Who really is the youngest Olympic champion?

The whole world in February this year observed the development of sporting events at the 2014 Winter Olympics in Sochi. The Olympic competitions were rich in victories and records. At the games held in Sochi, the youngest Olympic champion was determined. So after the Olympics they call Lipnitskaya Julia, a talented Russian figure skater, who won a gold medal for participating in team competitions. At that time, Julia was 15 years and 249 days. But is she really the youngest Olympic champion? Are not the Russian media wrong?

From the history of the Olympic Games

The very first Olympiad in the history of modern sports took place in the distant 1896. Since then, all the statistical data and the results of the competitions are recorded by specially appointed people. Thanks to this information, such information is known - who is the youngest Olympic champion, and who is the oldest. Julia Lipnitskaya, indeed, is one of the youngest participants of the Olympic Games, besides, she is the owner of the gold medal. But Russian media hastily concluded that she is the smallest Olympic champion. In fact, in the history of world sports competitions there were more young winners. Let us recall some of them.

Nadia Comanechi

In the small town of Onesti in Romania, in 1961 a unique girl was born who became the most titled sportswoman of the country in her entire history. Nadia won her first gold medal when she was only 14 years old. It happened in 1976 at the Olympics in Montreal. The girl was a real discovery for everyone, because she then won five medals - three gold, one silver and one bronze. At the next Olympics in the Russian capital , Moscow, in 1980, Nadia Komaneci won four more medals - two silver and two gold medals.

Tatyana Gutsu

Ukrainian and Soviet gymnasts, world champion, three-time European champion, four-time prize-winner of the Olympics, was born in Odessa in 1976. At six years old, the girl began to engage in gymnastics, at twelve she became part of the Soviet national team that participated in the Olympic Games. Tatyana first took part in the world championship when she was fourteen. Then she became a champion in team competitions. A year later, at the age of fifteen, at the Olympic Games in Barcelona in 1992, Tatiana Gutsu won two gold medals and one silver and one bronze medal.

Marjorie Göstring

Marjorie Gestring is an athlete from the USA, the youngest Olympic champion in individual competitions for 58 years (until 1994). Her first gold she won in 1936 in Berlin at the age of 13 years. The victory was brought to her by her last jump into the water from the springboard at the Olympics of that year. Unfortunately, in addition to this medal, Gestring could not get more than one. The 1940 Olympics were canceled in connection with the outbreak of World War II, and the next Olympic Games took place only in 1948. Gestring did not manage to get into the Olympic team.

Inge Sørensen

Swimmer from Denmark, who at the Olympics in 1936 in Berlin won bronze in a swim with a breaststroke for 200 meters at the age of 12 years (to be precise, at 12 years and 24 days). Inge from an early age easily competed with adults and experienced athletes. She became nine times champion of Denmark, a multiple winner of the Scandinavian Games, as well as the European champion in swimming breaststroke at a distance of 200 meters. Since 1936, she is considered the youngest participant of the Olympic Games in individual competitions. In the history of her sports career, Inge has set 14 national records and 4 world records. Some time after leaving from the big sport Inge moved to America and continued her career as a coach.

Kim Yong-mi

A representative of the sports team of South Korea at the Olympic Games in the Norwegian city of Lillehammer in 1994 won gold in the relay for three thousand meters in the competition for the short track. The young athlete then was only 13 years old and 85 days old. Unfortunately, Russian figure skater Lipnitskaya Yulia, to this very day it is she who is the youngest Olympic champion.

"The oldest" champion

Romanian athlete Leah Manolpu in 1968 took gold at the Olympics, which was held in the Mexican city of Mexico. She won a discus throwing competition at the age of 36 and 176 days. Until now, Leah Manolpu - the oldest Olympic champion.