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The 2024 Summer Olympics just finished in Paris, France, and with it came victory for many athletes who took home gold, silver, and bronze medals. According to the International Olympic Committee (IOC), there is no specific age limit or requirement to compete in the games but each sport can set its own age limit, like gymnastics (16) and wrestling 18). The youngest competitor at the games was 11-year-old skateboarder Zheng Haohao from China. Had she medaled, she would have joined the youngest gold medalists in Olympic History (she finished in 18th place).
The Summer and Winter Olympics both take place every four years. After the 1992 Olympics, the International Olympic Committee decided to alternate the Summer and Winter Olympics every two years to cut down on the costs of the games. The next Winter Games will be in 2026 in Milan, Italy and the Summer Games will be in 2028 in Los Angeles. Perhaps a new record will be set then.
To create a list of the youngest gold medalists in Olympic history, 24/7 Tempo consulted Oldest.org, The New York Times, CNN, and USA Today. The medalists are listed below in descending order. (Check out 27 of the Biggest Summer Olympics Controversies in History.)
9. Lillian Watson
- Age at Time of Win: 14
- Sport: Swimming
Lillian Watson was an American athlete who competed in the Tokyo 1964 Olympics at the age of 14. She won two gold medals at the Tokyo 1964 Olympics in the 4×100 meter Freestyle Relay and the 4×100 meter Medley Relay. Watson brought home gold again at the Mexico City 1968 Olympics for the 200-meter Backstroke.
8. Kusuo Kitamura
- Age at Time of Win: 14
- Sport: Swimming
At almost 15 years old, Kusuo Kitamura became the youngest Olympic swimmer to win a gold medal. Kitamura won the gold medal in the 1,500-meter Freestyle in the Los Angeles 1932 Olympics. The record he set for youngest swimmer to win a gold medal wasn't beaten until 1988. While Kitamura fought in World War II, his father tried to donate his gold medal to the government, but they refused to take it.
7. Kristina Egerszegi
- Age of Time of Win: 14
- Sport: Swimming
At the Seoul 1988 Olympics, Kristina Egerszegi became the first Olympic swimmer to beat Kitamura's record for youngest swimmer to win a gold medal. She won the gold medal in the 200-meter Backstroke. Egerszegi went on to win four more gold medals between her wins at the Barcelona 1992 Olympics and the Atlanta 1996 Olympics.
6. Nadia Comaneci
- Age at Time of Win: 14
- Sport: Gymnastics
Nadia Comaneci won her first gold medal at the age of 14 during the Montreal 1976 Olympics. On the uneven bars, Comaneci received a perfect 10 leading to her first gold medal in the games. She also won a gold medal in the Individual All-Around, Floor Exercise, and Balance Beam. After the 1976 games, Comaneci went on to win two more gold medals in the Moscow 1980 Olympics.
5. Kim Yun-Mi
- Age at Time of Win: 13
- Sport: Speed Skater
Kim Yun-Mi was a South Korean speed skater who, at the age of 13, became the youngest athlete to win a medal in the Olympic Winter Games. In the Lillehammer 1994 Olympics, Yun-Mi won her first gold medal in the 3,000-meter Relay for Short Track Speed Skating. Yun-Mi won a second gold medal in the same event at the Nagano 1998 Olympics.
4. Fu Mingxia
- Age at Time of Win: 13
- Sport: Diving
Although Fu Mingxia was originally a gymnast, she became a competitive diver at nine years old. By the age of 13, she became one of the youngest gold medalists in history. In the Barcelona 1992 Olympics, Mingxia won her first gold medal at the Platform event for Diving. She won two more gold medals at the Atlanta 1996 Olympics and won her final gold medal at the Sydney 2000 Olympics.
3. Momiji Nishiya
- Age at Time of Win: 13
- Sport: Skateboarding
Born in 2007, Momiji Nishiya was the youngest gold medalist to compete as a Skateboarder in the Olympics. Nishiya won her gold medal in the Women's Street even at the Tokyo 2020 Olympics. She's also the youngest athlete to win a gold medal for Japan. Nishiya did not quality for the Paris 2024 Olympic Games.
2. Marjorie Gestring
- Age at Time of Win: 13
- Sport: Diving
Even though she competed in the Olympics nearly 90 years ago, Marjorie Gestring is still the youngest female athlete to win a gold medal. In the Berlin 1936 Olympics, Gestring won the gold medal in the Springboard Diving event, representing Team USA. This was her only gold medal although she is still the second youngest person in history to win an Olympic gold medal.
1. Klaus Zerta
- Age at Time of Win: 13
- Sport: Rowing
The title of youngest gold medalist in the Olympics goes to Klaus Zerta, a young Olympic athlete representing Germany. Zerta won his only gold medal at the Rome 1960 Olympics for the Coxed Pairs Rowing event. Zerta was only 13 years old when he won this title and no athlete since then has beat his record. He also won the Silver Bay Leaf, Germany's highest achievement in the world of sports. (Next, don't miss Americans' Favorite Athletes of All Time.)