Mark Spitz
Katinka Hosszu
Stat by stat
Bars are scaled to the leader in this list.
The verdict
Mark Spitz leads 3 of 4 categories. Our all-time ranking places Mark Spitz at #3 and Katinka Hosszu at #10.
The case for Mark Spitz
For 36 years the standard by which all Olympic swimmers were judged. At the Munich 1972 Games, Spitz won seven gold medals in seven events, every single one in world-record time, a perfect performance not surpassed until Phelps in 2008. Across two Olympics he collected nine golds and 11 medals in total, and over his career he set 33 world records in freestyle and butterfly. He retired at just 22, at his peak, before the World Championships even existed (the first were held in 1973), which is why his title tally sits outside that column. His combination of sprint speed and butterfly power, and the sheer perfection of Munich, keeps him among the immortals despite his short career.
The case for Katinka Hosszu
The 'Iron Lady', the most prolific racer of her generation and the queen of the individual medley. Hosszu won three gold medals at the Rio 2016 Olympics, in the 200m IM, 400m IM and 100m backstroke, and set world records in the 200m IM (2:06.12) and 400m IM (4:26.36) that showcased her all-round mastery. She amassed around nine world-championship titles and built an unprecedented career on the World Cup circuit, racing dozens of events per season for prize money and points, hence her nickname. Where most stars pick a lane, Hosszu contested every stroke and distance, and her medley dominance across the 2010s, combining butterfly, backstroke, breaststroke and freestyle at the highest level, made her one of the most versatile swimmers ever.