For the first time in nearly two months, Oldest Olympians has two milestone birthdays to celebrate 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 97! 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 94th 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.