:quality(85):upscale()/2024/08/09/658/n/1922729/3ec98a4066b62c27462b35.01012618_.jpg?w=1068&resize=1068,0&ssl=1 "What’s the Average Age of Olympic Athletes?")
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People talk a lot about the bittersweet feelings that surround age-related milestones like turning 30 or 40. But one milestone you don’t hear so much about: when you realize you’re older than all the Olympic athletes competing in your favorite sport. Did I really think I would one day qualify to join the USA Gymnastics team? No. Did it still sting when I realized I may have officially aged out of even trying? Yes.
But how old are Olympic athletes, actually? As the Paris 2024 Olympic and Paralympic Games continue on, you may have noticed some serious variation in the ages of the competing athletes. Ayumi Fukushima, a Japanese breaking competitor, is 41 years old. Meanwhile, Jeff Dunne earned a place on the Australian breaking team at just 16. And Team China skateboarder Zheng Haohao is just 11 years old, per the Paris Games official site.
Believe it or not, there’s no specific age limit for competing in the Olympic Games. Instead, age eligibility depends on each sports’ international federation. For example, diving has a minimum age requirement of 14 years old, while gymnastics requires artistic gymnasts to be at least 16 years old, and swimming, surfing, and skateboarding have no minimum age requirement (hence the 11-year-old competitor).
So while the age limitations for the Olympics aren’t cut and dry, that leaves a mega-talented roster of athletes ranging from the preteens to upper 40s. To give you a sense of the average age of an Olympic athlete, we broke down everything you need to know.
What Is the Average Age For an Olympic Athlete?
The data is limited, but an older 2016 study published in the Journal of Human Sport and Exercise analyzed the ages of 3,548 athletes (across 44 sports) who delivered stellar performances in the London 2012 Olympics. The findings: 72 percent of Olympic athletes were between 20 and 30 years old, with the average age for men and women coming in at 27 and 26.2 years old, respectively. A full 99 percent were under the age of 40, but the ages ranged from 14 to 52.8 years old.
In the 2020 Tokyo Olympics, the average age of all 11,700 athletes was 27, the highest it had been since 1948, reports the Washington Post.
Who Is the Oldest Athlete to Compete in the Olympics?
The oldest Olympian to ever compete in the Games is Swedish shooter, Oscar Swahn. Remarkably, he won his first Olympic gold medal at 60 years old in 1908, then competed in two more Olympic Games before clinching the oldest Olympian record at 72 years old (and 281 days) at the 1920 Olympics in Antwerp, Belgium.
In the Paris 2024 Games, the oldest competitor is Spain’s Juan Antonio Jimenez Cobo, competing as an equestrian at age 65.
Who Is the Youngest Athlete to Compete in the Olympics?
The youngest Olympian in the history of the Games is Greek gymnast, Dimitrios Loundras. Not only did he make his Olympic debut at just 10 years old, but the male gymnast was also one of the first athletes to ever compete in the modern Olympic Games during the inaugural 1986 summer Olympics in Athens, Greece. He has held the record ever since, even though some events — including swimming — still have no age minimum, so theoretically a younger athlete could qualify. Again, in Paris 2024, the youngest competitor is Haohao at 11 years old.
Athletes to Watch at the 2024 Paris Olympics
Young Athletes:
The summer Olympics are expected to be packed with talent, but the following are young athletes that should definitely be on your radar.
- Zheng Haohao (age 11), competing for China in women’s skateboarding (also known as “park”).
- Quincy Wilson (age 16), competing for the United States in men’s track and field.
- Dominika Banevic (age 16), competing for Lithuania in the inaugural women’s breaking.
- Quan Hongchan (age 17), competing for China in women’s platform diving.
- Kaylia Nemour (age 17), competing for Algeria in women’s gymnastics.
- Fred Richard (age 19), competing for the United States in men’s gymnastics.
- Darja Varfolomeev (age 17), competing for Germany in women’s rhythmic gymnastics.
- Gavin Bottger (age 17), competing for the United States in men’s skateboarding (also known as “park”).
- Sky Brown (age 15), competing for Great Britain in women’s skateboarding (also known as “park”).
- Lamine Yamal (age 16), competing for Spain in men’s soccer.
- Sam Watson (age 18), competing for the United States in men’s speed climbing.
- Summer McIntosh (age 17), competing for Canada in women’s swimming.
Older Athletes:
Young talent may be fresh for the upcoming Games, but keep an eye out for these seasoned athletes who are just as competitive.
- Juan Antonio Jimenez Cobo (age 65), competing for Spain in equestrian.
- Ayumi Fukushima (age 41), competing for Japan in women’s breaking.
- LeBron James (age 39), competing for the United States in men’s basketball.
- Diana Taurasi (age 41), competing for the United States in women’s basketball.
- Ben Maher (age 41), competing for Great Britain in men’s equestrian.
- Nikola Karabatic (age 40), competing for France in men’s handball.
- Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce (age 37), competing for Jamaica in women’s track and field.
- Jordan Larson (age 37), competing for the United States in women’s volleyball.
- Mijain Lopez (age 41), competing for Cuba in men’s wrestling.
— Additional reporting by Jade Esmeralda
Andi Breitowich is a Chicago-based freelance writer and graduate from Emory University and Northwestern University’s Medill School of Journalism. Her work has appeared in PS, Women’s Health, Cosmopolitan, and elsewhere.
Jade Esmeralda, MS, CSCS, is a health and fitness staff writer. A lifelong martial artist and dancer, Jade has a strong passion for strength and conditioning, sports science, and human performance. She graduated with a Master of Science degree in exercise science and strength and conditioning from George Washington University.