Today on Oldest Olympians we have another new pairing of milestone birthdays to celebrate, so it is time once again to cover both in a single blog post!
First, we are wishing Iranian wrestler Mahmoud Mollaghasemi a happy 97th birthday! Mollaghasemi represented his country in the flyweight, freestyle event at the 1952 Helsinki Games, where he won a bronze medal. He also earned a silver medal in that event at the 1951 World Championships. He later turned to coaching and was a judge at the 1964 Tokyo Olympics. He is now the oldest living Iranian Olympian!
(Masaji Tajima, pictured at Getty Images)
We want to wish Japanese track and field athlete Masaji Tajima a happy 97th birthday as well! Tajima represented his country in four events across two editions of the Games: the 100 metres and the long jump in 1952, and the 4×100 metres relay and the long jump in 1956. He was also an alternate in the 4×400 metres relay at the former edition. Tajima was a three-time Asian Games champion, winning the 4×100 metres relay in 1951 and 1954, and the long jump in 1951. He was the national champion in the long jump from 1950 through 1953 and is now the oldest living Japanese Olympian!
(Junko Nishida)
Additionally, on the subject of Japanese track and field athletes, we wanted to provide an additional update from Connor Mah. Thanks to his research, we have learned that Junko Nishida, born November 3, 1915, who took part in the high jump at the 1936 Berlin Olympics, died September 30, 1942. Finally, Mah also discovered that Japanese weightlifter Isamu Shiraishi, born December 18, 1920, who took part in the bantamweight tournament at the 1952 Helsinki Games, died in 2015.
Today on Oldest Olympians we have a new pair of birthdays to celebrate so, as usual, we are going to cover both in a single blog post!
First, we are wishing a happy birthday to Swedish cross-country skier Irma Johansson, who is turning 94 today! Johansson represented her country in the 10 kilometers and relay events at the 1956 and 1960 Winter Olympics, winning bronze and gold in the relays in those years respectively. Her sole national title came in the 3×5 kilometer relay in 1960, and by career she was a professional gardener. She is now the oldest living Olympic medalist in cross-country skiing.
Then, we are wishing American basketball player Rom Tomsic a happy 93rd birthday! Tomsic represent his country in the tournament at the 1956 Melbourne Games, where the United States won gold. Domestically, he had been a member of the Standford University team. and he is now the oldest living Olympic basketball medalist!
(Robert Geiser)
Finally, on the topic of basketball, we wanted to share some updates regarding previous Olympic mysteries. Connor Mah was able to verify that, as suggested in an earlier post, Swiss basketballer Marcel Moget, born April 23, 1931, died in December 2018. He was also able to confirm that 1948 Swiss basketballer Robert Geiser was the individual who was born in 1919 and died December 17, 1981. He also located information that Geiser’s teammate Bernard Dutoit was born in 1923 and died October 23, 2000. Finally, Mah was also able to locate biographical details on two South Korean basketball players from 1948: Bang Won-sun was born in 1917 and died August 28, 1986, while Lee Jun-yeong was also born c. 1917 and died March 13, 1969.
Today we have two of the three milestone birthdays from last year to celebrate so, as usual, we are covering both in a single blog entry!
First is Gábor Benedek, the oldest living Olympic champion, Hungarian Olympian, and Olympic medalist in modern pentathlon, who is turning 99! After serving in World War II, Benedek made his Olympic debut at the 1952 Helsinki Games, where he won a silver medal in the individual event and, with the help of his countrymen, gold in the team tournament. He made a second appearance in 1956, where Hungary missed the podium in fourth and, individually, Benedek was sixth. He was also an individual World Champion in 1953 and a winner with the Hungarian team in 1954. For political reasons, he was banned from competing after 1959 and thus he took up coaching. He later emigrated to West Germany, where he remained until the end of the Cold War.
Second, American Hayes Jenkins, the oldest living Olympic figure skating champion, is turning 93! Jenkins placed just off the podium in fourth at the 1952 Oslo Games, but made up for it in 1956 by winning the event. From 1953 through 1956, he was also the American and World Champion, but he retired after that and worked as a lawyer.
