Ageless Olympics: How Paris 2024 is Championing Athletes from All Generations

When it comes to Olympic athletes, plenty has been written about the likes of Usain Bolt, Michael Phelps and Simone Biles, with the media often shining the spotlight on young, fit athletes, highlighting their peak physical performances and groundbreaking achievements.

There's a compelling narrative unfolding on the sidelines, however, with this year's games featuring competitors spanning generations, from teenagers just stepping onto the global stage to seasoned athletes in their 70s. To us, it’s these older athletes who provide truly profound inspiration by challenging societal norms and expectations, proving that athletic excellence is not confined to the youth.

As we revel in the extraordinary feats of young Olympians, let's also celebrate the seasoned competitors whose journeys remind us that the pursuit of dreams knows no age limits, with the Paris Olympics promising to be not just a showcase of elite sportsmanship but a powerful narrative of inclusivity.

What is the Age Limit for Taking Part in the Olympics?

According to the International Olympic Committee's official rules, there is no single age limit for the Olympics, with each sport's international regulatory body governing the rules of their respective sports.

For example, in gymnastics, athletes must turn 16 in the year of the games with no maximum cut-off age, while boxers must be between 18-39 years old, although sometimes special permissions may be granted.

There are also a handful of events, including swimming, in which athletes of any age can compete, according to World Aquatics.

Which Older Athletes Can We Look Forward to Watching at the Paris Olympics 2024?

Back in 2021, when Australian equestrian Mary Hanna was 66, she had her face displayed on one of the world’s most iconic buildings – the Sydney Opera House – in recognition of her contribution to her country’s performance at Tokyo 2020, having achieved a personal milestone of a sixth Olympic Games. And she wasn’t done yet.

Currently fighting for an Australian Olympic team spot once more for the Paris Olympics 2024, Hanna will be a spritely 69 and seven months should she compete in Versailles on 27 July 2024.

“Young or old, it doesn't make a difference," she said in 2021. "If you're fit and healthy, you can just keep going. Unless my body really breaks down, I'm certainly aiming for [the 2024 Olympic Games in] Paris. I think it's getting a little bit late to aim for a gold medal - but I'm not giving up."

Also hailing from Australia, Sinead Diver, 47, has been selected as one of the six runners to represent her country in marathon events at the games, set to become the oldest Australian Olympian in athletics, eclipsing her own record set at Tokyo 2020.

Sadly 61-year-old Moroccan show jumper Abdelkebir Ouaddar, who made his first Olympic appearance in the 2016 Rio Olympics at the age of 54 years and is regarded as one of the best show jumpers in Morocco, will unfortunately miss this year’s event after his horse, Istanbul, suffered an injury, but the motivated athlete is determined to be back on form for Los Angeles 2028, and is already in training.

Blast From The Past: The World’s Oldest Olympians

We’ve already seen one iconic moment leading up to this year’s event during the Olympic torch relay, when French astronaut Thomas Pesquet carried the torch past the iconic Mont Saint Michel, one of France's most visited landmarks and a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Among the torchbearers was Roger Lebranchu, a 101-year-old Olympian and the oldest living French male Olympian.

But who else can take home gold in the age Olympics? That would include Lorna Johnstone of Great Britain, another equestrian who competed at Munich 1972 at the age of 70 and is the current oldest female Olympian, while Oscar Swahn is the oldest competitor of both sexes to date, being 72 when he competed at his last ever Olympic Games at Antwerp 1920. The Swede won two shooting gold medals at London 1908 and another gold in Stockholm 1912 but finished fourth in another event behind his son.

Young Blood: New Talent at Paris 2024

Of course it’s important to pay tribute to athletes of all ages, and we can’t wait to cheer on Phoebe Gill who, at the age of just 17, is touted as the next big thing for Team GB athletics. Earlier this month she crossed the finish line of an 800m race in a time of one minute 57.86 seconds, which saw her break the record for an U18 athlete in this discipline, originally set 45 years ago by Germany’s Marion Geissler-Hübner (1:59.65).

Fellow Brit Sky Brown, who won her first Olympic medal during her skateboarding debut at the 2020 Tokyo Olympics at 13 years old, was also hoping to represent Team GB in both surfing and skateboarding, but her quest for the former was over when she failed to qualify at the ISA World Surfing Games in Puerto Rico in March. Currently injured, time will tell if she will compete in the skateboarding event.

If successful, it’s likely she will go up against Japanese skater Kokona Hiraki, who was just 12 years old when she won silver at the 2020 Tokyo Olympics, making her not only the youngest female and youngest competitor to medal in the event, but also the youngest Olympic medallist in 85 years.

Best of luck to all the competitors – we’ll be watching!