Oldest Olympians is saddened to learn of the recent deaths of two French titleholders, the first of which is fencer Daniel Dagallier, born June 11, 1926, who died December 2 at the age of 99. In addition to his team bronze medal from the 1956 Summer Olympics, Dagallier won five team medals – one gold and two each of silver and bronze – in the event at the World Championships between 1951 and 1958, and also took gold at the 1955 Mediterranean Games. At the time of his death, he was the oldest living Olympic fencing medalist and the oldest living French Olympic medalist overall.

The oldest living Olympic fencing medalist is now Michael Howard, born December 24, 1928. Howard represented Great Britain at three editions of the Games, 1956-1964, and took silver with the épée team in 1960. He was a bronze medalist in that event at the 1957 World Championships and twice British Empire and Commonwealth Games champion, in 1958 and 1962.

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

The title of oldest living French Olympic medalist then went to Jean Laudet, born August 5, 1930, who was already the oldest living French Olympic champion and Olympic canoeing medalist. 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.

(Georges Turlier)

Unfortunately, Laudet died December 20 at the age of 95, which again changed the titles. The new oldest French Olympic medalist is Jacqueline Du Bief, born December 4, 1930, who took bronze in the women’s singles figure skating event at the 1952 Oslo Games. The new oldest living French Olympic and Olympic canoeing champion, meanwhile, is Laudet’s partner Georges Turlier, born July 16, 1931.

Today Oldest Olympians has the same three milestone birthdays to celebrate as last year, and thus we have even more reason than usual to discuss them all in a single blog post!

(Ernesto Sastre, pictured at El Magazín Cultural)

First, we are wishing fencer Ernesto Sastre a happy 99^th birthday! Sastre represented Colombia in three events at the 1964 Tokyo Games, the individual and team épée, as well as the team foil, but was eliminated in the first round of each of them. He had better luck at the Central American and Caribbean Games, winning bronze and gold with the épée team in 1962 and 1966 respectively. Sastre is the oldest living Colombian Olympian, as well as the oldest survivor of the 1964 Tokyo Olympics.

Next, we are wishing Canadian bobsledder Peter Kirby a happy 94^rd birthday! Kirby represented Canada in two events at the 1964 Innsbruck Games, coming in fourth in the two-man, but winning gold in the four-man. Originally a skier, he also won a gold medal at the 1965 World Championships and, by career, was a geologist and businessman. He is now the oldest living Olympic bobsleigh medalist.

Finally, we are wishing a happy 96^th birthday to Walter Neville Howell, the oldest living Australian Olympic medalist and Olympic rowing medalist! Howell represented his country in rowing’s eights event at the 1956 Melbourne Games, where he won a bronze medal. He captured gold in that event at the 1962 British Empire and Commonwealth Games and also competed in the coxed pairs at the 1960 Rome Olympics, but was eliminated in the round one repêchage.

Last year on this day, we celebrated the 100^th birthday of Tong Suet-Fong, who represented Chinese Taipei in the basketball tournament at the 1956 Melbourne Games, as the oldest living Taiwanese Olympian. Having done additional research, however, and having not seen any 100^th birthday announcements, we have concluded that he was most likely born in 1932 and is thus “only” 93 today. As such, we have updated our tables and this makes him no longer the oldest living Taiwanese Olympian.

(Cheng Chi-Sen)

That distinction possibly goes to Chen An-hu, born December 31, 1924, who was already the oldest living Olympic sport shooter. As we have not seen a 100^th birthday notification for him, however, we are applying our policy a little early and removing him from our tables until and unless we find confirmation that he is still alive. That leaves us with Cheng Chi-Sen, born July 13, 1926, as both the oldest living competitor from Chinese Taipei and the oldest living Olympic sport shooter. Cheng represented his country in the free pistol, 50 metres event at the 1968 Mexico City Games, where he placed 56^th. A police officer by career, he competed at the 1966 Asian Games and later moved to San Francisco, where he ran a catering business. He is also the oldest survivor of the 1968 Summer Olympics.

(Rosemarie Sparrow)

Finally, in other Olympic centenarian news, we are saddened to learn that British alpine skier Rosemarie Sparrow, born July 6, 1925, died October 13 at the age of 100. Sparrow represented her country in two alpine skiing events in 1948, placing 25th in the combined and 30th in the downhill. At the time of her death, she was the oldest living British Olympian and survivor of the 1948 St. Moritz Games. The former title now goes to Tony Purssell, born July 5, 1926, who represented his country in coxed fours rowing at the 1948 London Games. The oldest living survivor of the 1948 St. Moritz Olympics, meanwhile, is Egon Schöpf, born October 16, 1925, who represented Austria in two events at those Games, as well as an additional one in 1952.

Today, Oldest Olympians has the same two milestone birthdays to celebrate as it did last year so, rather than choose between them, we are going to feature both in a single blog entry!

First, Australian cross-country skier Richard Walpole is turning 98! Walpole represented his country in the 15 kilometer event at the 1960 Squaw Valley Games, finishing 51st. Both during and after his active career, he coached for his Myrtleford Ski Club, and he is now the oldest survivor of the 1960 Winter Olympics.

We are also wishing a happy 95^th birthday to fencer Jan Boutmy, the oldest living Olympian to have represented the Netherlands Antilles! Boutmy took part in the individual sabre tournaments at the 1964 and 1968 Summer Olympics, but was eliminated in the first round both times. He had much more success at the Central American and Caribbean Games, winning eleven medals between 1946 and 1970, including six golds. He later served as an international judge and coach.

Oldest Olympians is saddened to learn that British speed skater Henry Howes, born October 11, 1928, died in September at the age of 96. Howes represented his country in four events at the 1948 St. Moritz Games, with a best finish of 18^th in the 1500 metres. Domestically, he won four British titles between 1946 and 1949, but then retired from active competition.

(Henry Howes, pictured at Getty Images)

At the time of his death, Howes was the oldest living Olympic speed skater. That distinction now goes to Kim Jong-Sun, born January 23, 1931. Kim represented South Korea in three events at the 1956 Cortina d’Ampezzo Games, with a best finish of 30^th in the 10,000 metres. An injury ended his career the following year, but he later served as an administrator with the Korean Ice Skating Federation before moving to Los Angeles in 1992.

On the subject of South Korea, we also wanted to raise an Olympic mystery, that of Lee Sang-cheol, born November 1, 1935. Lee represented his country in the marathon at the 1960 Rome Games, where he placed 47^th. We were able to locate the October 2018 obituary of an individual by this name who was chairman of the Korean Athletics Federation, which seems likely to be him, but as the notice does not mention Olympic participation, or even an age, we cannot be certain.