Hungarian gymnast and oldest living Olympic champion Agnes Keleti turns 103
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Agnes Keleti during her 102nd birthday in her flat in Budapest, Hungary, in Jan 2023.
PHOTO: AFP
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BUDAPEST – Hungarian gymnastic legend Agnes Keleti celebrated her 103rd birthday on Jan 9, and is “doing well for her age” while she was also grateful to those who remembered her.
This remarkable milestone not only honours her longevity but also solidifies her status as the world’s oldest living Olympic champion.
Born in the capital of Budapest in 1921, Keleti’s journey is a tale of accomplishments. Her athletic prowess led her to five Olympic titles.
She first captured gold in Helsinki in 1952 and followed that with an astounding four-gold haul in Melbourne in 1956.
This feat made her the most successful Hungarian female Olympian in history and cemented her status as a national treasure. She has since been overtaken by sprint canoeist Danuta Kozak, who won her sixth gold at the Tokyo Games in 2021.
A survivor of the horrors of World War II, she also played a vital role in moulding the future of gymnastics in Israel, after moving there in 1957.
In recognition of her contributions, Keleti has been honoured with numerous awards, including the prestigious title of “Athlete of the Nation” in Hungary, and induction into the International Jewish Sports Hall of Fame and International Gymnastics Hall of Fame.
On the occasion of her birthday, she welcomed Sandor Altorjai, the secretary-general, and Krisztian Berki, an Olympic champion gymnast and sports director of the Hungarian Gymnastics Federation, to her Budapest home.
In a statement published following the visit, Altorjai said that “Aunt Agi” greeted them with a smile and thanked them for remembering her.
“Aunt Agi is doing well for her age, although her hearing has deteriorated a bit recently. She inquired about the Hungarian Gymnastics Federation and the Hungarian gymnasts. Moreover, even during our visit, there was a sports programme running in the background on the TV,” Altorjai said.
Adam Schmidt, Hungary’s State Secretary for Sports, also paid a visit to Keleti, and said that she is both a “national treasure” and “an example to follow”.
“She had such a life that her journey can serve as an example and an inspiration not only for young athletes or fans but for everyone else who has to face struggles,” he said. XINHUA
