Athletes with the most Winter Olympic medals in history

Bjørndalen has won the most Winter Olympic medals in history with 13, winning eight gold, four silver and one bronze in the biathlon. The Norwegian is known as the "King of the Biathlon" and won two of his gold medals in the 2014 Games at Sochi. He failed to quality for what would have been his seventh Olympics in 2018.

A 12-time Olympic medalist in cross country skiing, Dæhlie has won eight golds and four silver medals. He won all of his medals over three Olympics, culminating with three gold and one silver in the 1998 Games at Nagano. He owns the second most medals in Winter Olympic history.

Tied for the most Winter Olympic medals among female competitors, Bjørgen has 10 medals in cross country skiing. The Norwegian has participated in four games, most recently winning three gold medals in 2014 at Sochi. She hopes to add to her medal count at the 2018 Games in Pyeongchang.

Belmondo won 10 medals in cross country skiing with an Olympic career that spanned from 1988-2002. She was able to win two gold, three silver and five bronze medals during her Olympic career. The Italian had a first-, second- and third-place finish during her final Olympics in 2002.

Representing the Russians and Unified Team from 1976-1992, Smetanina established herself as one of the all-time greats in cross country skiing. She got her 10th Winter Olympic medal in 1992, a record at that time. For her Olympic career, she won four gold, five silver and one bronze medal.

Disl participated in five Winter Games from 1992-2006 and won nine medals, representing Germany. She won just one silver medal during her first games at age 21 but returned two years later to win two medals. The biathlete's most successful Olympics came in 1998 at Nagano, winning a gold, silver and bronze medal.

Pechstein has won more speed skating medals than any other athlete (nine) after participating in five Winter Olympics. The German earned five gold, two silver and two bronze medals for Germany. Her most impressive Olympics was 2002, when she set world records in the 3,000 metres and 5,000 metres.

Yegorova had quite a run in cross country skiing during the 1992 and 1994 Olympics. The Russian won nine medals, including six gold and three silver. She returned in 2002 to participate in the sprint and 10 kilometres but failed to medal.

Easily the top cross country skier of the '50s and '60s, Jernberg won nine medals over three Olympic Games from 1956-1964. He broke onto the scene with four medals in 1956 and won three more medals in each of the next two Olympics. The Swede finished his Olympic career with four gold, three silver and two bronze medals.

Ahn effectively took the baton from Apolo Anton Ohno in men's speed skating, winning eight medals since 2006. He won four medals while representing South Korea in 2006. Eight years later, he represented Russia and won four more medals in 2014, including three gold. He has six gold and two bronze medals during his career. He was banned from competing in 2018 by the International Olympic Committee.

Wüst has been the most dominant female speed skater in recent Winter Games. She's won eight medals, including four gold, three silver and one bronze, over the last three Olympics. The Dutch skater won an incredible five medals in 2014 at Sochi, including two gold. She's hoping to add to her medal count in 2018.

Ohno helped popularize short track speed skating in the United States with his success from 2002-2010. His medal total over those three Olympics included two gold, two silver and four bronze medals.

Fischer won eight biathlon medals for Germany form 1994-2006.  His most successful Olympic Games was his last, winning two gold and one bronze at the 2006 Games in Torino. He won four gold, two silver and two bronze medals for his career.

Aamodt has the most Olympic medals of any skier in history (eight), a count that included four gold, two silver and two bronze medals following the 2006 Games. He medaled four times in the super G, including three gold medals. The Norwegian's final Olympic win was the super G at age 34 in 2006.

Groß won eight medals in the biathlon during his Olympic career, including four gold medals. The German took part in five Olympic Games from 1992-2006, and all of his wins were in the men's 4x7.5 kilometres relay. He also won 20 World Championship medals.

Niemann-Stirnemann took part in four Winter Olympics, representing East Germany and Germany in speed skating. She was able to win eight medals, including three gold, four silver and one bronze. Her last Olympics was in 1998 at Nagano, when she won one gold and two silver medals.

