At the 1956 Games in Melbourne, Australia, Latynina, who was educated at the Kiev State Institute of Physical Culture, won the women's competition in the combined exercises, the vault, and the floor exercise (in which she tied for first place). At the 1960 Olympics in Rome she again placed first in the combined and the floor exercise, and in Tokyo in 1964 she captured her third consecutive gold medal in the floor exercise.

One of the most-decorated Olympic athletes, Latynina also won gold medals as a member of the Soviet Union's six-member women's gymnastics team in 1956, 1960, and 1964. She also was awarded five silver and four bronze medals in those three Games. After retirement from competition Latynina was a teacher and national senior coach and was active in the planning of the 1980 Olympics in Moscow.