The Paris 2024 Olympics are quickly approaching and you are certain to see tons of familiar faces (believe: Katie Ledecky and Simone Biles). Other faces will be new — some showing so new that you may wonder just how old athletes have to be to contend at the Olympic Game titles. The response, as it turns out, isn’t really slash and dried.
According to the Global Olympic Committee’s official regulations, there is no single age limit for the Olympics. Nonetheless, every sport’s global regulatory system governs the regulations of their respective athletics, together with age eligibility. Some federations permit pretty younger athletes to participate in the Olympics, whilst other individuals have larger age minimums. To aid you improved understand the Olympics age specifications, we broke it down by some of the most preferred sports beneath.
How Old Do You Have to Be to Contend in the Olympics?
The Olympics age demands can run the gamut concerning summer time and wintertime sporting activities.
How Outdated Do You Have to Be to Contend in Summer Olympic Activities?
- There are a handful of activities, including swimming, in which athletes of any age can compete, in accordance to Globe Aquatics. Some sports that are more recent to the Olympic phase, which includes browsing and skateboarding, also have no minimum age need.
- Diving, on the other hand, has a minimal age necessity of 14 years aged.
- Gymnastics, a group-beloved celebration, necessitates artistic gymnasts to be at least 16 decades previous, as made the decision by the Intercontinental Federation of Gymnastics (FIG).
- Breaking demands all B-girls and B-boys to have been born ahead of December 31, 2008 (so, relying on the month the participant was born in, they can be as youthful as 15 or 16 even though competing).
- Equestrian and boxing have some of the older requirements. Rivals ought to be at minimum 18 years of age.
How Previous Do You Have to Be to Compete in Wintertime Olympic Events?
- In terms of the wintertime Olympics, as with summer months events, some sports activities, such as curling, do not appear have an formal age least.
- Bobsleigh, cross-region skiing, freestyle snowboarding, luge, snowboarding, and quite a few other winter season sports all call for athletes to be 15 or older in order to contend on the senior stage at global competitions. Figure skating also necessitates senior competitors to have turned 15 by July 1, prior to the start off of the season.
- Alpine skiers must be 17 or more mature.
- Biathlon competitors ought to turn 22 in the exact 12 months as the Game titles.
— Extra reporting by Alexis Jones
Alexis Jones is the senior wellness editor at POPSUGAR. Her areas of experience include things like women’s well being, mental overall health, racial and ethnic disparities in health care, diversity in wellness, and persistent circumstances. Prior to signing up for POPSUGAR, she was the senior editor at Health and fitness journal. Her other bylines can be discovered at Women’s Well being, Avoidance, Marie Claire, and far more.
Amanda Prahl is a freelance writer, playwright/lyricist, dramaturg, teacher, and copywriter/editor.