The premier global platform for sporting events, the quadrennial modern Olympic Games welcomes thousands of athletes to participate in hundreds of events. Beginning in 1994, the four-year Olympiad has seen a two-year rotation between the Summer and Winter Olympics. Notably, the Olympics typically take the place of any world championships held in the year they are held.
At the 33rd Olympiad in Paris, France has 10,500 athletes participating from 206 NOCs in 329 events in 32 sports at 16 locations from July 26 to August 11, 2024. Though it appears to cover a lot in nearly two weeks, the second modern Olympics, in 1900, lasted five months, from May to October; it also took place in Paris.
Who is the youngest Olympic gold medalist?
Marjorie Gestring, an American springboard diver, is the youngest Olympic gold medalist, having won at the 1936 Summer Olympics in Berlin, Germany, at the age of 13 and 268 days.
According to the BBC, Gestring pursued national tournaments following the 1936 Olympics, but her goals to compete in more Olympics were dashed when the 1940 and 1944 Games were canceled due to World War II.
However, there could be an exception to Gestring being considered the youngest Olympic gold medalist. A local French kid was chosen by a Dutch rowing team to be their coxswain at the 1900 Paris Games. After they won gold, a photo was taken, and he vanished into the crowd.
The boy's identity has never been established, even though several candidates have been proposed; it is still one of the biggest mysteries in Olympic history. The general view is that he was 10 years old or less, but this isn't certain, as per the New York Times.
Read More : Olympic gold medal
The youngest Olympic medalists ever are as follows:
| Athlete | Age | Year | Event | Achievement |
| Dimitrios Loundras | 10 | 1896 | Gymnastics | Bronze medal with the gymnastics team |
| Beatrice Huștiu | 11 | 1968 | Singles Figure Skating | Competed |
| Luigina Giavotti | 11 | 1928 | Gymnastics | Silver medal with the Italian gymnastics team |
| Ines Vercesi | 12 | 1928 | Gymnastics | Silver medal with the Italian gymnastics team |
| Carla Marangoni | 12 | 1928 | Gymnastics | Silver medal with the Italian gymnastics team |
| Kokona Hiraki | 12 | 2020 | Skateboarding | Silver medal |
| Inge Sørensen | 12 | 1936 | Swimming (200m Breaststroke) | Bronze medal |
| Hend Zaza | 12 | 2020 | Table Tennis | Competed |
| Marjorie Gestring | 13 | 1936 | Diving | Gold medal |
| Gaurika Singh | 13 | 2016 | Swimming (100m Backstroke) | Competed |
| Sky Brown | 13 | 2020 | Skateboarding | Bronze medal |
| Momiji Nishiya | 14 | 2020 | Skateboarding (Women's Street) | Gold medal |
| Rayssa Leal | 13 | 2020 | Skateboarding | Silver medal |
| Kim Yun-Mi | 13 | 1994 | Speed Skating (3000m Relay) | Gold medal |
| Donna Elizabeth de Varona | 13 | 1960 | Swimming (4x100m Freestyle Relay) | Gold medal |
| Quan Hongchan | 14 | 2020 | Diving (10m Platform) | Gold medal |
| Lilly Stoephasius | 14 | 2020 | Skateboarding | Placed 9th |
| Dominique Moceanu | 14 | 1996 | Gymnastics | Team gold medal |
| Katie Grimes | 15 | 2020 | Swimming (800m Freestyle) | 4th place |
| Tara Lipinski | 15 | 1998 | Figure Skating (Ladies' Singles) | Gold medal |
Read More : Who has the most olympic medals
FAQ's On Youngest Olympic Gold Medalist
A. Marjorie Gestring is the youngest Olympian to win a gold medal at the age of 13 at the 1936 Berlin Games.
A. There is no age limit to compete in the Olympics.
A. The youngest ever person to participate at the Olympics is Dimitrios Loundras, who took part in the first iteration of the modern Olympics in 1896.
A. Oscar Swahn is the oldest Olympic gold medalist, winning at the age of 64 in sports shooting at the 1912 Summer Olympics.
A. South Africa hasn't hosted the Olympics as of June 2024.
