Oscar Swahn

Oscar Swahn
Oscar Swahn at the 1912 Olympics
Personal information
Born (1847-10-20)20 October 1847
Götaland, Sweden
Died 1 May 1927(1927-05-01) (aged 79)
Stockholm, Sweden
Sport
Sport Sports shooting
Medal record
Representing  Sweden
Olympic Games
1908 London Single-shot running deer
1908 London Team single-shot running deer
1912 Stockholm 100 m team running deer, single shots
1920 Antwerp 100 m team running deer, double shots
1908 London Double-shot running deer
1912 Stockholm 100 m running deer, double shots

Oscar Gomer Swahn (20 October 1847 – 1 May 1927) was a Swedish shooter who competed at three Olympic games and won six medals, including three gold.[1] An elderly but successful competitor, Swahn remains to this day the oldest Olympian at the time of competition, the oldest person to win gold, and the oldest person to win an Olympic medal.[2]

Biography

At the 1908 Summer Olympics, Oscar Swahn won two gold medals in the running deer, single shot events (individual and team), and a bronze medal in the running deer double shot individual event. He was 60 years old, only a year younger than Joshua Millner, the oldest gold medalist at that time.

When the 1912 Summer Olympics came to his native country, Sweden, he was a member of the single shot running deer team which again won the gold medal. He also won bronze again at the individual double shot running deer event, but came joint fourth in the individual single shot event, which was won by his son Alfred Swahn. At 64 years and 258 days of age, he became the oldest gold medallist ever, a record that has never been broken.[3]

At the age of 72, he was the oldest sportsman to compete in the 1920 Summer Olympics. In fact, he was the oldest athlete ever to compete in the Olympics. His best results were in the team competitions: a fourth place in the single shot running deer event, and a second place in the double shot running deer contest. With this silver medal, he is also the oldest medallist of all time (not counting the art competitions).[4]

Swahn did not compete in the 1924 Games because of illness.

In all of the Swedish shooting teams competitions that Oscar Swahn competed with at Olympic games of 1908, 1912, and 1920, he competed alongside his son, Alfred Swahn.

References

  1. ↑ "Sports Reference: Oscar Swahn". Sports Reference. Retrieved 2014-02-21.
  2. ↑ "Oldest and Youngest Olympians". www.topendsports.com. Retrieved 23 February 2018.
  3. ↑ "Oldest Olympic gold medallist". Guinness World Records. Retrieved 23 February 2018.
  4. ↑ "Oldest Olympic medallist". Guinness World Records. Retrieved 23 February 2018.
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