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10-Year-Old Competed in 1896 Summer Games Throughout the glorious history of the Olympic Games, legions of adolescent athletes have amazed and thrilled with performances that are often hard to fathom coming from such young people and small bodies. At the inaugural modern Olympic Games—hosted in Athens, Greece, in 1896—a 10-year-old Greek boy named Dimitrios Loundras competed in gymnastics in the team parallel bars event. He was the youngest to participate in Athens, and more than a century later he still owns the distinction of being the Olympic Games’ youngest competitor ever.

Three teams (two from Greece and one from Germany) comprised of four gymnasts

each took part in the team parallel bars event. Loundras competed as part of the Ethnikos Gymnastikos Syllogos team that placed third, while Germany won the event.

Ever since Loundras’ appearance, many athletes not much older than him have savored Olympic glory. Eleven-year- old Luigina

Giavotti was the youngest medalist at

The Summer Olympics: Fascinating Facts

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