What Is The Age Limit For Shooting In The Olympics?
The Olympics does not require a minimum age for athletes participating in shooting events. There is also no maximum age limit, meaning that shooters may be any age as long as they meet the requirements for competition. Keep reading to learn more about age restrictions in Olympic shooting.
Olympic Shooting Age Limit
There are a variety of shooting events included in the Olympics, including varying pistol, rifle, and shotgun events. Many fans would assume that the Olympics requires its shooters to meet a minimum age requirement; however, this is not the case. The Olympics do not require a minimum age for athletes participating in any shooting events. An international federation that governs the sport may suggest an age requirement for the Olympic Committee to approve, but the Olympics themselves do not have a minimum age set for any shooting events.
The policy to not set a minimum age limit for participants relies on the belief that any athletes skilled enough to participate in the Olympics have been through extensive training, which takes years to complete. Therefore, no matter the age of the athlete, they should be properly trained. Additionally, it wouldn’t be possible for participants in shooting events to reach the required skill level and progress through the necessary training if they were not of the right age.
Most Olympic shooters are between the age of 26 and 40 years old. The youngest to ever win a medal in a shooting event at the Olympics was 16-year-old Sheng Lihao from China. In the 2020 Tokyo Olympics, he won the silver medal in the men’s 10-meter air rifle event.
FAQ
Who is the oldest person to ever win an Olympic medal in shooting?
The oldest person to ever win an Olympic shooting competition was Oscar Swahn, of Sweden. Swahn won Olympic silver in the 100-meter team running deer double shots event of the 1920 Olympics held in Antwerp, at the age of 72. Swahn is also the oldest person to ever win Olympic gold, having done so during the 1912 Olympics at the age of 64 years and 258 days.
How old do you have to be to compete in the Olympics?
The Olympic Committee itself has no official age requirement to participate as an Olympic athlete. Instead, individual sports governing bodies or International Federations can set minimum age requirements in order to qualify for the Olympics. For example, sports such as skateboarding and surfing have no minimum age requirement, which is why we saw a number of young athletes, some only 13 years old, competing in these events at the 2020 Tokyo Olympics. On the other hand, boxing has a minimum age of 18 years old, gymnastics requires a minimum age of 16 years old, and diving requires athletes to be at least 14 years old.
Who is the youngest athlete to win an Olympic gold medal?
The youngest person to ever win an Olympic gold medal was Marjorie Gestring, who managed to win an Olympic gold medal in the three-meter springboard back in 1936. At the time, Gestring was a whopping 13 years and 267 days old. This record has stood ever since and represents an astonishing achievement in the history of the modern Olympics. In 2020, Momiji Nishiya of Japan became the second youngest Olympic gold medalist at 13 years and 330 days old. She claimed gold in the very first women’s street skateboarding event held at the Tokyo Olympics.