If you have ever wondered what the minimum age to compete in the Olympics as a gymnast is, because you have a dream of winning a medal one day, then here’s the bottom line.
According to the web site How Old Do I Need to Be, you need to be 16 years old to compete as an Olympic gymnast. However, the site says you can actually be younger – age 15 – if you turn 16 the year the Olympics is held.
It also says if you want to compete in a different sport, then the minimum age may be different. For example, divers must be 14.
The age rules are set out by each sport federation for the applicable sport. In the case of Gymnastics they are set by the International Federation of Gymnastics.
And, if you are wondering how Nadia Comaneci won her medals in 1976 at the Montreal Olympics at age 14, then that’s because the minimum age rules were changed in 1987.