Representing East Germany in 1980, 1984 and 1988, Enke won eight speed skating medals. She broke through in Lake Placid with a gold in the 500 metres and won two more gold medals in 1984 at Sarajevo. Her Olympic career also included four silvers and one bronze medal.

The greatest cross country skier of her generation, Kulakova won eight medals over four Olympics from 1968-1980. The Soviet's record included four gold, two silver and two bronze medals, and she also earned five gold medals at the World Championships.

Kramer has been on quite a run in men's speed skating since his arrival to Torino in 2006. The Dutch speedster has three gold, two silver and two bronze medals, totaling seven Olympic medals for his career. His most successful Olympics was 2014, when he won two gold and one silver medal, and he's hoping to add to his medal tally in 2018.

The most successful nordic combined Olympian of all time, Gottwald earned three gold, one silver and three bronze medals during his Winter Olympic career that spanned from 1994-2010. He didn't win his first Olympic medal until 2002, when he claimed three bronze medals for Austria, but Gottwald continued that momentum with three medals in 2006 and a final gold in the men's team competition in 2010.

Wilhelm competed in cross country skiing in 1998 but found greater Olympic success in 2002 when she partook in the biathlon.  She was able to win three medals, including two gold, in the Salt Lake City Games. The German won two more medals four years later in Torino and her final medal, a bronze, in 2010. Wilhelm completed her Olympic career with seven medals.

Di Centra competed in cross country skiing in five consecutive Olympics, but the Italian didn't medal until her third try in 1992. Over her final three Olympics, Di Centa won two gold, two silver and three bronze medals. Her most successful Olympics came in 1994 at Lillehammer, when she won two gold, two silver and one bronze medal. She won seven cross country skiing medals for her career, while her brother, Giorgio, won three medals of his own.

Lazutina won seven medals in cross country skiing during her Olympic career, including five gold. The Russian won gold in the 4x5 kilometres relay in three straight Olympics from 1992-1998. Her Olympic career ended in 2002 when she was banned for a positive drug test.

One of the greatest cross country skiers ever, Välbe won seven Olympic medals and 14 gold medals in the World Championships. The Russan had an amazing showing in the 1992 Olympics at Albertville, winning one gold and four bronze medals. She followed up with winning a gold in the 4x5 kilometres relay in the next two Olympics, thus winning the event in three straight Olympics.

Smirnov won seven Olympic medals in cross country skiing over four Olympic Games, representing the Soviet Union, Unified Team and Kazakhstan. His only gold medal came in the 50 kilometres at Lillehammer in 1994, but he also won four silver and two bronze medals during his career.

Kirvesniemi competed in six Winter Games in cross country skiing, winning seven medals for Finland. She won three gold medals and one bronze in the 1984 Games at Sarajevo and then won a bronze in 1992 and two bronze medals in 1994.

Musiol won seven medals in the bobsled, representing East Germany in 1980-1988 and Germany in 1992 and 1994. His only gold came in the four-man bobsled in 1980, and he also won five silver and one bronze medal during his career.

Ehrig-Mitscherlich had success while representing East Germany in speed skating from 1976-1988. She won one gold, five silver and one bronze medal. In her final Olympics in Calgary, Ehrig-Mitscherlich won two silver and one bronze medal.

Mäntyranta had fantastic Olympic success in cross country skiing from 1960-1972. The Finnish skier won three gold, two silver and two bronze medals. His best Olympic showing was in 1964, when he won two gold medals.

Hakulinen won seven medals for Finland in cross country skiing, including three gold, three silver and one bronze medal. He also participated in the men's 20 kilometres biathlon in 1964.

Ballangrud won seven Olympic medals in speed skating from 1928-1936, along with four World Championships. The Norwegian set four Olympic records in 1936 and won four gold, two silver and one bronze medal for his career.

Thunberg holds the record for most speed skating gold medals in the Olympics (five), totaling the medals over the 1924 and 1928 Games. The Finn set five Olympic records during those two games and also won one silver and one bronze medal, giving him seven Olympic medals for his career.