At 16 years old, Quincy Wilson will be the youngest American athlete to compete in the Olympics when he represents the United States at the 2024 Summer Olympics in Paris.

Wilson, a junior at the Bullis School outside Washington, D.C., was named to the U.S. 4×400 relay team for the Paris Olympics after running sub-45 seconds in three individual 400-meter races at the U.S. Olympic Track and Field Qualifiers.

Wilson’s time of 44.59 in the semi-final broke a 42-year-old U18 world record.

Wilson will be 16 years and 200 days old at the opening ceremony of the 2024 Olympic Games in Paris. How close is that to the minimum age for the Olympics?

Here are the key facts about the age required for athletes to participate in the Games.

What is the minimum age you have to be to participate in the Olympic Games?

According to the official rules of the International Olympic Committee, there is no specific age limit for participation in the Olympic Games. While the minimum age is 16 by default, some countries allow athletes as young as 13 to compete for their respective country.

For the U.S. team, 13 is the youngest age an athlete can be to compete in the Olympics. However, athletes must also meet the requirements of their respective international federation, which sets its own age requirements.

For example, the International Gymnastics Federation requires a minimum age of 16 for gymnasts, while 14 years is permitted for competitors in diving.

Who are the youngest athletes competing in the 2024 Summer Olympics?

• Zheng Haohao, China, skateboarder – 11 years old

• Sky Brown, UK, Skateboarding – 16 years old

• Hezly Rivera, USA, Gymnastics – 16 years old

• Quincy Wilson, USA, athletics – 16 years old

• Lola Tambling, UK, skateboarder – 16 years old

Who was the youngest athlete at the 2020 Summer Olympics?

The youngest athlete at the 2020 Summer Olympics in Tokyo was 12-year-old Hend Zaza, a table tennis player from Syria.

Zaza lost in the preliminary round to 39-year-old Austrian Liu Jia.

Zaza was the youngest Olympian since the 1992 Summer Olympics in Barcelona, ​​when 11-year-old Carlos Front (Spain) competed in rowing and 12-year-old Judit Kiss (Hungary) competed in swimming.

Who is the youngest Olympian of all time?

Dimitrios Loundras is the youngest athlete in modern Olympic history. At the age of ten, he won a bronze medal as part of the Greek gymnastics team at the 1896 Summer Olympics in Athens.

Who is the youngest athlete to win a gold medal at the Olympic Games?

South Korean speed skater Kim Yun-mi won the gold medal in the women’s 3,000-meter relay at the 1994 Winter Olympics in Lillehammer. She was just 13 years and 86 days old.

Since Yun-mi’s historic gold victory, the International Skating Federation has raised the minimum age to 15 to encourage the development of young athletes.

What is the age limit for athletes at the Youth Olympic Games?

Only participants between the ages of 15 and 18 take part in the Youth Olympic Games.

For the latest news, features, roster updates and more, visit the ESPN Olympics hub page.