The whole world in the month of February this year watched the development of sporting events at the 2014 Winter Olympics in Sochi. 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 Julia Lipnitskaya, a talented Russian skater who received a gold medal for participating in team competitions. At that time, Julia was 15 years old and 249 days. But is she really the youngest Olympic champion? Are the Russian media wrong?
From the history of the Olympic Games
The very first Olympics in the history of modern sports took place in the distant 1896. Since then, specially designated people have recorded all the statistics and results of the competition. 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 in the Olympic Games, in addition, the owner of a gold medal. But the Russian media hastily concluded that she was the smallest Olympic champion. In fact, there were more young winners in the history of world sports competitions . Recall some of them.
Nadia Komanechi
In the small town of Onesti in Romania in 1961, a unique girl was born, who became the most titled athlete 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 Olympic Games in the capital of Russia, Moscow, in 1980, Nadia Comaneci won four more medals - two silver and two gold.
Tatyana Gutsu
Ukrainian and Soviet gymnast, world champion, three-time European champion, four-time Olympic medalist, was born in Odessa in 1976. At the age of six, the girl began to do gymnastics, at twelve she became part of the Soviet Union team participating in the Olympic Games. Tatyana first took part in the world championship when she was fourteen. Then she already became a champion in team competitions. A year later, at the age of fifteen, at the Olympic Games in Barcelona in 1992, Tatyana Gutsu won two gold medals and one silver and one bronze each.
Marjorie Gestring
Marjorie Gestring is an athlete from the USA, the youngest Olympic champion in individual competitions for 58 years (until 1994). She won her first gold in 1936 in Berlin at the age of 13. The victory was brought to her by her last diving from the springboard at that year's Olympics. Unfortunately, apart from this medal, Gestring was unable to get more than one. The 1940 Olympics was canceled due to the outbreak of World War II, and the next Olympic Games took place only in 1948. Gestring did not succeed in getting into the Olympic team.
Inge Sørensen
A swimmer from Denmark, who won the bronze medal in the Olympic Games in Berlin in 1936 in 200 meters breaststroke at the age of 12 years (to be precise, at 12 years and 24 days). From an early age, Inge easily competed with adult and experienced athletes. She became the champion of Denmark nine times, the repeated 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 in the Olympic Games in individual competitions. Throughout the history of her sports career, Inge set 14 national records and 4 world records. Some time after leaving sports, Inge moved to America and continued her career as a coach.
Kim Yoon-mi
The representative of the South Korean sports team at the Olympic Games in the Norwegian city of Lillehammer in 1994 won gold in the relay at three thousand meters in the short track competition. The young athlete was then only 13 years old and 85 days old. Unfortunately for the Russian figure skater Lipnitskaya Yulia, until today she is the youngest Olympic champion.
The "oldest" champion
Romanian athlete Leah Manolpu in 1968 won gold at the Olympics, which took place in the Mexican city of Mexico City. She won the discus throw competition at the age of 36 years and 176 days. Until now, Leah Manolpu is the oldest Olympic champion.