The sports world is known for being brutal to athletes the older they get – with many seasoned pros being pushed aside for younger prospects.
But despite the cut-throat world of athletics, this year’s Olympic Games have shown how silver foxes have reigned in not just skill but popularity.
One of the most viral moments at Paris 2024 saw 51-year-old Turkish shooter Yusuf Dikec spawn fanart and hilarious memes joking that his relaxed attitude and attire gave him the confidence of a retired hitman.
Elsewhere, British skateboarding prodigy, Andy Macdonald – also 51 – dazzled in front of a packed crowd who were all stunned by his moves.
Although Andy was knocked out of the Olympic Skateboarding Final, he made history by becoming the oldest competitor in the event, which saw he come up against competitors as young as 17 years old.
Here, FEMAIL looks at the athletes whose prowess and personalities have aged like fine wine…
Yusuf Dikec, 51 (Turkey)
Turkish shooter Yusuf Dikec has garnered worldwide attention for his laid-back demeanor, as well as his good looks
Shooting mixed silver medallists Sevval Ilayda Tarhan of Turkey and Yusuf Dikec pose with their medals and the flag of Turkey during the Champions Park medallists celebrations
In his spare time, Yusuf hangs out some furry friends. The internet was delighted that Yusuf is a ‘cat dad’
This Turkish shooter has garnered worldwide attention for his laid-back demeanor, as well as his good looks.
A picture of 51-year-old Yusuf Dikec looking nonchalant and dressed in casual attire while while shooting his way to a silver medal at the Paris Olympics has gone viral on social media with fans impressed with his laid-back swagger.
Despite being a celebrated shooter, Dikec doesn’t wear specialised lenses, eye cover, or ear protection when competing, leading many to remark how he looks like an everyday man who’s stumbled into the sport – however his sporting prowess tells us otherwise.
The Turkish pistol expert has an impressive collection of accolades, including multiple World Championship medals and an Olympic silver.
Dikec is also a former officer of the Turkish Gendarmerie, with his Olympic debut taking place in Beijing in 2008 – and the dedicated athlete hasn’t missed one since.
Rumours have swirled on social media that Dikec took up shooting as a way to prove his ex-wife wrong after a messy divorce, however this theory is largely embellished and stems from satirical Facebook page, ‘The Sports Memery.’
Andy Macdonald, 51 (GB)
British skateboarding prodigy, Andy Macdonald, has made headlines recently after his impressive performance
He also made history by becoming the oldest competitor in the event, which saw he come up against competitors as young as 17 years old.
British skateboarding prodigy, Andy Macdonald, has made headlines recently after his impressive performance.
Although Andy was knocked out of the Olympic Skateboarding Final, the 51-year-old dazzled in front of a packed Parisian crowd who were all stunned by his moves.
He also made history by becoming the oldest competitor in the event, which saw he come up against competitors as young as 17 years old.
Andy has won a world-record haul of 15 X Games medals and eight World Cup Skateboarding golds. He was born in Massachusetts with a father from Luton and has been a professional skateboarder since 1994.
After qualifying for the Paris Olympics, Andy told a reporter at Forbes that this was a great excuse to take his wife to Paris again.
‘My wife spent a year in college studying in Paris and speaks French,’ he told the publication. ‘When I married her 23 years ago, I said in my wedding vows, ‘I’ll take you to Paris as often as I can.
‘The last time was a demo with Tony Hawk probably 15 years ago – our now 18-year-old boy was a toddler.’
When Andy made it through, finishing 15th, during the final Olympic Qualifier Series event in Budapest Andy said: ‘I called my wife and said: Remember when I married you I said I would take you to Paris as often as I can? Sorry. How about I take you to Paris this summer?’
Juan Antonio Jimenez Cobo, 65 (Spain)
Juan Antonio Jimenez Cobo won a silver medal in dressage at the 2004 Olympics in Athens alongside winning medals at other local and international championship
At 65 years old, silver fox Juan has become the oldest Spanish athlete in history to compete at the Olympic Games
At 65 years old, silver fox Juan has become the oldest Spanish athlete in history to compete at the Olympic Games.
The Spanish equestrian won a silver medal in dressage at the 2004 Olympics in Athens alongside winning medals at other local and international championships.
He came tenth in the individual dressage event on July 31, and 13th in the team dressage event with Borja Carrascosa and Claudio Castilla Ruiz.
He was born in Castro del Río in the province of Córdoba and started riding at early age, as his father was an equestrian professional who supported him in growing his career.
Speaking about how he feels about competing at the Olympic Games at his age, Juan told Men’s Health: ‘I feel very proud and satisfied to be able to arrive at these Games in good physical and mental condition.’
He told the outlet that he ‘doesn’t have a strict diet’ but admitted that he does try and consume fresh food.
‘I eat small amounts at each meal and, above all, I don’t eat anything between meals. I try not to eat sweets,’ he said.
Juan said he found the days spent in the Olympic Village ‘very entertaining,’ adding that he often enjoys watching other athletes train in the common areas, along with seeing his sporting heroes.
