Zheng Haohao became the youngest athlete at the Paris 2024 Olympic Games when she dropped into the park bowl at Place de La Concorde on Wednesday, aged just 11.
Born on the final day of the London 2012 Olympics, Zheng made history in the women's skateboarding park prelims five days before her 12th birthday, becoming youngest Olympian to represent the People’s Republic of China.
In the men's event, in contrast to Zheng's youth, sits American-born Team GB athlete Andy Macdonald.
Macdonald, who qualifies for Great Britain through his Luton-born father, will take on the men's park event on Wednesday at the age of 51.
But Macdonald, a contemporary and good friend of skateboarding legend Tony Hawk, is not even the oldest Olympian in Paris.
WHO ARE THE OLDEST OLYMPIANS AT PARIS 2024?
The oldest Olympian in Paris is Spain's Juan Antonio Jimenez Cobo in the equestrian event. The Spaniard made his Olympic debut at Sydney 2000, and turned 65 in May this year.
Mary Hanna, in the team dressage event, is older than Jimenez Cobo at 69, but the Australian is listed as a reserve for the team and has yet to take part.
Also in equestrian, Rolf-Goran Bengtsson represented Sweden in the jumping team event, in which the Swedes came sixth.
In fact, the next three oldest athletes are also in equestrian: Switzerland's Pius Schwizer (61), Canada's Mario Deslauriers (59), and USA's Steffen Peters (59).
Zhiying Zeng made her Olympic debut at 58 for Chile's table tennis team, almost four decades after missing out on representing China in Los Angeles 1984.
Great Britain have 57-year-old Carl Hester in equestrian events, and in his seventh Games, the dressage rider won a team bronze medal, stoking discussions around his retirement.
From Georgia, Nino Salukvadze made incredible history at 55, becoming the first woman to appear in 10 Games. The shooter first debuted at Seoul 1988, winning gold and silver medals. At Rio 2016, she and her son Tsotne Machavariani, also a pistol shooter, became the first mother-and-son duo to compete at the same Games.
WHO ARE THE OLDEST OLYMPIANS EVER?
The oldest Olympian ever is Oscar Swahn of Sweden, who competed in shooting at the 1920 Games at 72 years, 281 days old.
Swahn is still the oldest gold medallist, winning gold at the 1912 Games in Stockholm aged 64.
Arthur von Pongracz competed in dressage in 1936 at the age of 72 years and 49 days.
Equestrian rider Hiroshi Hoketsu competed at 71 in 2012, becoming Japan's oldest Olympic representative.
British rider Loran Johnstone was 70 when she competed in equestrian at the 1972 Games in Munich, while Mary Hanna was 66 when she competed in Tokyo's equestrian in 2021.
The USA's Lida Peyton Pollock won bronze in the women's archery in 1904, and at 63 became the oldest female medallist.
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