Staying Fit
Olympic athletes come in all shapes, sizes and, yes, ages. Competitors in this year's Summer Games range from as young as 12 — Syrian table tennis prodigy Hend Zaza — to as old as 66. What they all have in common are dedication, skill and passion for their respective sports. Here are the 10 oldest athletes from around the world set to participate in Tokyo's Olympic Games.
Mary Hanna, 66, Australia
Australia's Mary Hanna, riding Boogie Woogie 6, competes in the equestrian dressage competition at the 2016 Summer Olympics in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.
John Locher/AP Images
Equestrian
Hanna began riding on her parents’ farm at age 4, and later, at 61, became the oldest Australian athlete to ever compete at the Olympics. Now, at 66, she will be the second-oldest woman in Olympics history, after U.K. equestrian Lorna Johnstone, who was 70 at the 1972 Games.
Andrew Hoy, 62, Australia
Andrew Hoy of Australia with Bloom Des Hauts Crets at the horse inspection prior to the Jumping during day three of the Equestrian Tokyo 2020 Test Event.
Toru Hanai/Getty Images
Equestrian
Hoy, who has competed in all but two of the Summer Olympics since 1984, has won three gold medals and one silver. He has already participated in more Olympics than any other Australian athlete.
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Geir Gulliksen, 61, Norway
Geir Gulliksen of Norway and his horse Groep Quatro wins the FEI Jumping World Cup competition a the Gothenburg Horse Show at Scandinavium in Gothenburg, Sweden.
Bjorn Larsson Rosvall/AP Images
Equestrian
Although he began riding at age 12, Gulliksen didn't compete in his first Olympic Games until he was 48. Last year, in Sweden, he won his first World Cup title.
Santiago Lange, 59, Argentina
Soledad Aznarez/AP Images
Sailing
At 6, he was encouraged to take up sailing by his father, who also sailed competitively. Lange, who has won a gold and two bronze medals, will be one of Argentina's flag bearers during Tokyo's opening ceremony.
Morocco's Abdelkebir Ouaddar competes during the 'Grand Prix Hermes' International Jumping Competition at the Grand Palais in Paris, France.
Liewig Christian/AP Images
Equestrian
As a child, Ouaddar was fascinated yet terrified by horses. He overcame his fear after he was adopted by the Moroccan Royal Family and learned how to ride.
Savate Sresthaporn
Shooting
The 58-year-old didn't begin shooting until 2007, after a friend encouraged him to try it out. He entered his first competition a year later. Tokyo will be his first Olympics.
