Let’s find out about the youngest medalists and gold medalist in the history of the Summer Olympic Games
For the last few days, the young medalists at the Tokyo 2020 Olympics made headlines, broke records, and set new ones as people were in awe of their performance at the biggest sporting event despite their young age
The youth dominated in various sports across the 16 days Games held in Japan – the best example will be the skateboarding events where a young 12-year-old won an Olympic medal.
List of Athletes Who are the Youngest Medalists And Gold Medalist Ever At The Olympic Games
Dimitrios Loundras (10 Years, 216 Days)
Olympics: Athens 1896
The Greek gymnast competed at the 1896 Athens Games, the 1st Modern Olympic Games while being just 10 years old. He claimed the bronze medal in the Men’s Team Parallel Bars event as his team Ethnikos Gymnastikos Syllogos finished at 3rd place in the competition. Dimitrios Loundras to this day holds the record of being the youngest medalist at the Olympics at the age of 10 years and 216 days.
Youngest Olympic medallist Dimitrios Loundras,10,won bronze in gymnastics in 1st modern Olympics-today in 1896. #TDIH pic.twitter.com/7iE40xkbDe
— HistoryAsia (@HistoryAsia) April 6, 2015
Luigina Giavotti (11 Years, 301 Days)
Olympics: Amsterdam 1928
Luigina Giavotti participated in Artistic Gymnastics at the 1928 Amsterdam Games where the Italian took part in the Women’s Team All-Around event. She at 11 years and 301 days won a silver medal as part of the Italian gymnastics team. Holds the record for being the youngest female Olympic medalist of all time and her record can’t be broken with age restrictions in Gymnastics currently.
Inge Sørensen (12 Years, 24 Days)
Olympics: Berlin 1936
At the Berlin 1936 Olympics, aged 12 years and 24 days, the Danish swimmer Inge Sørensen won the bronze medal in the Women’s 200m Breaststroke. By doing so, she became and remains the youngest individual Olympic medalist, as both Giavotti and Loundras won on team competitions. And is overall 3rd in the list of all-time youngest Olympic medalists only behind Dimitrios Loundras and Luigina Giavotti.
Ines Vercesi (12 Years, 216 Days)
Olympics: Amsterdam 1928
Ines Vercesi was part of the young Italian gymnastics team where nine of the 12 members were under the age of 15 at the 1928 Amsterdam Olympics. She alongside Luigina Giavotti and her teammates won the silver medal in the Women’s Team All-Around event at the age of 12 years and 216 days, was the second-youngest member in the team.
Noël Vandernotte (12 Years, 233 Days)
Olympics: Berlin 1936
Born in France, Noël Vandernotte at the age of 12 years and 233 days won two bronze medals at the Berlin 1936 Summer Olympics in Rowing – at Coxed Pairs and Coxed Fours events. At Games, he played the role of the coxswain, who is responsible for steering the boat and many other things. Vandernotte was the youngest person to win multiple Olympics medals at the same Olympics Games. By winning the medals, he became the youngest male medalist in the 1936 Berlin Games and also remains France’s youngest-ever Olympic medalist.
Carla Marangoni (12 Years, 269 Days)
Olympics: Amsterdam 1928
Carla Marangoni was the third 12-year-old on the Italian gymnastics team that won a silver medal at the 1928 Amsterdam Olympics. She was 12 years and 269 days old as her team finished in 2nd place in the Women’s Team All-Around event. And helped Italy win their 1st ever women’s medal at the modern Games.
Also Read: Street Skateboarding Finals At Tokyo Olympics, Medal Winners And Records Created
Kokona Hiraki (12 Years, 343 Days)
Olympics: Tokyo 2020
At age 12 years and 343 days, the Japanese skateboarder won a silver medal in the Women’s Park event as Skateboarding marked its Olympic debut. Hiraki earned the 2nd spot by posting a score of 59.04 in the final at Tokyo 2020. With this achievement, Kokona Hiraki became Japan’s youngest-ever medalist at Olympics.
Hiraki Kokona – just 12 years old – wins silver in the first ever Olympic #Skateboarding park competition, completing a #JPN one-two!@worldskatesb @japan_olympic pic.twitter.com/p28zCtmgJi
— Olympics (@Olympics) August 4, 2021
Dorothy Poynton-Hill (13 Years, 23 Days)
Olympics: Amsterdam 1928
Aged 13 years, 23 days Dorothy Poynton-Hill, the American diver at her very first Olympic Games – the 1928 Amsterdam Games won a silver medal in the Women’s 3m Springboard event in Diving. With this achievement, she became the USA’s youngest Olympic medalist and remains to do so.
Sky Brown (13 Years, 28 Days)
Olympics: Tokyo 2020
The teenage skateboarder, Sky Brown took bronze in the maiden Women’s Park event as Skateboarding’s Olympic debut finally happened at the 2020 Tokyo Games. At the age of 13 years and 28 days, she set a record-making her Great Britain’s youngest ever medalist at the Olympics.
The youngest person to win an Olympic medal in #TeamGB history 🇬🇧
An unbelievable achievement from the extraordinary Sky Brown 🥉#Tokyo2020
— Team GB (@TeamGB) August 4, 2021
Rayssa Leal (13 Years, 204 Days)
Olympics: Tokyo 2020
The Tokyo Olympics silver medalist in the maiden Women’s Street Skateboarding event, Rayssa Leal, at 13 years 204 days became Brazil’s youngest ever Olympic medal winner. The teenage Brazilian skateboarder finished at 2nd spot with a score of 14.64 in the final at the Ariake Urban Sports Park.
Marjorie Gestring (13 Years, 268 Days)
Olympics: Berlin 1936
The USA’s 13-year-old diver won a gold medal in the Women’s Diving 3 m Springboard competition at the 1936 Summer Olympics in Berlin. By doing so she set a record of becoming the youngest athlete ever to win an Olympic gold medal – at the age of 13 years and 268 days and that record is still intact. Thus making it to the list of youngest medalists ever at the Olympics.
Answer: Marjorie Gestring is the youngest Team USA gold medalist at 13 years and 268 days old. Gestring competed in the 1936 Berlin Games and won gold in springboard diving.#OlympicParalympicDay trivia, presented by @Toyota. https://t.co/NYr7e7IQtA pic.twitter.com/wCtTVgnGO2
— Team USA (@TeamUSA) June 23, 2021
Klaus Zerta (13 Years, 283 Days)
Olympics: Rome 1960
The rowing coxswain Klaus Zerta at the age of 13 years and 283 days won gold in Men’s Coxed Pair Rowing competition at the 1960 Rome Summer Olympics, where it took place at Lake Albano, Italy. He competed for the United Team of Germany and was the youngest medalist at the 1960 Summer Games. Klaus Zerta also holds the record for being the youngest male Olympic gold medalist.
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