The Most Decorated Athlete
The Most Decorated Athlete Admittedly, when it comes to the title of the most decorated representative of track and field athletics, the competition is not very large. Only three athletes have managed to win Olympic medals: Olga Rypakova (2012 and 2016), Olga Shishigina (100m hurdles, 2000), and Dmitriy Karpov (decathlon, 2004). Prior to Olga Rypakova’s bronze medal in Rio de Janeiro, our compatriot was neck-and-neck in an informal rivalry with the other Olga — Shishigina. Both held one Olympic gold medal, were World Indoor Champions, each had one silver and one bronze medal from the World Championships, and both had even earned a vice-champion title at the World Indoor Championships. Overall, the record was perfectly even. Rypakova’s slight advantage lay only in her overall victory in the 2012 Diamond League. Now, following the Olympic Games in Rio de Janeiro — where, as we won’t tire of reminding, Rypakova won the bronze medal — the Ust-Kamenogorsk native has gained an additional trump card, making her the most decorated track and field athlete in the history of Kazakhstan. Unfortunately, it will be a long time before our country produces another athlete of this caliber. Therefore, Rypakova’s record is likely to stand for many years to come. Source: yk.kz Photo from: iaaf.org