10 youngest Olympic medal winners

Toni Niemenen

The Finnish ski jumper was 16 years old when he won gold

Ski jumper Toni Niemenen of Finland took part in the 1992 Olympic Games in Albertville, France, fresh off a successful World Cup season. At that World Cup, the Finnish teen took both individual and team medals, and was voted the country’s sportsperson of the year.

In 1992, Niemenen won top honours at the Individual ski jumping event, and with his gold medal victory became the youngest ever individual gold medal winner in the history of the Olympic Games. He was 16 years and 261 days old at the time of his win.

Niemenen also won the team event in the same discipline at the same Olympic Games, bringing him to two gold medals. That was not the end of his medal tally at the event; he also won bronze at the Nansen ski jump, giving him a total of three medals at a single Olympics at only 16 years of age.

He retired from ski jumping in 2004, working as a sports commentator in the interim, but earlier this year announced he would be returning to the sport, with the aim of competing at another World Cup.