Historical List of the Oldest Living Olympians
All original content © 2018-2024 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.
Last update: December 5, 2024.
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 10, 2005 | Italy | Art competitions | 1932 Los Angeles | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | November 27, 1902 | November 10, 1905 | 102 years, 348 days |
Erna Sondheim | November 10, 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 | 104 years, 191 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.
© 2018-2024 Paul Tchir