The IOC requires that a minimum age be set to compete

The International Olympic Committee (IOC) asked the international federation to “address the issue of establishing a minimum age to compete” at the Olympic Gamesbefore Paris 2024 and Los Angeles 2028.

The body’s Executive Commission recommends that federations study the matter “and, if necessary, make relevant adjustments to their regulations.”

Until now only a few sports, such as gymnastics (16 years) or boxing (18), established the minimum age to participate in the Games.

During the 2021 Tokyo Olympics, it is possible to see the youngest podium in Olympic history, the women’s skate, built by Japanese Momiji Nishiya, 13 years oldthe Brazilian Rayssa Leal, of the same age, and the Japanese Funa Nakayama, 16.

At 13 years and 33 days, Nishiya is the third youngest Olympic champion in history. and the earliest since 1960.

At a Game where the mental health of athletes was one of the major issues as a result of the case of American gymnast Simone Biles, who retired amid competition, many voices were raised questioning the worthiness of announcing the Olympic child. champions.

The absence of an age limit in the Games also brings up some complex contradictions: athletes like Nishiya or Leal cannot participate in the Youth Olympic Games, which are intended for commitments between 15 and 18 years old. , but they can be in the Games category completely.

Olympic history is full of first -time champions, especially in women’s events. Nadia Comeneci was 14 years old when she won five medals in Montreal ’76 and got the first ‘10’ in gymnastics; and East German swimmer Kornelia Ender was 13 years old when she won three silvers in Munich ’72, the first of her eight Olympic medals.