When the Beijing Olympics close on Feb. 20, IOC President Thomas Bach, by tradition, will call on the 鈥測outh of the world to assemble four years from now.鈥� He may consider expanding that invitation to the 2026 Winter Games at Milan and Cortina d'Ampezzo in Italy to another group: the oldies but goodies.
Start with Frenchman Johan Clarey. He turned 41 last month and in Beijing became the oldest man to win an Olympic medal in Alpine skiing. He took silver in downhill, his first medal in his fourth Olympics.
鈥淲hen you鈥檙e a medalist, whether you鈥檙e 20 or 41, it doesn鈥檛 matter,鈥� Clarey said.
Clarey barely outdid Nick Baumgartner. In Beijing, the 40-year-old American won his first Olympic medal 鈥� a gold 鈥� with fellow American Lindsey Jacobellis in mixed team snowboard cross.
鈥淵ou鈥檙e never too late to take what you want from life,鈥� Baumgartner said. 鈥淵ou let yourself down if you quit too early, doesn鈥檛 matter how old you are."
Baumgartner, a concrete worker/contractor from Michigan, is the oldest snowboarder to win an Olympic medal.
At 36, Jacobellis is no kid herself. She won two gold medals 鈥� one with Baumgartner, and the other in snowboard cross.
She became the oldest U.S. woman to win gold in Winter Games history. She's also the second oldest behind Baumgartner 鈥� from any nation 鈥� to win an Olympic medal in snowboarding.
Jacobellis also won a silver medal in 2006. The 16 years marked the longest gap between medals for any U.S. woman at the Winter Olympics.
Olympic historian Bill Mallon counted at least 10 athletes in Beijing who were born in the 1970s, meaning they are well into their 40s
The oldest is speedskater Claudia Pechstein, who is almost out of her 40s. She turns 50 just two days after the Winter Olympics close. At Beijing, she became the oldest woman to compete in a Winter Olympics 鈥� and the second and only woman to compete in eight Winter Games.
The German they call 鈥淕randma鈥� is a five-time gold medalist, and a winner of nine overall. She won鈥檛 medal in Beijing 鈥� and it won鈥檛 matter.
鈥淓very day is harder to get motivated, especially when you feel not so great and the results aren鈥檛 coming along,鈥� she said in an interview with The Associated Press. 鈥淏ut I鈥檓 still proud of myself. I can still compete with the world鈥檚 younger girls.鈥�
___
More AP Winter Olympics: https://apnews.com/hub/winter-olympics and https://twitter.com/AP_Sports
'___
AP Reporters Beth Harris and Pat Graham contributed to this report.
Stephen Wade, The Associated Press
