The 21 Greatest Gymnasts of All Time

Perfect tens, impossible twists and Soviet dynasties meet today's record-breakers. Pick the one whose routine you would rewatch.

1. 1
   Simone Biles

   The most decorated gymnast in history, with 11 Olympic medals and 30 World Championship medals.
   1000pts
2. 2
   Nadia Comăneci

   The first gymnast to score a perfect 10 at the Olympics, in Montreal in 1976.
   960pts
3. 3
   Alexei Nemov

   Russian all-arounder with 12 Olympic medals between 1996 and 2000.
   848pts
4. 4
   Larisa Latynina

   Soviet star who won 18 Olympic medals, a record that stood for 48 years.
   802pts
5. 5
   Boris Shakhlin

   Soviet gymnast with seven Olympic golds and 13 medals overall.
   731pts
6. 6
   Nastia Liukin

   2008 Olympic all-around champion known for her elegant lines.
   621pts
7. 7
   Daiki Hashimoto

   Japanese all-arounder who won Olympic all-around gold in 2020.
   621pts
8. 8
   Olga Korbut

   The 1972 Olympic sensation who made gymnastics a global TV sport.
   621pts
9. 9
   Sawao Kato

   Japanese legend with eight Olympic gold medals across three Games.
   555pts
10. 10
    Li Ning

    Chinese gymnast who won three golds at the 1984 Olympics and later founded a sportswear brand.
    555pts
11. 11
    Epke Zonderland

    Dutch high-bar specialist famed for flying releases and the 2012 Olympic title.
    481pts
12. 12
    Yang Wei

    Chinese all-around champion at the 2008 Olympics and multiple World champion.
    481pts
13. 13
    Nellie Kim

    Soviet gymnast who scored perfect 10s in 1976 and won five Olympic golds.
    397pts
14. 14
    Gabby Douglas

    Won the 2012 Olympic all-around title and became the first Black American to do so.
    397pts
15. 15
    Věra Čáslavská

    Czechoslovak champion who won seven Olympic golds across 1964 and 1968.
    299pts
16. 16
    Rebeca Andrade

    Brazil's first Olympic gymnastics champion and a multiple-time medalist in Paris.
    299pts
17. 17
    Aly Raisman

    Captain of the Final Five who won six Olympic medals in 2012 and 2016.
    299pts
18. 18
    Paul Hamm

    First American man to win the Olympic all-around title, in Athens in 2004.
    299pts
19. 19
    Max Whitlock

    British pommel-horse master and Olympic champion in 2016 and 2020.
    185pts
20. 20
    Oksana Chusovitina

    Uzbek-German gymnast who competed at eight Olympics across three decades.
    185pts
21. 21
    Sunisa Lee

    The 2020 Olympic all-around champion and a bars standout.
    0pts

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