Carl Hester, 57, (GB)
Carl Hester is a seasoned equestrian and has shown that age is no barrier after winning a bronze medal in dressage at this year’s Olympic Games in Paris
Carl has previously scooped a silver in 2016 in Rio and scooped a bronze in Tokyo 2020 Olympic games as one of the oldest athletes
Hester, who was born on the Channel Islands, made his Olympic debut at Barcelona 1992. At the time, he was Team GB’s youngest rider to ever compete at the Games.
Now aged 57, he is a seasoned equestrian and has shown that age is no barrier after winning a bronze medal in dressage at this year’s Olympic Games in Paris.
After the freestyle in Paris, the Horse and Hound reported that a journalist said to him: ‘If this is going to be your swansong, what a way to go out.’
Carl said: ‘Exactly, why should I not retire after that? I’m not sure I could repeat that. That’s the problem.’
The journalist then said: ‘So it would be a high if you did go out?
Carl replied: ‘Well, there’s two ways of looking at it. Either I’m getting better because today was my best day. Or I should stop there and not watch the downfall.’
He told the outlet that if he was to stop competing, he would not be leaving the sport completely, but instead, would train and teach others.
Carl first competed in equestrian after taking up a job at the Fortune Centre in Hampshire before he joined Dr Wilfried Bechtolsheimer’s yard as a rider.
But he didn’t manage to compete at the Beijing 2008 Olympics after two of his horses suffered injuries.
However, he swiftly caught up when he won gold in dressage at the London 2012 Games, his first medal 20 years after he first competed.
Carl then went on to win silver in 2016 in Rio and scooped a bronze in Tokyo 2020 Olympic games as one of the oldest athletes.
Panagiotis Gionis, 44, (Greece)
Panagiotis Gionis is a 44-year-old dentist and champion table tennis player, competing in his sixth Olympics in Paris this year
The 44-year-old shares snippets from fun-looking nights out and holidays on his Instagram account
Panagiotis Gionis is a 44-year-old dentist and champion table tennis player, competing in his sixth Olympics in Paris this year.
Born in Athens, Greece, Panagiotis has risen to be one of the strongest table tennis players in the country, with a number of accolades under his belt including being a bronze medalist in the 2013 European Championships singles competition
Juggling the world of athletics and dentistry is an unusual combination and with such a busy sporting schedule, Panagiotis has little time to practice his own profession.
‘In order not to forget what I’ve learned, I practice with relatives and friends,’ he said, half-jokingly, in an interview with Kathimerini.
Rolf-Goran Bengtsson, 62 (Sweden)
Showjumper Rolf-Goran Bengtsson already has an impressive Olympic record, winning team silver in Athens back in 2004 and individual silver in Hong Kong in 2008
He may be the second oldest athlete at the Paris Olympics 2024, but that doesn’t mean he shows any signs of slowing down
Swedish showjumper Rolf-Goran Bengtsson may be the second oldest athlete at the Paris Olympics 2024, but that doesn’t mean he shows any signs of slowing down.
The showjumper already has an impressive Olympic record, winning team silver in Athens back in 2004 and individual silver in Hong Kong in 2008.
The Olympian said (via The Straits Times) that despite being in his 60s he still feels ‘fit enough to go and ride around’.
He said: ‘I feel well, I like this and I’m fit enough to go in and ride around, as good as the other young guns here.
‘That’s the nice thing about equestrian sport – the longer you stay in the game, the more experience you get and you can compensate that with the fact that you’re no longer as athletic as you were at 20 years old.’
Mario Deslauriers (Canada), 59
Mario Deslauriers has made his fourth Olympic appearance this year – after first debuting at the Los Angeles games in 1984
As the youngest rider to ever win at FEI World Cup Final – and the first Canadian to do so at 19 years old – he proved that he is still a sport star to be feared when he finished 18th in individual jumping
Mario Deslauriers has made his fourth Olympic appearance this year – after first debuting at the Los Angeles games in 1984.
As the youngest rider to ever win at FEI World Cup Final – and the first Canadian to do so at 19 years old – he proved that he is still a sport star to be feared when he finished 18th in individual jumping, beating younger competitors, including 21-year-old Al Marzooqui Omar Abdul Aziz of the UAE. He also placed higher than 26-year-old Thomas Gilles of Belgium.
He has also competed at Seoul in 1988, and Tokyo in 2020. But for all his riding achievements, Mario has stressed that he is a family man – with a wife and daughter who are also competitive horse jumpers.
Speaking to Horse Sport in 2022, he prided his brood for being close despite their busy lives.
‘I would say that compared to a lot of riders, we have a big family life. My kids just graduated this week. Lucy graduated from Penn, and they just had Jack’s graduation from NYU at Yankee Stadium. They gave an honorary doctorate to Taylor Swift in fine arts. The place was packed!,’ he gushed.
‘I’ve been showing one day at Old Salem and going to a graduation the next day. I think it’s a good balance.’
He also told the outlet about the family dog – adorably called Noodle.
‘When the kids were young, they always wanted a dog but living in the city, we knew a lot of the burden would fall on us. We held out until COVID hit, then finally got a Mini Golden Doodle called Noodle,’ he explained.
I’ve had dogs my whole life. Growing up, I had many dogs in Bromont. Loads of dogs.
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