Today on Oldest Olympians, we want to cover three recent deaths of Olympic titleholders. The first is German ski jumper Max Bolkart, born July 29, 1932, who died April 26 at the age of 92. Bolkart represented Germany in three editions of the Olympic ski jumping tournament, 1956 through 1964, and just missed the podium in the large hill in 1956 when he finished fourth. Domestically, he was West German champion four times during that period and later worked as a coach, machine fitter, and hotel owner.
At the time of his death, Bolkart was the oldest living Olympic ski jumper, a distinction that now goes to Enzo Perin, born August 10, 1933. Perin represented Italy in the Nordic combined in the same three editions, but also took part in the ski jumping tournament in 1956 and 1960. His best finish overall was 14th in the Nordic combined in 1960.
Next, Oldest Olympians was saddened to learn of the deaths of two Olympic canoers. First, Mariya Shubina, born May 8, 1930, died April 20 at the age of 94. Shubina represented the Soviet Union in the K-2 500 at the 1960 Rome Games and won gold. Although this was her only Olympic appearance, between 1959 and 1967 she was a three-time European, four-time world, and ten-time national champion across various disciplines, and also won an additional silver medal at the Europeans and two at the Worlds. By career she was a biologist and earned her PhD in 1975.
The second was Ferenc Mohácsi, born October 25, 1929, who died April 29 at the age of 95. Mohácsi took bronze in the C-2 1000 at the 1956 Melbourne Games for Hungary. During his career, he took part in numerous sports and earned a degree in physical education. He later worked on the administrative side of sport. At the time of his death, he was the oldest living Olympic canoeing medalist, while Shubina was the oldest living Olympic canoeing champion.
(Jean Laudet, pictured in the center at Histoire du Canoë)
These titles now combine into one individual, France’s Jean Laudet, born August 5, 1930. Laudet represented his country in the C-2 10,000 metres event at the 1952 Helsinki Games, alongside Georges Turlier (another of the oldest Olympians), and took home the gold medal. He later worked as an antiquarian.
Finally, in continuing to share the information uncovered by Connor Mah on 1928 competitors, we wanted to highlight a new discovery in skijoring. We now know that Rudolf Wettstein, who won the demonstration event in St. Moritz, was born July 7, 1888 and died April 28, 1952.