Historical List of the Oldest Living Olympians


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All original content © 2018-2023 Paul Tchir.

Below is a historical list of individuals who have held the title of "Oldest Living Olympian", organized from earliest to most recent. This table is not sortable currently.

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Last update: February 4, 2023.

Olympian Oldest from... Oldest to... Country Sport Olympic year(s) Gold Silver Bronze Total Date of birth Date of death Age at death
Eugen Schmidt April 6, 1896 April 8, 1896 Denmark Athletics 1896 Athens, 1900 Paris 0 0 0 0 February 17, 1862 October 7, 1931 Older Olympian took title
?* April 8, 1896 May 20, 1900 ? Sport shooting 1896 Athens 0 0 0 0 ? ? Older Olympian took title
William Martin May 20, 1900 February 25, 1905 France Sailing 1900 Paris 0 1 1 2 October 25, 1828 February 25, 1905 77 years, 123 days
Louis, Count du Douet de Graville February 25, 1905 October 12, 1912 France Equestrian 1900 Paris 0 0 0 0 February 27, 1831 October 12, 1912 81 years, 229 days
David McGowan October 12, 1912 September 22, 1924 United States Archery 1904 St. Louis 0 0 0 0 January 10, 1838 September 22, 1924 86 years, 256 days
Luc Alessandri September 22, 1924 August 18, 1926 United States Fencing 1900 Paris 0 0 0 0 May 31, 1842 August 18, 1926 84 years, 79 days
Smith Streeter August 18, 1926 December 17, 1930 United States Roque 1904 St. Louis 0 1 0 1 July 14, 1844 December 17, 1930 86 years, 156 days
Jacob Rees December 17, 1930 October 16, 1933 Great Britain Art competitions 1912 Stockholm 0 0 0 0 October 15, 1844 October 16, 1933 89 years, 1 day
George Barnes October 16, 1933 January 25, 1934 Great Britain Sport shooting 1908 London 0 0 1 1 1849 January 25, 1934 84 years, 25 days - 85 years, 24 days
Emily Rushton January 25, 1934 June 30, 1939 Great Britain Archery 1908 London 0 0 0 0 1850 June 30, 1939 89 years, 118-181 days
Robert Backhouse June 30, 1939 April 10, 1940 Great Britain Archery 1908 London 0 0 0 0 March 10, 1854 April 10, 1940 86 years, 31 days
Henri Léon Gréber April 10, 1940 June 4, 1941 France Art competitions 1924 Paris 0 0 0 0 May 28, 1854 June 4, 1941 87 years, 7 days
William, Lord Desborough June 4, 1941 January 9, 1945 Great Britain Fencing 1906 Athens 0 1 0 1 October 30, 1855 January 9, 1945 89 years, 71 days
George Elcock January 9, 1945 February 10, 1946 Great Britain Art competitions 1932 Los Angeles 0 0 0 0 March 26, 1856 February 10, 1946 89 years, 320 days
Sidney Merlin February 10, 1946 July 14, 1951 Great Britain Sport shooting 1896 Athens, 1900 Paris, 1906 Athens 1 0 1 2 April 26, 1856 July 14, 1951 95 years, 79 days
John Keyworth July 4, 1951 April 24, 1954 Great Britain Archery 1908 London 0 0 0 0 May 9, 1859 April 24, 1954 94 years, 350 days
Thomas Fremantle April 24, 1954 July 9, 1956 Great Britain Sport shooting 1908 London 0 0 0 0 February 5, 1862 July 9, 1956 94 years, 165 days
Louis Sparre July 9, 1956 October 26, 1964 Sweden Fencing 1912 Stockholm 0 0 0 0 August 3, 1863 October 26, 1964 101 years, 84 days
Charles Morris Young October 26, 1964 November 14, 1964 United States Art competitions 1928 Amsterdam, 1932 Los Angeles 0 0 0 0 September 23, 1869 November 14, 1964 95 years, 52 days
Charlotte Cooper November 14, 1964 October 10, 1966 Great Britain Tennis 1900 Paris 2 0 0 2 September 22, 1870 October 10, 1966 96 years, 18 days
Teotan Lebedev October 10, 1966 November 1, 1966 Russia Sport shooting 1912 Stockholm 0 0 0 0 November 2, 1871 November 1, 1966 94 years, 364 days
George Stuart Robertson November 1, 1966 January 29, 1967 Great Britain Athletics, tennis 1896 Athens 0 0 1 1 May 25, 1872 January 29, 1967 94 years, 249 days
Gerhard Gyllenhammar January 29, 1967 September 16, 1968 Sweden Art competitions 1936 Berlin 0 0 0 0 February 7, 1873 September 16, 1968 95 years, 222 days
