Who Are the Oldest Olympic Gold Medalists? Simone Biles and More Record-Breaking Athletes

Age is conscionable a number! This has been proven passim nan years astatine nan Olympic Games, wherever athletes arsenic young arsenic preteens and arsenic aged arsenic status property person competed successful various sports and walked distant pinch medals. One celebrated “old” golden medalist astatine nan 2024 Olympics is Simone Biles, who became nan oldest American gymnast to gain nan title of Olympic champion. However, successful her precocious 20s, she’s still overmuch younger than galore of nan oldest record-breaking Olympic athletes successful history.

Who Is nan Oldest Olympic Gold Medalist successful History?

The oldest Olympic golden medalist successful history is Oscar Swahn of Sweden, according to Guinness World Records. In 1912, Oscar was connected nan winning Running Deer shooting squad astatine nan Olympic Games successful Stockholm, Sweden. He was 64 years and 258 days aged astatine nan time.

Oscar later collapsed different grounds successful 1920 astatine nan Antwerp Olympics successful Belgium erstwhile he became nan oldest metallic medalist successful nan shooting arena astatine 72 years and 280 days old.

The jock won his first golden badge ever astatine nan 1908 Olympics successful London. He returned to nan pursuing 2 Olympics and won 3 much golden medals, 1 metallic and 2 bronze. Oscar died connected May 1, 1927, astatine 79 years old.

How Old Is Simone Biles astatine nan 2024 Olympics?

Simone is 27 years aged astatine nan 2024 Olympics successful Paris. She has won 3 golden medals truthful acold astatine this year’s games, making her nan oldest American gymnast to return location golden successful history.

Is Simone Biles nan Oldest Olympic Gold Gymnast?

Though she collapsed nan grounds for American gymnasts, Simone is not nan oldest gymnast successful nan world to return location golden astatine nan Olympics. In 1952, Maria Gorokhovskaya took location nan first-place badge for nan Soviet Union successful nan all-around last astatine 30 years old. She retired successful 1954.

With that said, there’s still a chance that Simone could effort to break nan world record. The gymnast addressed her Olympics future aft she won nan golden badge for vault successful August 2024.

“Is this my last? Definitely Yurchenko double pike,” she said, referring to her difficult move successful nan event. “I mean, I kinda nailed that one.”

Regarding nan 2028 Olympics, though, Simone said, “Never opportunity never.”

”The adjacent Olympics is astatine location [Los Angeles]. So, you conscionable ne'er know. But I americium getting really old,” she added.

Other Oldest Olympic Gold Medalists

There person been various different record-breaking and age-defying athletes successful nan Olympics done nan years, including sailor Santiago Lange. Santiago competed successful sailing successful nan 2016 Olympics astatine 54 years aged and won a golden medal.

In men’s swimming, nan oldest golden medalist is nan United States’ Anthony Ervin, who collapsed nan grounds astatine 35 years aged astatine nan 2000 Olympics successful Sydney, Australia.

At 33 years old, American sprinter Michael Johnson won nan favoritism of becoming nan oldest Olympic golden medalist astatine immoderate way arena shorter than 5000 meters during nan 2000 Olympics.

Going backmost further successful history, there’s Team USA archer Lida Peyton Pollock, who was 63 years aged erstwhile she won a golden badge astatine nan 1904 Olympics successful Missouri.