On August 28, we had two milestone birthdays to celebrate, but we were unable to post a blog entry. Thus, we wanted to wish a happy belated birthday to two Olympians today: Maria Golimowska and Leo Franciosi, both of whom turned 93!

Maria Golimowska, the oldest living Olympic volleyball medalist and Polish Olympic medalist, represented her country in the tournament at the 1964 Tokyo Games, where she won a bronze medal. She also took bronze at the 1956 and 1962 World Championships and the 1958 European Championships, in addition to silver at the 1963 Europeans. Her international career lasted from 1955 through 1966, and she did not retire domestically until 1971.

Leo Franciosi, the oldest living Sammarinese Olympian, represented his nation in four editions of the Olympic trap shooting tournament – 1960, 1968, 1976, 1980 – with a best finish of joint-21st in 1976. He was also the flagbearer for San Marino in the 1968 Opening Ceremony.

In other news, oldest Olympians is saddened to learn that Iranian wrestler Emam Ali Habibi, born April 13, 1931, died August 24 at the age of 94. Habibi represented his country in the lightweight, freestyle wrestling division at the 1956 Melbourne Games, where he won a surprise gold medal. He then switched to welterweight, winning titles at the 1958 Asian Games and the World Championships from 1959 through 1962, with his only major loss coming at the 1960 Rome Olympics, where he was eliminated in round five. He was later a member of Iran’s parliament and had a brief career in film.

At the time of his death, Habibi was the oldest living Iranian and wrestling Olympic champion. While there are no living Iranian Olympic champions over the age of 90, the oldest living Olympic wrestling champion is now Branislav Simić, born March 21, 1935. Simić represented Yugoslavia in four consecutive editions of the Olympic middleweight Greco-Roman tournament, 1956-1968, winning gold in 1964 and bronze in 1968. He was also a gold medalist at the 1967 Mediterranean Games.

Today Oldest Olympians is saddened to report the recent deaths of two centenarian Olympians. The first is Austrian gymnast Gerti Gries, born October 16, 1924, who died May 22 at the age of 100. Gries represented her country in the tournaments at the 1948 and 1952 Summer Olympics, placing sixth with the team in 1948 and having a best individual finish of joint-56^th in the uneven bars in 1952. At the time of her death, she was the oldest living Austrian Olympian, Olympic gymnast, and survivor of the 1952 Summer Games.

(Colette Fanara)

The oldest survivor of the 1952 Helsinki Olympics is now Yulen Uralov, born November 23, 1924. Uralov represented the Soviet Union in two foil fencing events at those Games, but did not win a medal. He later worked as a coach and eventually moved to Israel. The oldest living Olympic gymnast is now Colette Fanara, born February 15, 1925. Fanara represented France in the tournament at the 1952 Helsinki Games, where her best individual finish was 85^th in the uneven bars. Finally, the oldest living Austrian Olympian is now alpine skier Egon Schöpf, born October 16, 1925. Schöpf represented his country in four events across two editions of the Games, 1948 and 1952, but only placed in two of them: fifth in the downhill and sixth in the slalom in 1948. He was a bronze medalist in the downhill at the 1950 World Championships.

(Julio César León, pictured at Noticias Barquisimeto)

The other recent death is that of Julio César León, born February 2, 1925, who died on August 17 at the age of 100. León competed in two events at the 1948 London Games, the 1,000 metres time trial and the sprint, finishing 14th and being eliminated in the second round respectively. This made him the first Venezuelan to compete at the Olympics (outside of the art competitions) and, as the sole delegate from his nation to those Games, he had the honor of carrying Venezuela’s flag in the opening ceremony. He had a relatively successful international cycling career after World War II and later worked as an engineer.

(Emilio Vidal, pictured at PIÙ BIKES)

At the time of his death, León was the oldest living Venezuelan Olympian, a distinction that now goes to another cyclist, Emilio Vidal, born April 2, 1929. Vidal represented his nation in the road race at the 1960 Rome Games, where he placed 62^nd. Finally, we wanted to note an addition to our list of Olympic-adjacent centenarians. Eugene Wettstone, born July 15, 1913, was a reserve with the American gymnastics team at the 1948 London Games, but did not compete. He was, however, a referee at the 1952 Helsinki Games, and he died July 30, 2013 at the age of 100 years, 15 days.

Today on Oldest Olympians we have two milestone birthdays to celebrate, so it is time cover them both in a blog entry!

(Sheila Lerwill, pictured at The Streatham Society)

First we are wishing a happy 97^th birthday to Sheila Lerwill, the oldest living British Olympic medalist and Olympic medalist in track and field athletics! Lerwill represented her country in the high jump at the 1952 Helsinki Games, where she won a silver medal. She was European champion in that event in 1950 and came in fourth at the 1954 British Empire and Commonwealth Games. After coming in fifth at that year’s Europeans, she retired from active competition.

Second, we are wishing a happy 96^th birthday to Fritz Nachmann, the oldest living Olympic luger and survivor of the 1968 Grenoble Games! Nachmann represented West Germany in 1968 and won a bronze medal in the doubles while placing 17^th in the singles. Four years earlier he had represented a unified Germany at the 1964 Innsbruck Olympics, but did not finish the singles. He won silver in the singles at the 1967 Europeans and five medals, including three golds, at the Worlds.

Finally, thanks to Connor Mah, we have learned that Swiss field hockey player Maurice Magnin, who was on our list of 1928 mystery competitors, was born August 5, 1896 in what is now Geneva. He also found that another Swiss field hockey player, Pierre Pasche from 1948, was born September 27, 1909 and died April 14, 1988.

Today Oldest Olympians has two milestone birthdays to celebrate, so we are combining them into a single blog post instead of choosing between them. Sadly, we also have two deaths from among the oldest Olympian titleholders to report as well.

First, we are wishing Italian sport shooter Ennio Mattarelli a happy 97^th birthday! Mattarelli represented Italy in the trap event at the 1964 Tokyo Games, where he won the gold medal. He also competed in 1968, where he was 27th, and won seven medals – three of them gold – at the World Championships between 1961 and 1974. He later worked as a coach and opened a business that manufactured clay pigeon launchers, and is now the oldest living Italian Olympic medalist and Olympic medalist in sport shooting!

(Jean Laudet, pictured in the center at Histoire du Canoë)

Next, we are wishing French canoeist Jean Laudet a happy 95^th birthday! 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 and is now the oldest living Olympic canoeing medalist!

(Ivo Cipci)

Then, Oldest Olympians is saddened to learn of the deaths of two titleholders among the oldest Olympic water polo players. First, Italian Salvatore Gionta, born December 22, 1930, died July 28 at the age of 94. Gionta represented his country in the tournaments at the 1952 and 1960 Summer Olympics, winning bronze and gold respectively. He was also a Mediterranean Games champion in 1955 and a European Championship bronze medalist in 1954. At the time of his death, he was the oldest living Olympic water polo medallist. That distinction now goes to the only other water polo medallist over the age of 90: Ivo Cipci, born April 25, 1933, who took silver with Yugoslavia in 1956.

(Edson Perri)

Second, Brazilian Edson Perri, born June 5, 1928, died August 2 at the age of 97. Perri represented his country in the tournament at the 1952 Helsinki Games, where he was eliminated in the preliminary round. At the Pan American Games, he took silver in 1951 and bronze in 1955. He then took up coaching and led the Brazilian team at the 1968 and 1984 Olympics. At the time of his death, Perri was the oldest living Olympic water polo player overall; the new titleholder is Gerry Worsell, born May 1, 1930, who represented Great Britain in 1952 and 1956.