Paris 2024 Olympics: Who are the oldest Olympic champions in history?

He entered the history of the Games more than a century ago. And he is not about to leave. At 64 years and 280 days, the Swede Oscar Swahn became the oldest Olympic champion in the history of the Games in Stockholm in 1912. He was crowned in the 100 m single shot running deer team event. An old habit for the man who also won gold four years earlier in London in 1908. Even stronger, he won another medal, silver this time, eight years later in 1920 in Antwerp. He was then 72 years old and that made him the oldest Olympic medalist. The glorious Swede participated in three editions of the Olympic Games before dying seven years later at the age of 79 in 1927.

For the record, this title of oldest Olympic medalist is contested by John Copley, a painter who won a silver medal a month before his 74th birthday at the London Olympics in 1948. At the time, from 1912 to 1948, artistic events as part of the pentathlon of the muses were on the program with events in architecture, literature, music, painting and sculpture.

Shooting, archery, horse riding, sailing… and Jeannie Longo

Behind the Swede, it was shooting again that lined up its champions with over 60 years on the clock. But this time, it was archery. At 64 years and 2 days, the American Galen Spencer climbed onto the second step of the podium after the team gold in 1904 in Saint-Louis. A triumph four weeks before Spencer’s death. A decidedly experienced American team that also included in its ranks the oldest woman to be an Olympic champion, namely Lida Peyton, who was 63 years and 333 days old.

On the French side, the oldest Olympic champions come from the same sports but also from horse riding or sailing. Disciplines that often reward stability, calmness… and experience. On the highest step of the podium, we find Chrétien Waydelich who was 58 years and 147 days old in 1900 in Paris when he was crowned Olympic champion in croquet in two-ball singles, a discipline that has only been included in the Olympic program once. He also won a bronze medal in singles, one ball.

After croquet, it is equestrianism that is highlighted with four riders. The oldest is called André Jousseaume (equestrianism), 54 years and 13 days in London 1948, when he won his second gold medal in team dressage after the one acquired in 1932 in Los Angeles.

Closer to home, at Rio 2016, the two riders from Seine-et-Marne, Philippe Rozier and Roger-Yves Bost, were Olympic champions in team show jumping when the former was 53 years and 194 days old and the latter 50 years and 301 days old.

“Bosty” took fourth place right under the nose of another rider, Jean Teulère, who was 53 years and 173 days old in 2004 in Athens when he won the team eventing competition.

In the women’s category, cyclist Jeannie Longo-Ciprelli, who won the road race in Atlanta in 1996, is on the top step. She was 37 years and 264 days old at the time. She is ahead of rider Pénélope Leprévost (36 years and 16 days old), who was part of the victorious show jumping team at Rio 2016 with Rozier and Bost.