(FreePressBeacon.com) – In sad news, the world’s oldest Olympic gold medalist, Agnes Keleti, a beacon of resilience and triumph, has tragically passed away at the age of 103, just shy of her 104th birthday.
As the world mourns the loss of a legendary athlete and Holocaust survivor, we reflect on her indomitable spirit and profound achievements.
Her life story, brimming with courage, leaves an indelible mark on history.
Ágnes Keleti, the oldest living Olympic medal winner, passed away in Budapest after battling pneumonia.
Celebrated as one of Hungary’s most successful athletes, she amassed a remarkable ten Olympic medals in gymnastics, which included five golds, during the 1952 Helsinki Games and the 1956 Melbourne Games.
Born Ágnes Klein in Budapest in 1921, her career was dramatically interrupted by World War II.
With the cancellation of the 1940 and 1944 Olympics, Keleti, who was banned from sports in 1940 due to her Jewish heritage, survived the Holocaust by adopting a false identity and working as a maid in the Hungarian countryside.
Despite the horrific loss of her father and several relatives in the Holocaust, her mother and sister survived with the help of the courageous Swedish diplomat, Raoul Wallenberg.
“Agnes Keleti, a five-time Olympic champion gymnast, the Athlete of the Nation, Hungary’s female athlete with the most Olympic medals, and the oldest five-ring gold medalist in the world, passed away at the age of 103 on Thursday morning,” said the Hungarian Olympic Committee, cited by The Daily Mail.
Keleti’s Olympic career, postponed but not deterred by war, began with an astounding debut at age 31 during the Helsinki Games, where she demonstrated an unparalleled commitment and prowess.
Her success only intensified at the 1956 Melbourne Olympics, where she achieved her greatest triumph by becoming the most lauded athlete of the Games.
However, Soviet invasion of Hungary during the same year prompted her to seek political asylum in Australia.
Escaping the shackles of oppression, Keleti later moved to Israel and made significant contributions to athleticism there.
She trained and coached the Israeli Olympic gymnastics team, lending her expertise and passion until the 1990s.
Beyond her coaching career, she also served as an international gymnastics judge and was inducted into the International Gymnastics Federation Hall of Fame in 2002.
To recognize her legacy, Keleti released a memoir titled ‘The Three Lives of an Olympic Champion’ in 2023, chronicling her journey from endurance amid adversity to celebrated glory.
Furthermore, her longevity not only epitomized her enduring spirit but also set a record, surpassing Sandor Tarics as the oldest ever Olympic champion in 2023.
“Ágnes Keleti was the oldest living Olympic Champion and passed away only a week before her 104th birthday. She will be remembered forever for her inspirational story. Ágnes Keleti has demonstrated the power of strong determination and courage to overcome tragedy when she, born to a Jewish family, survived the Holocaust and went on to win ten Olympic medals after World War II, five of them Gold. This is truly awe-inspiring. Our thoughts are with her family and her friends,” said IOC President Thomas Bach.
Five-time Olympic champion Hungarian gymnast Agnes Keleti, the world's oldest living Olympic gold medallist and a survivor of the persecution of Jews in World War Two, died at the age of 103 on Thursday, the Hungarian Olympic Committee said. https://t.co/tLFXin5ekh pic.twitter.com/dEck0o9wob
— Reuters (@Reuters) January 2, 2025
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