Rio Olympics 2016: 4 great athletes who could never lay their their hands on an Olympic gold

#3 Franziska van Almsick

The immensely talented Almsick had 9 silvers to her name, but no gold

A child prodigy who was the youngest participant in the 1992 Olympics at the age of 14, she represented a unified Germany in swimming and lived up to the ‘prodigy’ tag when she returned home with a silver and a bronze. More accolades followed the next year as she was chosen as the Best German Sportswoman, an honour she would earn again in 1995 and 2002 apart from being named the Female World Swimmer of the year 1993 by Swimming World Magazine.

What more, Almsick even went on to be bestowed upon the honour of World Swimmer of the year in the same year.After such an astonishing start to the career, the sky was the limit for the German swimmer. But, as it would turn out in the years to come, not the sky but Silver was the limit for Almsick.

Franziska van Almsick went on to win 10 Olympic medals but could never lay her hand on the coveted gold medal. She ended her career with 9 Silver medals and a bronze. When she left the stage after a disappointing Olympics in Athens, she also took home the dubious distinction of having the most Olympic medals without ever claiming the Gold. Well, they don’t say for nothing that God is a great leveller.