The Youngest Olympian Was an Unnamed 7-Year-Old

This boy (who has never been definitively identified) served as a substitute coxswain in a rowing event and helped the Dutch crew win gold, likely making him the youngest Olympic gold medalist in history.

Dimitrios Loundras is widely recognized as the youngest documented Olympian in history.

He competed in gymnastics at the first modern Olympic Games in 1896 and won a bronze medal in the team competition. His achievement makes him the youngest ever medal winner in Olympic history.

Italian gymnast Luigina Giavotti competed in the 1928 Summer Games. At just 11 years old, she won a silver medal in the women’s team gymnastics event, setting a record for the youngest female athlete ever to medal.

Inge Sørensen represented Denmark in swimming at the 1936 Summer Games. At age 12, she won a bronze medal, becoming the youngest swimmer to stand on the Olympic podium.

Carla Marangoni competed in gymnastics at the same Olympic Games as Giavotti.

She was 12 years old when she helped Italy win silver in women’s team gymnastics, cementing her place among the youngest Olympic competitors.

Japanese skateboarder Kokona Hiraki made her Olympic debut at the Tokyo Olympics.

At age 12, she won silver in women’s skateboarding, making her the youngest medalist of those Games and one of the youngest athletes ever to win silver.

Sky Brown represented Great Britain in women’s skateboarding at the Tokyo Games. At 13 years old, she won a bronze medal, becoming Great Britain’s youngest ever Olympic medalist.

Klaus Zerta competed in rowing for Germany at the 1960 Olympics. He won gold as a coxswain at age 13, showing how team roles sometimes allow very young athletes to compete.

Marjorie Gestring competed in diving for the United States. At age 13, she won gold, making her the youngest individual Olympic gold medalist in modern Olympic history.

Nadia Comăneci competed in gymnastics at the 1976 Summer Games in Montreal.

At 14, she earned perfect scores, won multiple medals, and reshaped how the world viewed youth, discipline, and excellence in Olympic competition.

Gymnastics, skateboarding, swimming, and rowing coxswain roles have produced many of the youngest Olympians.

Track and field and football, by contrast, rarely feature competitors under the age of 16 due to physical demands.

Age limits are now more common, often in the name of safety concerns for young competitors.

Following debates about children in elite competition, the International Olympic Committee and individual sport federations introduced minimum age rules. These changes explain why extremely young Olympians are rarer in recent Games like Tokyo and Paris.

The youngest Olympians capture attention because they challenge expectations.

Their stories raise questions about coaching, discipline, family support, and athlete welfare, while also celebrating extraordinary talent on a global stage.

We created this article in conjunction with AI technology, then made sure it was fact-checked and edited by a HowStuffWorks editor.