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Here are the oldest ever competitors at the Summer Olympic Games for each sport. This list is from all Olympic years, including the 2020 Tokyo Olympic Games.

The oldest ever Olympian is Oscar Swahn of Sweden. He was 72 years, 281 days old when he competed at the 1920 Olympics in shooting. He also qualified for the 1924 Olympics but withdrew without competing. The oldest woman to compete in the Olympics was British equestrian rider Lorna Johnstone, who participated in equestrian at the 1972 Olympic Games at 70 years and 5 days old.

See other lists of the youngest Olympic competitors per sport, overall oldest and youngest medal winners, our list of the oldest living Olympians, and much more Olympic Trivia.

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Oldest MALE competitors for each sport

Oldest FEMALE competitors for each sport

* For determining the oldest athlete, the age is based on the day an event started (which is not always the day that athlete competed)

# Transgender athlete Hubbard is the oldest to compete in the women's Olympic weightlifting competition. The oldest competitor that was born a woman was Brazilian Maria Elisabete Jorge, who was 43 years 150 days old in 2000.

source: the data was originally sourced from the sport-reference.com website, but further data added from their new site www.olympedia.org, plus additional results have been added to over time after each new Olympics.

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Related Pages

• Youngest Olympic competitors per sport
• The discussion of the oldest and youngest medal winners
• The oldest living Olympians
• Related Olympians
• More Olympic Trivia
• Oldest and Youngest at the Winter Olympics