As young athletes pull off captivating performances at the Summer Games in Paris, many are wondering exactly how old they are -- and what the minimum age is to compete.
The world has seen several children in action during the Olympics so far, with one of the youngest being Chinese skateboarder Zheng Haohao, who is11 years and 11 months old.
For those who are curious, there is no specific age limit for taking part in the Olympics, according to the International Olympic Committee.
In many cases, age restrictions do exist; they typically depend on each International Sports Federation and the rules of each sport. But that's not always the case. Some sports, like skateboarding, don't have a minimum age.
The United States’ women’s rugby team made history on Monday against Great Britain, capturing a 17-7 victory and keeping their hopes of winning their first ever medal in the sport alive.
As a result of low age restrictions -- or the absence of them altogether -- a number of young athletes have been given the chance to shine at the Paris Games.
China's Haohao might be the youngest, but he's actually joined by others who are not too much older. For instance, Thailand's Vareeraya Sukasem is 12 years old and Heili Sirvio, who is from Finland, is 13 years old.
Paris 2024 Summer Olympics and Paralympics
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When it comes to Team USA, the youngest athlete is Hezly Rivera, who is 16 years old but qualified for the women's gymnastics teamalongsidestars like Simone Biles and Suni Lee.
Here's a list of the young athletes in Paris, plus the events they are competing in:
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- Zheng Haohao, China, skateboarding: 11 years old
- Vareeraya Sukasem, Thailand, skateboarding: 12 years old
- Heili Sirvio, Finland, skateboarding: 13 years old
- Fay De Fazio Ebert, Canada, skateboarding: 14 years old
- Sky Brown, Great Britain, skateboarding: 15 years old
- Hezly Rivera, Team USA, gymnastics: 16 years old
- Quincy Wilson, Team USA, track and field: 16 years old
- Lola Tambling, Great Britain, skateboarding: 16 years old
- Dominika BaneviÄŤ (B-Girl Nicka), Lithuania, breaking: 17 years old
- Aubrey Kim, Team USA Paralympics, swimming athlete alternate: 17 years old
- Minna Stess, Team USA, skateboarding: 17 years old
- Alex Shackell, Team USA, swimming: 17 years old
- Phoebe Gill, Great Britain, track and field: 17 years old
- Summer McIntosh, Canada, swimming: 17 years old
- Thomas Heilman, Team USA, swimming: 17 years old
- Eva Okaro, Great Britain, swimming: 17 years old
- Baptiste Addis, France, recurve archery: 17 years old
