By Nancy Alexander, PT, CSCS
The 2024 Summer Olympics, officially the Games of the XXXIII Olympiad, is underway. The Opening Ceremony was held last night and the games run until August 11. Paris, France, is the main host city, with events held at 16 other cities spread across Metropolitan France. I am so inspired by the athletes of the Olympic Games. I love watching their elite skills and admire their drive to be the best they can be. Will you be watching?
In honor of great athletes around the world and to celebrate the start of the 2024 Olympic Games, I want to highlight some amazing past achievements of some special athletes.
Who is the oldest gold medal winner in Olympic history?
Oscar Swahn (Sweden) was in the winning Running Deer shooting team at the 1912 Olympic Games in Stockholm, Sweden, at age 64 years 258 days on July 4, 1912. In 1920, at the Antwerp Olympics, Belgium, he became the oldest silver medalist in this event at 72 years 280 days on July 26.
Who is the oldest woman to win a gold medal?
The oldest woman ever to win an Olympic gold medal in an individual event was British archery winner Sybil “Queenie” Newall who won gold in the Double National Round in 1908, at age 53 years 275 days.
Who is the oldest man to win a medal?
The oldest male Olympic medalist is generally considered to be Swedish shooter Oscar Swahn. He won a silver medal in 1920 when he was 72 years 280 days old. Overall Swahn won six medals in a shooting event called “Running Deer” in appearances at the 1908, 1912, and 1920 Games.
Who is the oldest woman to win a medal?
Lida Peyton “Eliza” Pollock from the USA competed in the 1904 Olympic Games archery competition. She won bronze in the Women’s Double Columbia and National Rounds, and as part of the women’s Team Round she won a gold medal. She was aged 63 years and 333 days when she won gold.
Who is the oldest Olympian ever?
Oscar Swahn of Sweden. He was 72 years, 280 days old when he competed at the 1920 Olympics in shooting. He also qualified for the 1924 Olympics but withdrew without competing.
Who is the oldest female Olympian ever?
British rider Lorna Johnstone competed in Equestrian at Munich 1972 at 70 years and five days.
Who is the oldest gymnast still competing?
Well, she almost made it. Nonetheless, her story is remarkable given the demands of this sport.
At 49, Oksana Chusovitina is the oldest Olympic gymnast in history, with the 2020 Tokyo Olympics marking the eighth time she competed in the Summer Games. This year, the 5-foot tall, 97-pound woman, who represents Uzbekistan, was hoping to qualify for the final in the vault — her specialty — which takes place August 1. Recent reports say she has withdrawn from the Olympic games due to an injury sustained two months ago.
According to olympics.com, she knew the difficult task she faced in qualifying for the Olympics, but never backed down. “The main thing is not to give up,” Chusovitina said in an Instagram post.
In 2024, who will be the oldest participating Olympians?
If equestrians Mary Hanna, Abdelkebir Ouaddar, Phillip Dutton or sport shooter Nino Salukvadze qualify for Paris 2024 they will be 69, 61, 60 and 55, respectively. Australian equestrian, Mary Hanna, was the oldest athlete of any sport at the Tokyo 2020 games.
In comparison, here are some other facts:
Who is the youngest Olympian to ever compete?
Greek gymnast Dimitrios Loundras was one of the first athletes to compete in the Olympic Games when they made their modern debut in 1896. He was 10 years old when he competed in the Summer Olympics in Athens and won a bronze medal with his gymnastics team. He has held the title of youngest Olympic athlete since that time.
Who is the youngest female to ever compete in the Olympics?
The youngest female competitor was the Italian gymnast Luigina Giavotti, who competed in 1928 aged 11 years 301 days.
It is interesting to note that there is no specific age limit for taking part in the Olympic Games.
There is also no age limit on improving your strength. There is no age limit on improving your balance. There is no age limit on improving your health and fitness level. There is no age limit on you deciding to live your best life. Enjoy the Games and keep moving.
(Published for July 27, 2024 LWA Newsletter)
(Sources: Wikipedia, www.topendsports.com, olympics.com)
Well done. Lots of interesting information about age and the Olympics. And an excellent “moral of the story”.
Thank you Barbara. Sometimes the only limits we have are the ones we place on ourselves. Best wishes always, Nancy