What is the minimum age requirement to compete at the Olympics?

The Olympics, one of the most prestigious global sporting events, is a multi-sport competition that draws the attention of the world every four years. Boasting a rich sporting heritage, this is the one event that every athlete, novice or experienced, wants to compete in. However, if you ever wondered whether there is any minimum age requirement to compete at the Olympic Games, the answer is no.

According to the official set rules of The International Olympic Committee, there are no specific age limits or requirements to qualify for the Games. Furthermore, there are a few countries that allow athletes as young as 13 to qualify and participate. However, it is imperative for the athletes to comply with the International Federation of each individual sport which lays down its own rules around the minimum age requirements for an athlete to compete.

The governing International Federation of a specific sport may require its athletes to be at least 16 years of age, while the requirement for another sport could be as young as 13.

Youngest athletes to be competing at the Paris Olympics 2024

At just 11 years old, China’s Zheng Haohao will be the youngest athlete to participate in the upcoming Summer Olympics when she steps out to compete for her country in the skateboarding event. Skateboarders Lola Tambling and Sky Brown (Great Britain), Gymnast Hezly Rivera (USA), and track and field athlete Quincy Wilson (USA) are all 16 years of age and make up the list of the youngest athletes to compete in Paris.

Though Zheng Haohao is the youngest in the upcoming event, she is not the youngest ever to participate in the Olympics. The record is held by gymnast Dimitrios Loundras, who, at 10 years of age, competed and won the bronze medal as part of the Greek gymnastics team at the 1896 Athens Summer Olympics.

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