Now that we are well into 2026, it is time for our yearly fast facts about the Oldest Olympians in the world, partially to continue our commitment to transparency in our research but mostly just for fun and to share some statistics!
(The oldest living Olympian, Rhoda Wurtele-Eaves, born January 21, 1922)
As of today, our full list contains 2476 participants, non-starters, demonstration athletes, and art competitors born between 1916 and 1935 that could be living, 939 of whom we believe to be living for certain. The former number is up from 2409 and the latter is up from 846 from February of last year.
We also have 147 Olympians who competed in the 1932 or 1936 Games, Winter and Summer, who have no date of birth but could be still living. It is worth reminding everyone that the vast majority of athletes that could be living are likely deceased.
As of today, we have 16 living Olympic centenarians, as ten died in 2025 and two thus far in 2026. If you have any suggestions of statistics or information that you would like to see added, please send us a message and we will be happy to include it in the next round!
Oldest Olympians is saddened to learn that Birte Christoffersen-Hanson, born March 28, 1924, who represented both Denmark and Sweden in diving, died February 23 at the age of 101. Christoffersen-Hanson represented Denmark as Brite Christoffersen until 1953, including at the 1948 London Olympics, where she won a bronze medal in the platform event. She also took two bronze medals at the 1950 European Championships. From 1954 until her retirement in the 1960s, she represented Sweden as Birte Hanson, appearing twice more at the Olympics (1956 and 1960) and capturing one bronze (1958) and two silver medals (1954) at the European Championships. By career, she worked as a physical education instructor.
(Harry Nielsen, pictured at the Aarhus Roklub)
At the time of her death, Christoffersen-Hanson was the oldest living Danish and Swedish Olympian, as well as the oldest survivor of the 1960 Rome Games. For Denmark, the new oldest Olympian is Harry Nielsen, born October 31, 1930, who represented his country in coxless fours rowing at the 1952 Helsinki Games. Since Christoffersen-Hanson was a medalist, however, Denmark also has a new oldest living Olympic podium finisher in Tove Søby, born January 23, 1933. Søby won a bronze medal for her nation in the K-1 500 canoeing event at the 1956 Melbourne Games, as well as at the 1954 World Championships.
Sweden’s new oldest Olympian, meanwhile, is Maud von Rosen, born December 24, 1925. Van Rosen represented her country in the dressage tournament at the 1972 Munich Games, finishing eighth individually, which helped Sweden take a bronze medal in the team competition. She also earned bronze with the Swedish dressage team one year earlier at the 1971 European Championships. She was already Sweden’s oldest living Olympic medalist, as well as the oldest living Olympic medalist in equestrian.
Additionally, the oldest survivor of the 1960 Rome Games is now Ninel Krutova, born January 3, 1926. Krutova represented the Soviet Union in five diving events across three editions of the Games – 1952 through 1960 – and took bronze in the platform at the final tournament. She was European springboard champion in 1958 and platform runner-up in 1962, and a 13-time Soviet champion. She later worked as a coach.
Finally, as an update to an older Danish Olympic mystery, we originally believed that Equestrian Ulla Petersen, born May 27, 1933, may have died in 2003 in Birkerød. Research by Connor Mah, however, demonstrated that she actually died April 29, 2005.
Oldest Olympians will once again be travelling with limited internet connectivity for the next week so, rather than miss an update, we have decided to post a blog entry today that will cover one Olympian for every day that we suspect we will be absent (February 19–27).
During this time, we will have four milestone birthdays, albeit spread over only two days. First, Egyptian rower Wagih El-Attar will turn 98 on February 22! El-Attar represented his country in the coxed fours rowing event at the 1952 Helsinki Games, where Egypt was eliminated in the round one repêchage. He had better luck at the 1955 Mediterranean Games, where he captured bronze in the coxed pairs. He is now the oldest living Egyptian Olympian.
We then have three milestone birthdays on February 23. First, French alpine skier Micheline Desmazières will be turning 100! Desmazières represented her country in the downhill at the 1948 St. Moritz Games, where she placed 29th. She also competed in three events at the 1950 World Championships, while domestically she was a two-time national champion in the slalom (1947 and 1949).
