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.