2012 Olympics: Swimming

Swimming has always had a history of young swimmers in the Olympics and it goes back many years. The youngest male Olympic Champion was Kusuo Kitamura from Japan at 14 with his win in the 1500 Free at the 1932 Olympics. I believe Michael Phelps, at 15, was the youngest male to make an Olympic team at 15. Aileen Riggin Soule, a former USMS masters swimmer was 14 years old when she made her first appearance at the 1920 Olympics in Diving and returned to the 1924 Olympics in both Diving and Swimming and was the first athlete to compete in two different aquatic sports at the same Olympiad. Eleanor Holm's Olympic career began in 1928, when she was 15 years old and placed 5th in the 100 Back. Donna De Varona, at 13 years old, is the youngest person ever to qualify for an Olympic team and that was accomplished in 1960. Lillian "Pokey" Watson is the youngest USA Olympic competitor to medal at 14 and that was accomplished in the 1964 Olympics. These are just some examples and I am sure there are plenty of others out there and with this history, I don't believe it will change. The other sports mentioned like Diving and Water Polo are kind of dangerous for young kids compared to swimming when you get to that international elite level. Gymnastics is different and I don't know that much about the sport to comment. Perhaps they don't want to push kids at that early of an age even if they are real good and can handle it. Also besides the physical pressure is the mental pressure and maybe this is why they have an age requirement. Shane Gould, many years ago wanted FINA and the IOC to set an age limit for swimmers in the Olympics and I believe it was either 16 or 17 years old. Her theory at the time was that the mental pressure more than the physical pressure is just to great for young swimmers and it might effect them more if they fail in their goals for there future in the sport. I am not sure if she was talking about herself because she retired early and would not have if they had this age limit. With her 5 total medals (3 gold) at the 1972 Olympics at 15 didn't matter. I don't think that FINA and IOC thought about this and nothing was ever said again about it.

Swimming has always had a history of young swimmers in the Olympics and it goes back many years. The youngest male Olympic Champion was Kusuo Kitamura from Japan at 14 with his win in the 1500 Free at the 1932 Olympics. I believe Michael Phelps, at 15, was the youngest male to make an Olympic team at 15. Aileen Riggin Soule, a former USMS masters swimmer was 14 years old when she made her first appearance at the 1920 Olympics in Diving and returned to the 1924 Olympics in both Diving and Swimming and was the first athlete to compete in two different aquatic sports at the same Olympiad. Eleanor Holm's Olympic career began in 1928, when she was 15 years old and placed 5th in the 100 Back. Donna De Varona, at 13 years old, is the youngest person ever to qualify for an Olympic team and that was accomplished in 1960. Lillian "Pokey" Watson is the youngest USA Olympic competitor to medal at 14 and that was accomplished in the 1964 Olympics. These are just some examples and I am sure there are plenty of others out there and with this history, I don't believe it will change. The other sports mentioned like Diving and Water Polo are kind of dangerous for young kids compared to swimming when you get to that international elite level. Gymnastics is different and I don't know that much about the sport to comment. Perhaps they don't want to push kids at that early of an age even if they are real good and can handle it. Also besides the physical pressure is the mental pressure and maybe this is why they have an age requirement. Shane Gould, many years ago wanted FINA and the IOC to set an age limit for swimmers in the Olympics and I believe it was either 16 or 17 years old. Her theory at the time was that the mental pressure more than the physical pressure is just to great for young swimmers and it might effect them more if they fail in their goals for there future in the sport. I am not sure if she was talking about herself because she retired early and would not have if they had this age limit. With her 5 total medals (3 gold) at the 1972 Olympics at 15 didn't matter. I don't think that FINA and IOC thought about this and nothing was ever said again about it.