the following athletes were among the top gold medal holders in Olympic sports:

Michael Phelps (USA)

Swimmer - Won a total of 23 gold medals, making him the most decorated Olympian of all time.

Larisa Latynina (Soviet Union)

Larisa Latynina (Soviet Union)

Gymnast - Won 9 gold medals, holding the record for the most Olympic gold medals in gymnastics.

Paavo Nurmi (Finland)

Paavo Nurmi (Finland)

Track and Field - Won 9 gold medals in middle and long-distance running events.

Mark Spitz (USA)

Mark Spitz (USA)

Swimmer - Won 9 gold medals in swimming events, including 7 gold medals in the 1972 Munich Olympics.

Carl Lewis (USA)

Carl Lewis (USA)

Track and Field - Won 9 gold medals in sprint and long jump events.

Birgit Fischer (Germany)

Birgit Fischer (Germany)

Canoeing - Won 8 gold medals, making her one of the most successful Olympians in canoeing.

Usain Bolt (Jamaica)

Usain Bolt (Jamaica)

Track and Field - Won 8 gold medals in sprint events, including the 100m, 200m, and 4x100m relay.

Sawao Kato (Japan)

Sawao Kato (Japan)

Gymnast - Won 8 gold medals in gymnastics, including three consecutive Olympic all-around titles.

Nikolai Andrianov (Soviet Union)

Gymnast - Won 7 gold medals in gymnastics, making him one of the most successful male gymnasts in Olympic history.

Bjorn Daehlie (Norway)

Bjorn Daehlie (Norway)

Cross-country skiing - Won 8 gold medals, making him one of the most successful Winter Olympians.

Olympic events and medal records are subject to change with each new Olympic Games, and other athletes may have surpassed or equaled these record

I recommend checking the official Olympic website or other reliable sources that provide real-time Olympic records and statistics.