Who are the youngest and oldest Olympic athletes at Paris 2024?

 

The youngest and oldest athletes at the Paris 2024 Olympics showcase the incredible age diversity in the Games. The youngest Olympian this year is 11-year-old Chinese skateboarder Zheng Haohao. She is competing in the women’s skateboarding events, having qualified through pre-Olympic qualifiers in Shanghai and Budapest​ (NBC Olympics)​​ (The SportsGrail)​.

On the other end of the age spectrum, the oldest athlete is 65-year-old Spanish equestrian Juan Antonio Jimenez Cobo, who first competed in the Sydney 2000 Olympics​ (whas11.com)​. However, Australian equestrian Mary Hanna, who is 69, serves as a reserve for her team. If she competes, she would be the second-oldest Olympian ever to win a medal​ (The SportsGrail)​.

These athletes highlight the incredible range of talent and dedication present at the Olympic Games, demonstrating that age is no barrier to achieving excellence on the world stage.

The Paris 2024 Olympics marks the first time in a century that the Games return to the French capital. Around 10,500 athletes from across the globe will compete in 329 events spanning 32 different sports until August 11.

The Games will feature a range of thrilling competitions and notable storylines:

1. Noah Lyles: The American sprinter is aiming for gold in the highly anticipated 100m sprint event.
2. Women’s 100m Sprint: A fierce three-way battle for the medals is expected, drawing significant global attention.
3. 1500m Race: British athlete Josh Kerr and Norway’s Jakob Ingebrigtsen are set to compete for the top spot, promising an exciting duel.
4. Simone Biles: The American gymnast, a fan favorite and one of the most decorated athletes in her sport, makes her much-anticipated return to the Olympic stage.

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.

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.