Mary Wesselhoeft September 16, 1968 March 23, 1971 United States Art competitions 1932 Los Angeles 0 0 0 0 February 15, 1873 March 23, 1971 98 years, 36 days
Rudy Schrader March 23, 1971 January 18, 1981 United States Gymnastics 1904 St. Louis 0 0 0 0 March 17, 1875 January 18, 1981 105 years, 307 days
Dirk Janssen January 18, 1981 November 22, 1986 Netherlands Gymnastics 1908 London 0 0 0 0 July 11, 1881 November 22, 1986 105 years, 134 days
Geraldine Wright November 22, 1986 October 31, 1987 Canada Art competitions 1948 London 0 0 0 0 April 12, 1883 October 31, 1987 104 years, 202 days
Willem Winkelman October 31, 1987 July 1, 1990 Netherlands Athletics 1908 London 0 0 0 0 July 14, 1887 July 1, 1990 102 years, 352 days
Ole Aarnæs July 1, 1990 February 3, 1992 Norway Athletics 1912 Stockholm 0 0 0 0 May 27, 1888 February 3, 1992 103 years, 252 days
Jalmari Kivenheimo February 3, 1992 October 29, 1994 Finland Gymnastics 1912 Stockholm 0 1 0 1 September 25, 1889 October 29, 1994 105 years, 34 days
Franciszek Strynkiewicz October 29, 1994 November 20, 1996 Poland Art competitions 1932 Los Angeles, 1948 London 0 0 0 0 September 15, 1893 November 20, 1996 103 years, 66 days
Nic Roeser November 20, 1996 July 27, 1997 Luxembourg Gymnastics 1928 Amsterdam 0 0 0 0 November 8, 1896 July 27, 1997 100 years, 261 days
Hal Haig Prieste July 27, 1997 April 15, 2001 United States Diving 1920 Antwerp 0 0 1 1 November 23, 1896 April 15, 2001 104 years, 143 days
Lucie Petit-Diagre April 15, 2001 December 24, 2001 Belgium Gymnastics 1928 Amsterdam 0 0 0 0 July 24, 1901 December 24, 2001 100 years, 153 days
Alida van den Bos December 24, 2001 July 16, 2003 Netherlands Gymnastics 1928 Amsterdam 1 0 0 1 January 18, 1902 July 16, 2003 101 years, 179 days
James Stillman Rockefeller July 16, 2003 August 10, 2004 United States Rowing 1924 Paris 1 0 0 1 June 8, 1902 August 10, 2004 102 years, 63 days
Carlo Testi August 10, 2004 November 12, 2005 Italy Art competitions 1932 Los Angeles 0 0 0 0 November 27, 1902 November 12, 1905 102 years, 350 days
Erna Sondheim November 12, 2005 January 9, 2008 Germany Fencing 1928 Amsterdam 0 0 0 0 February 17, 1904 January 9, 2008 103 years, 326 days
Signe Johansson-Engdahl January 9, 2008 May 9, 2010 Sweden Diving 1924 Paris 0 0 0 0 May 27, 1905 May 9, 2010 104 years, 347 days
Walter Walsh May 9, 2010 April 29, 2014 United States Sport shooting 1948 London 0 0 0 0 May 4, 1907 April 29, 2014 106 years, 360 days
Hans Erni April 29, 2014 March 21, 2015 Switzerland Art competitions 1948 London 0 0 0 0 February 21, 1909 March 21, 2015 106 years, 28 days
Guo Jie March 21, 2015 November 15, 2015 China Athletics 1936 Berlin 0 0 0 0 January 16, 1912 November 15, 2015 103 years, 303 days
Ingeborg Sjöqvist November 15, 2015 November 22, 2015 Sweden Diving 1932 Los Angeles, 1936 Berlin 0 0 0 0 April 19, 1912 November 22, 2015 103 years, 217 days
Simone Schaller November 22, 2015 October 20, 2016 United States Athletics 1932 Los Angeles 0 0 0 0 August 22, 1912 October 20, 2016 104 years, 59 days
John Lysak October 20, 2016 January 8, 2020 United States Canoeing 1936 Berlin 0 0 0 0 August 16, 1914 January 8, 2020 105 years, 145 days
Aarne Kainlauri January 8, 2020 March 11, 2020 Finland Athletics 1948 London 0 0 0 0 May 25, 1915 March 11, 2020 104 years, 295 days
Félix Sienra March 11, 2020 January 30, 2023 Uruguay Sailing 1948 London 0 0 0 0 January 21, 1916 January 30, 2023 107 years, 9 days
Yvonne Chabot-Curtet January 30, 2023 Still living France Athletics 1948 London, 1952 Helsinki 0 0 0 0 May 28, 1920 Still living 102 years, 252 days

*There are two candidates for Oldest Living Olympian between April 8, 1896 (the beginning of the military rifle, 200 metres tournament) and May 20, 1900 (the opening day of the sailing tournament):

1. Charles Waldstein of the United States, born March 30, 1856.

2. Giuseppe Rivabella of Italy, born in 1855 or 1856. Depending on the exact date of his birth, he may have been older than Waldstein.

© 2018-2023 Paul Tchir