The youngest champions in the History of Olympics

“自古英雄出少年”，在奥运的历史长河中，这句中国古语更是体现得淋漓尽致。少年英雄在奥运场上燃烧青春的激情，奋力拼搏，创造出一项又一项的惊人佳绩，在奥运史上留下了浓重的一笔。让我们一起来回顾那些最年轻奥运冠军的风采吧。

Marjorie Gestring--the youngest Olympic gold medalist

At age 13, Marjorie Gestring was our youngest Olympic gold medal winner ever in springboard diving at the 1936 Berlin Olympics. No one, except maybe Adolph Hitler who watched her win, could predict it would be her last. World War II robbed Gestring of her shots at the 1940 and 1944 Olympic titles. At age 26, her Olympic comeback try in 1948 fell short.

Bob Mathias--the youngest athlete in Olympic history to win a men's athletics event

17-year-old American Bob Mathias won the decathlon only four months after taking up the sport. He is the youngest athlete in Olympic history to win a men's athletics event. By the time Mathias retired from decathlon competition in 1952, he had nine victories in nine competitions, four United States championships, three world records and two Olympic gold medals, all before he was 22.


Dmitry Nelyubin--the youngest Olympic champion among male cyclists
Olympic cycling champion Dmitry Nelyubin died in the very beginning of the new year，in St.Petersburg. The 33-year-old athlete was killed on New Year's night. Nelyubin was the youngest Olympic champion among male cyclists. He clutched his gold medal in Seoul at the age of 17.
Dmitry Nelyubin became the Olympic champion in 1988. He also became the world champion and won many other titles afterwards. The athlete finished his cycling career seven years ago at the age of 26.


Fu Mingxia--the youngest Olympic diving champion
Fu Mingxia became the youngest Olympic champion at the age of 14. Her success became a cover story in "Time" magazine titled "Olympic Height-China's gold medallist Fu Mingxia." Four years later, in Atlanta, she went on to do well again, winning the women's platform and springboard diving competitions.


Gezahegne--the youngest Olympic marathon champion
Gezahegne is known as the youngest Olympic marathon champion ever, after winning the gold medal in the 2000 Olympics in Sidney, Australia. But he has also won the London Marathon (2003), where he ran a 2:07:56, the Fukuoka Marathon (2002, 2001 and 1999), and the World Championship Marathon (2001). Gezahegne also finished second in the Boston Marathon in 2000. 


Lipinski--the youngest Olympic figure skating champion
Lipinski became the youngest-ever women's Olympic champion at 15 years and eight months -- two months younger than Sonja Henie of Norway when she won the women's title at the 1928 Winter Games in St. Moritz.