Additionally, (West) German equestrian Harry Boldt will turn 96! Boldt competed in two editions of the Olympic dressage competition, representing unified Germany in 1964 in Tokyo and West Germany in 1976 in Montreal. Both times, he earned gold in the team competition and silver individually. At the World Championships, he earned silver individually in 1966 and gold with the team in 1966 and 1978, as well as team silver in 1970. He collected an additional 11 medals, five of them gold, at the European Championships between 1963 and 1979, and retired in 1980. He then served as a coach until 1996 and is now the oldest living German Olympic champion.
Our third birthday for the 23rd comes courtesy of (East) German cyclist Gustav-Adolf Schur, who will be turning 95! Schur represented his country in four events across two editions of the Games, 1956 and 1960, winning bronze in the team road race at the former edition and silver in the 100 kilometers team time trial at the latter. He also captured numerous national titles and served as a politician from 1958 through 2002, taking a break only between 1990 and 1998 during the reunification of Germany.
Next, thanks to Wojciech Nowakowski, we received an update that Polish sport shooter Czesław Zając, born January 20, 1927, is still alive at the age of 99 as the oldest living Polish Olympian! Zając represented his country in the rapid-fire pistol, 25 metres event at the 1960 Rome Games, where he placed seventh. He won a bronze medal in that event at the 1963 European Championships and captured 13 national titles across two disciplines between 1955 and 1966.
For the remaining entries, we want to highlight three of the oldest Olympians that we have not yet featured. First is French canoer Fredy Grosheny, born July 27, 1935. Grosheny represented France in the first round of the Kayak Relay, 4×500 metres event at the 1960 Rome Games, before being replaced by Jean Friquet. The team went on to be eliminated in the repêchage. We do not know much else about him, but he was still living as of his 86th birthday in 2021.
Next we have Danish sport shooter Niels Petersen, born September 8, 1932. Petersen represented his country in the small-bore rifle, three positions and prone, 50 metres events at the 1960 and 1964 Summer Olympics, with a best finish of 13th in the three positions in Tokyo. As with Grosheny, we could not find much additional information about him, but we do know that he was still alive in 2025 at the age of 93.
Finally, we are going to end with another Danish competitor, swimmer Gerda Olsen, born June 12, 1932. Olsen represented her country in the 100 metres backstroke at the 1952 Helsinki Games, where she placed 14th. She was also a reserve with the 4×100 metres freestyle relay, but did not take part in that event. She had better luck at the 1950 European Championships, where she took silver in the relay.
The tables will not be updated during our absence, but we look forward to returning on February 28 to continue cover the Oldest Olympians! We hope that you will join us!
Today Oldest Olympians is celebrating the same two milestone birthdays as last year! The first is French gymnast Colette Fanara who is turning 101 as the oldest French Olympian and oldest Olympic gymnast! Fanara represented her country in the tournament at the 1952 Helsinki Games, where she had a best individual finish of 85th in the uneven bars. By career she was a physical education teacher and gymnastics instructor. Her grandson Thomas Fanara was a three-time Olympian in alpine skiing and Colette now resides in Nice.
Next, we are wishing a happy 99th birthday to Carlos Caballero, the oldest living Olympic weightlifter! Cabaellero represented Colombia in the middleweight division at the 1956 and 1960 Summer Games, but did not win a medal. He was also selected for the 1964 Tokyo Olympics, but did not make the trip after budget cuts. Following his 1970 retirement, he turned to coaching.
Finally, thanks again to Connor Mah, we have an update on another Olympic mystery. Gymnast Carol Bedö, born December 13, 1930, was potentially the oldest living Romanian Olympian, but we had not seen an update for him since 2013, and thus we removed him from our tables. It turns out that Bedö died February 3, 2020, at the age of 89.
Oldest Olympians is saddened to learn that Finnish sailor Freddy Ehrström, born August 29, 1925, died January 21 at the age of 100. Ehrström, alongside Rolf Zachariassen, represented his country in the Star class at the 1960 Rome Games, where the duo placed 14th. Ehrström was a four-time national champion in this event (1952, 1959, 1960, and 1971) and later worked as an administrator and judge with the International Sailing Federation.
