10. Oleg Verniaiev
Oleg Verniaiev is one of the best gymnasts in the world and the most decorated Ukrainian gymnast of all time.
He is a 20-time World medalist, a two-time World all-around champion, and the 2016 Olympic parallel bars champion and individual all-around silver medalist.
He has also achieved remarkable success in other international competitions, such as the European Championships, the European Games, and the Summer Universiade.
He began training at the age of seven and competed for the national team at the 2012 Summer Olympics in the men’s artistic team all-around and the men’s artistic individual all-around.
In 2016, he won the Olympic parallel bars gold medal and all-around silver medal. Verniaiev was also the 2019 World all-around bronze medalist.
However, Verniaiev’s career was tainted by a doping scandal in 2020.
He tested positive for the banned substance meldonium in an out-of-competition test in August 2020.
He received a four-year ban, starting in November 2020, which would have ruled him out of the 2020 Tokyo Olympics and the 2024 Paris Olympics.
He appealed his case to the Court of Arbitration for Sport, claiming that he had taken the substance unknowingly as part of a medication prescribed by his doctor.
In early 2023, the Court reduced his ban to two years, after finding that he had not acted intentionally.
9. Xiao Ruoteng
Xiao Ruoteng is a Chinese artistic gymnast born on January 30, 1996, in Beijing, China. He has achieved significant success in the sport, including notable achievements and medals in various competitions.
Xiao Ruoteng competed for the People’s Republic of China at the 2020 Summer Olympics in Tokyo, Japan, where he was part of the team that won the Olympic bronze with a combined score of 262.397, finishing 0.606 points behind the winning team.
Additionally, he has received several awards and honors for his accomplishments, including being named an Elite Athlete of National Class by the General Administration of Sport of China in 2012 and receiving the Beijing May 4 Youth Medal in 2020.
Xiao Ruoteng has made significant contributions to the sport of artistic gymnastics and has been a prominent figure in international competitions.
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 in that year.
He earned 87.598 total points, as did Xiao Ruoteng, though after tie-breaking rules were enforced (which drop 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 a total of 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 the history of 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 a total of 14 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 the history of 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 a total of 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 the history of 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 a total of 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 a total of 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 the history of 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 presented with 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.
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 gymnasts of all time, transcending her sport and inspiring countless individuals worldwide.
