Which player has won the most Olympic medals?

[Habsfunk]

Saku Koivu won his fourth Olympic medal today (1 silver, 3 bronze) and it got me wondering what player has most won the most Olympic medals. The best I could find is this link but it only deals with gold medals.

Some quick googling revealed Vladislav Tretiak has 3 gold and 1 silver. Is there anyone more decorated than him?

 

[tommygunn]

I think 4 is the highest.

Others with 4 are:
- Jere Lehtinen (1 silver, 3 bronze)
- Ville Peltonen (1 silver, 3 bronze)
- Igor Kravchuk (2 gold, 1 silver, 1 bronze)
- Jiří Holík (2 silver, 2 bronze)

 

[lovetherangers]

Well 4 medals means they were playing at least 16 years. I'd hazard a guess that the Soviets probably had several players with at least 4 medals.

 

[vippe]

Well 4 medals means they were playing at least 16 years. I'd hazard a guess that the Soviets probably had several players with at least 4 medals.

You mean 12 years

 

[Psycho Papa Joe]

I'm guessing Vladislav Tretiak with 3 golds and 1 silver might be the most decorated, unless there is a Soviet who played 1964 to 1976 who won 4 golds.

 

[Hawkey Town 18]

You mean 12 years

It's possible that it could be even less, because when the IOC switched it so the Summer and Winter Games were not on the same year there was a Winter Olympics just 2 years later to make them offset (1992 and 1994). Therefore, someone could potentially play in 4 Olympics in 10 years.


NOTE: Suprisingly, none of the 4-time medalists mentioned received medals in both 1992 and 1994.

 

[lovetherangers]

You mean 12 years

Yes, sorry, early morning brain fart, and not enough coffee. In order to get more than 4 you would need to play 16 years. Sorry for the confusion.

 

[tommygunn]

I'd hazard a guess that the Soviets probably had several players with at least 4 medals.

As cited already.. only 2.. Tretiak and Kravchuk.

 

[lovetherangers]

and two coaches. Perhaps if Kharlamov didnt get killed in a car accident he would have been the 3rd player with 4 medals...

 

[VMBM]

and two coaches. Perhaps if Kharlamov didnt get killed in a car accident he would have been the 3rd player with 4 medals...

IMO there's no chance that Kharlamov would have played for the Soviet national team in the 1984 Winter Olympics; firstly, he was clearly past his prime at the time when he died (1981) plus he would have been 36 years old and I don't think Tikhonov ever had much use for old players anyway (one [of the] exception being Boris Mikhailov in the late 70s/early 80s and even that didn't end very happily).