People talk a lot about the bittersweet feelings that come with age-related milestones like turning 30 or 40. But there’s one milestone you don’t hear about as much: when you realize you’re older than all the Olympic athletes competing in your favorite sport. Did I really think I would one day qualify for the U.S. gymnastics team? No. Did it still hurt when I realized I might be officially too old to even try? Yes.

But how old are Olympic athletes, anyway? As the 2024 Paris Olympic and Paralympic Games continue, you may have noticed that there is a huge difference in the ages of the athletes taking part. Ayumi Fukushima, a Japanese breakdancing competitor, is 41 years old. Jeff Dunne earned a spot on the Australian breakdancing team at just 16 years old. And Chinese team skateboarder Zheng Haohao is just 11 years old, according to the official Paris Games website.

Believe it or not, there is no specific age limit for participating in the Olympic Games. Rather, the age limit depends on the individual international federation of each sport. For example, in diving, the minimum age is 14 years old, in artistic gymnastics, gymnasts must be at least 16 years old, and in swimming, surfing and skateboarding, there is no minimum age limit (hence the 11-year-old minimum age).

Although the age restrictions for the Olympics are not clear, there is still a list of highly talented athletes aged 15 to 45. To give you an idea of ​​the average age of an Olympic athlete, we have summarized everything you need to know.

What is the average age of an Olympic athlete?

Data is limited, but an older 2016 study published in the Journal of Human Sport and Exercise analyzed the ages of 3,548 athletes (in 44 sports) who excelled at the 2012 London Olympics. The results: 72 percent of Olympic athletes were between 20 and 30 years old, with the average age for men and women being 27 and 26.2 years, respectively. A full 99 percent were under 40, but the age range was 14 to 52.8 years.

At the 2020 Tokyo Olympics, the average age of all 11,700 athletes was 27, the highest since 1948, the Washington Post reported.

Who is the oldest athlete to compete in the Olympic Games?

The oldest Olympian to ever compete in the Games is Swedish shooter Oscar Swahn. Notably, he won his first Olympic gold medal in 1908 at the age of 60, then competed in two more Olympic Games before setting the oldest Olympic record at the age of 72 years (and 281 days) at the 1920 Olympic Games in Antwerp, Belgium.

The oldest participant in the 2024 Olympic Games in Paris is the Spaniard Juan Antonio Jimenez Cobo, who will compete as an equestrian at the age of 65.

Who is the youngest athlete to compete in the Olympic Games?

The youngest Olympian in the history of the Games is Greek gymnast Dimitrios Loundras. Not only did he make his Olympic debut at just 10 years old, but the male gymnast was also one of the first athletes to ever compete in the modern Olympic Games, doing so at the inaugural Summer Olympics in Athens, Greece in 1986. He has held the record ever since, although there is still no minimum age for some disciplines – including swimming – so a younger athlete could theoretically qualify. Haohao will also be the youngest competitor at Paris 2024, at 11 years old.

Athletes to watch at the 2024 Paris Olympics

Young athletes:

There is a lot of talent expected at the Summer Olympics, but the following young athletes are definitely worth keeping an eye on.

Older athletes:

The young talents may still be fresh for the upcoming Games, but keep an eye on these experienced athletes who are just as competitive.

Andi Breitowich is a Chicago-based freelance writer and graduate of Emory University’s Medill School of Journalism and Northwestern University. Her work has appeared in PS, Women’s Health, Cosmopolitan, and elsewhere.

Jade Esmeralda, MS, CSCS, is a health and fitness editor. A lifelong martial artist and dancer, Jade has a great passion for strength and conditioning, exercise science, and human performance. She holds a Master of Science in exercise science and strength and conditioning from George Washington University.