At the time of his death, Ehrström was the oldest living Finnish Olympian and oldest living Olympic sailor. The new titleholder in the former category is track and field athlete Rainer Pelkonen, born April 19, 1928. Pelkonen represented his country in the 400 metres hurdles at the 1952 Helsinki Games, where he was eliminated in the quarter-finals. He was also selected for the 800 metres, but did not start the event. Domestically, he won 11 relay titles, as well as the hurdles title in 1952, and he later worked as a physical education teacher. He continued to compete at the masters’ level into his 80s.
In the latter category, the new titleholder is Australian Gordon Ingate, born March 29, 1926. Ingate represented his country in the Tempest class at the 1972 Munich Games, where he placed 19th. That same year, he was runner-up to Ted Turner in the Sydney to Hobart Yacht Race, but he continued competing in national championships into his 90s, even winning a Dragon class title in 2018 at the age of 91. He is also Australia’s oldest living Olympian.
Finally, as an update to a previous report on a potential Olympic centenarian, Connor Mah discovered that Yoshio Iimuro, born January 18, 1925, who was potentially the oldest living Japanese Olympian, actually died in October 2023. He therefore died at the age of 98 and did not become a centenarian.
Today on Oldest Olympians, we have two milestone birthdays to celebrate so, as usual, we are going to cover both in a single blog entry!
First, we are wishing a happy 100th birthday to Trude Klecker, the oldest survivor of the 1956 Cortina d’Ampezzo Games! Klecker represented Austria in the downhill and the giant slalom in both 1952 and 1956, and just missed the podium in fourth in the giant slalom in 1952. She was more successful at the 1954 World Championships, where she won the slalom and took silver in the downhill. She was also a seven-time national champion across various disciplines, and later became a German language teacher.
We are also celebrating the 95th birthday of Dick Deaver, the oldest living Olympic sailing medalist! Deaver represented the United States in the Dragon class at the 1964 Tokyo Games, where he won the bronze medal. By career, he was a sailmaker.
On the topic of the 1956 Cortina d’Ampezzo Games, we have an update on an Olympian that we discussed many years ago. Mahmoud Beiglou, born in 1929, represented Iran in three alpine skiing events at those Games and was still alive in 2010. By 2020, however, we had not seen further updates from him and thus removed him from our tables. As it turns out, however, Beiglou died well before turning 90, on January 18, 2013.
Today we were hoping to celebrate the 101st birthday of Yoshio Iimuro as the oldest living Japanese Olympian and Olympic track and field athlete. Iimuro represented his country in the triple jump at the 1952 Helsinki Games, where he placed sixth. He had better luck at the Asian Games, where he won gold in that event in 1951 and silver in 1954. Unfortunately, we have not seen any confirmation of his 100th birthday and thus we have had to remove him from our lists.
(Masaji Tajima, pictured at Getty Images)
This leaves Masaji Tajima, born April 5, 1929, as the oldest living Japanese Olympian. Tajima represented his country in four events across two editions of the Games: the 100 metres and the long jump in 1952, and the 4×100 metres relay and the long jump in 1956. He was also an alternate in the 4×400 metres relay at the former edition. Tajima was a three-time Asian Games champion, winning the 4×100 metres relay in 1951 and 1954, and the long jump in 1951. He was the national champion in the long jump from 1950 through 1953.
As for the oldest living track and field athlete, that distinction now goes to André Marie of France, born October 14, 1925. Marie represented his country in the 110 metres hurdles at the 1948 London Games, where he failed to complete his semi-final heat. He had better luck at the 1950 European Championships, where he won the gold medal, and he later worked as an architectural designer, while also serving as an athletics administrator.
While we are blogging, we also wanted to mention a 1935 Olympic mystery that we missed in our last post. Pradip Bose, who was born c. 1935, represented India in cycling’s road race at the 1952 Helsinki Games, but failed to finish the course. This is all that we know about him, but an anonymous user added a date of death of January 20, 2023 to his (now removed) Wikipedia page. We have, however, been unable to confirm this.
