four World titles in the floor exercise, and three World titles in the horizontal bar.
Throughout his career, Uchimura earned 28 major medals and has left a lasting legacy in the world of artistic gymnastics. His contributions to the sport have been widely recognized, and he has become known as one of the most decorated and accomplished gymnasts in Japanese gymnastics.
Uchimura’s success in the sport has also earned him several awards and honors. He received the Olympic Special Award at the Japan Sports Awards in 2017 and was the Best Athlete of the Year Award at the JOC Sports Awards in 2010, 2012, and 2014.
He also received the Prize for Elegance at the World Championships in 2011, 2013, and 2014.
His sheer dominance places him among the most dominant athletes of all time.
1. Simone Biles
Simone Biles is an iconic figure in artistic gymnastics, known for her exceptional achievements and numerous records.
She has won a total of 30 World Championship medals, including 23 gold, four silver, and three bronze, making her the most decorated gymnast in World Championships history.
Biles has also earned seven Olympic medals, tying for the most by a U.S. gymnast. Her Olympic medals include four golds, two bronzes, and one silver.
Biles has set several records, including being the first woman to win six World all-around titles (2013-15, 2018-19, 2023), the first woman to win four World balance beam titles (2014-15, 2019, 2023), and the first woman to win six World floor exercise titles (2013-15, 2018-19, 2023).
Her achievements have solidified her as one of the greatest athletes of all time, transcending her sport and inspiring countless individuals worldwide.
The Best Gymnasts in the World embody the pinnacle of strength, grace, and mental toughness in gymnastics.
From Simone Biles’ unparalleled medal haul and innovative skills to the historic perfect 10s of Nadia Comaneci and the dominance of Kohei Uchimura, these athletes continue to inspire millions of young gymnasts globally.
As the sport reaches new heights, their legacies set the standard for excellence.
For those just starting out, our guide to easy gymnastics moves is a great first step.