Support truly
independent journalism
The Olympic Games come to Paris for the first time in a century as athletes travel on the French capital looking to take home the a life-changing gold medal.
And around 10,500 athletes will compete across 329 events in 32 different sports between now and 11 August.
Dreams will be achieved, hopes dashed, careers defined and legacies cemented with the eyes of the world on events such as Noah Lyles’ hunt for 100m sprint gold, a three-way battle for the women’s 100m medals, Josh Kerr and Jakob Ingebritsen’s tussle for 1500m glory, or Simone Biles’ return to the Olympic stage.
But while many athletes arrive in the prime of their careers, with years of experienced blended with three years of preparation, what about those who are just starting out, or those in the twilight end of their careers?
Who is the youngest athlete at the Olympics?
Chinese skateboarder Zheng Haohao will be the youngest competitor at the Games, at the age of just 11 years and 11 months when she competes in the park event.
Zheng only took up the sport four years ago, and she will become China’s youngest-ever athlete to compete in an Olympic Games.
Earlier this month, Zheng told Reuters that to her, “competition just to get together with my good friends”.
“I know over 10 of the world’s top 20 skateboarders. It’s like we are playing a fun game – everyone has to show the best they’ve got,” she added.
Skateboarding was first included in the Olympics at Tokyo 2020, and Zheng will be joined by several other young competitors including 12-year-old Thai athlete Vareeraya Sukasem and Team GB’s Sky Brown who, at just 16, is already an Olympic medallist, having won bronze in park skateboarding in Tokyo.
Remarkably, Brown is Team GB’s youngest competitor for the second Olympics in a row, having only turned 16 earlier this month.
There are plenty of other young athletes representing their countries. Hezly Rivera, who has just turned 16, will represent Team USA in the gymnastics, while another 16-year-old, Quincy Wilson, has become the youngest athlete in US track and field history as he heads to Paris in the 4x400m relay squad.
Who is the oldest athlete at the Olympics?
The oldest athlete travelling to the Olympics will be Australian equestrian star Mary Janna. This will be the 69-year-old’s seventh Olympics, around four months short of her 70th birthday.
However, Hanna may not actually compete in Paris, as she is currently an AP athlete (known as a non-competing athlete) and is on standby in case of injury, for example. Her Olympic debut came in Atlanta in 1996, though she has never won a medal.
The oldest athlete set to definitely compete will also be in equestrian – Juan Antonio Jimenez Cobo of Spain, who is 65. Jimenez Cobo will be taking part in his third Olympic Games, having debuted in Sydney in 2000. He took home the silver medal in team dressage in Athens in 2004 but has not been to an Olympics since then.
From a Team GB perspective, 57-year-old Carl Hester is the oldest competitor and he will make history by equalling fellow equestrian legend Nick Skelton’s record of seven Olympic Games.
