Six Skiers & Snowboarders in Top 25 Olympic Athletes Of 21st Century

5th August 2024

Last modified on August 8th, 2024

ESPN has named who it believes are the top Olympic athletes.

The six snowsports athletes are:

Mikaela Shiffin (5^th) – alpine skiing

Key accomplishments: Three-time Olympic medalist, two-time Olympic gold medalist, record 96 World Cup wins, 59 World Cup slalom victories (most in a single discipline).

Shaun White (7^th) – snowboarding

Key accomplishments: Three-time Olympic gold medalist in halfpipe (2006, 2010, 2018), 15-time X Games medalist.

Chloe Kim (12^th) – snowboarding

Key accomplishments: Two-time Olympic gold medalist, nine-time X Games medalist, youngest woman to win Olympic halfpipe gold, youngest winner of an X Games gold medal.

Lindsey Vonn (16^th) – alpine skiing

Key accomplishments: Three-time Olympic medalist, Olympic gold medalist (downhill at Vancouver 2010), 82 World Cup victories (a record until February 2023).

Lindsey Jacobellis (20^th) – snowboard cross

Key accomplishments: Three-time Olympic medalist, two-time Olympic gold medalist, five-time world champion, 10-time X Games champion.

Marit Bjorgen (23^rd) – cross country skiing

Key accomplishments: 15-time Olympic medalist, eight-time Olympic gold medalist, five medals in 2018 (led all athletes), 114 World Cup individual wins.

And who tops the list as the greatest Olympic athlete of the 21^st century?

No surprise here – Michael Phelps – swimming.

Key accomplishments: Record 28-time Olympic medalist, 23-time Olympic gold medalist, most gold medals at a single Olympics when he won eight at Beijing in 2008.

See here for the full list from ESPN.