When the Beijing Olympics shut on Feb. 20, IOC President Thomas Bach, by means of custom, will name at the “early life of the arena to gather 4 years from now.” He might believe increasing that invitation to the 2026 Iciness Video games at Milan and Cortina d’Ampezzo in Italy to some other crew: the oldies however candies.
Get started with Frenchman Johan Clarey. He became 41 remaining month and in Beijing become the oldest guy to win an Olympic medal in Alpine snowboarding. He took silver in downhill, his first medal in his fourth Olympics.
FABRICE COFFRINI by means of Getty Pictures
“Whilst you’re a medalist, whether or not you’re 20 or 41, it doesn’t topic,” Clarey mentioned.
Clarey slightly outdid Nick Baumgartner. In Beijing, the 40-year-old American received his first Olympic medal — a gold — with fellow American Lindsey Jacobellis in combined crew snowboard move.
“You’re by no means too past due to take what you wish to have from existence,” Baumgartner mentioned. “You let your self down for those who hand over too early, doesn’t topic how previous you’re.”
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Baumgartner, a concrete employee/contractor from Michigan, is the oldest snowboarder to win an Olympic medal.
At 36, Jacobellis is not any child herself. She received two gold medals — one with Baumgartner, and the opposite in snowboard move.
She become the oldest U.S. lady to win gold in Iciness Video games historical past. She’s additionally the second one oldest in the back of Baumgartner — from any country — to win an Olympic medal in skiing.
Jacobellis additionally received a silver medal in 2006. The 16 years marked the longest hole between medals for any U.S. lady on the Iciness Olympics.
Olympic historian Invoice Mallon counted a minimum of 10 athletes in Beijing who had been born within the Nineteen Seventies, that means they’re neatly into their 40s
The oldest is speedskater Claudia Pechstein, who is nearly out of her 40s. She turns 50 simply two days after the Iciness Olympics shut. At Beijing, she become the oldest lady to compete in a Iciness Olympics — and the second one and simplest lady to compete in 8 Iciness Video games.
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The German they name “Grandma” is a five-time gold medalist, and a winner of 9 general. She received’t medal in Beijing — and it received’t topic.
“Each day is tougher to get motivated, particularly when you’re feeling no longer so nice and the effects aren’t coming alongside,” she mentioned in an interview with The Related Press. “However I’m nonetheless happy with myself. I will nonetheless compete with the arena’s more youthful ladies.”