Youngest Olympians of all time
What were you doing at the age of 10?
Thousands, if not millions, of children across the world take part in their chosen sport (or sports) every day, striving for their own personal greatness in the hope that someday they might hit somewhere close to the dizzying heights of sporting idols like Michael Phelps, Lionel Messi or Michael Jordan.
And for some of those children, the dream of reaching the pinnacle of their sport just so happens to be realised while they are still, in fact, children.
Historic evidence has shown this is more likely to happen in some sports than others, with events in gymnastics and skateboarding often benefitting from athletes having a lighter frame and therefore sometimes giving an advantage to younger competitors.
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At the most recent Olympic Games, in Tokyo in 2021, several 13 and 14-year-olds took part in various skateboarding events on the sport’s Olympic debut, including Team GB’s youngest-ever summer Olympian, Sky Brown.
However, recent years have seen minimum age limits imposed by most National Olympic Committees, while the governing bodies of some sports, including gymnastics, have set an age requirement of their own – meaning some of the top spots on the list of all-time youngest Olympians may never be surpassed.
RadioTimes.com walks through the top five youngest Olympians to ever compete at a summer Games.
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Youngest Olympians of all time
5. Kokona Hiraki – Age: 12 years, 243 days
Japanese skateboarder Kokona Hiraki was 12 years and 243 days old when she won a silver medal in the women’s skateboarding park event at the Tokyo Olympics in 2021, making her the youngest medallist since Sørensen in 1936.
Sky Brown, the then-13-year-old British skateboarder, secured the bronze, becoming Team GB’s youngest Olympic medal winner in the process.
4. Hend Zaza – Age: 12 years, 204 days
The youngest summer Olympian from this century is Syrian table tennis player Hend Zaza, who at 12 years and 204 days old was the youngest Olympian at the Tokyo Olympics in 2021 and also the youngest competitor at an Olympic Games since 1992.
3. Inge Sørensen – Age: 12 years, 21 days
Danish swimmer Inge Sørensen, who is also the youngest-ever medal winner in an individual Olympic event with her bronze in the 200m breaststroke, appeared at the 1936 Olympics in Berlin at just 12 years and 21 days old.
2. Luigina Giavotti and the 1928 Italian gymnastics team – Age: 11 years, 301 days
The youngest-ever female Olympian was Italian gymnast Luigina Giavotti, who won a silver medal in the women’s all-round team event when she appeared at the 1928 Olympics at 11 years and 301 days old.
A special mention here goes to Giavotti’s teammates in that silver medal-winning effort, Ines Vercesi and Carla Marangoni, who were aged 12 years and 99 days and 12 years and 269 days old, respectively. If ranked individually, Vercesi would be fourth on the list.
1. Dimitrios Loundras – Age: 10 years, 216 days
The youngest documented Olympian is Greek gymnast Dimitrious Loundras, who took part in the 1896 Athens Olympics – the first of the ‘modern Olympic Games’ – at the age of just 10 years and 216 days old.
Loundras even won a bronze medal at those Games in the team competition, meaning he also owns the title of youngest ever Olympic medallist.
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