Some of the Oldest Athletes At These Olympic Games in Paris

    

As these Olympic games now come to an end later today, it seemed fitting to take a look at it from a different perspective than I have before.

So it seemed like a good idea to look at how some of the older athletes participating in the Olympic games were doing, and what their stories were and are. The older I get, the more I appreciate successes by older people. That was the reason why I found it difficult to hate Tom Brady, even when it seemed like the rest of the world was more than sick and tired of him. It's only natural to sympathize with people your own age enjoying success in athletics. It makes you feel a bit younger, or at least not so damn old. 

Stories like this would likely have seemed a bit boring to me, more of just a feel-good kind of a story. Now, knowing the difficulties of aging a bit more intimately, what they accomplish feels much more impressive to me.

There was 61-year-old Xia Lian Ni, who actually won her first match in table tennis, before losing in the second round to the world number one in the sport. It reminded me a bit of my father, who despite numerous physical ailments that seemed to grow with each passing year, nevertheless seemed to drink from a fountain of youth every time that he played table tennis/ping pong. A number of times, I saw young guys kind of smiling indulgently when they saw this old man challenging or preparing to play them. And more often than not, those smiles disappeared when he would kick their ass. He beat me more often than not, for that matter. He had played it when he was young, and just always seemed to have a knack for it. It was one of the few times that I could catch a real glimpse of the younger version of him. 

So yeah, I pull for older athletes now.

Why not?

Below are some links to stories about older participants in the Olympics that seemed worth sharing here.

Enjoy.

Meet the Oldest Olympians at the 2024 Paris Games by Kathleen Coxwell • July 29, 2024:

These athletes are living proof that age is just a number.  Advertising Disclosure: When you buy something by clicking links on our site, we may earn a small commission, but it never affects the products or services we recommend. 

https://www.moneytalksnews.com/slideshows/meet-the-oldest-olympians/

Paris Olympics 2024: 61-year-old table tennis player steamrolling opponents half her age - 'I wish I was 16' By HT Sports Desk Jul 30, 2024:

https://www.hindustantimes.com/sports/olympics/paris-olympics-2024-61-year-old-table-tennis-player-steamrolling-opponents-half-her-age-i-wish-i-was-16-101722346975354.html

The Olympian Who Is 61 Years Old—and Destroying Athletes Half Her Age by  Ben Cohen and Joshua Robinson, July 29,  2024:

She made her international debut in the 1970s. She retired and unretired—twice. Now she’s a table-tennis star in Paris. 

https://www.wsj.com/sports/olympics/paris-olympics-table-tennis-oldest-olympian-ni-xialin-a53458e6?mod=e2fb&fbclid=IwY2xjawEW0FpleHRuA2FlbQEwAAEdjw-m_a_7PV06SqRf7vIgb8w7_MSrgoNRH8BloflrEzC1Zwxb-P0x_Npe_aem_YQB-UmCYy6fekIB0C1P4AA&utm_campaign=120205194102460106&utm_content=120211639653810106&utm_id=120205194102460106&utm_medium=paid&utm_source=fb&utm_term=120211249203370106