Olympians with long Careers

(in years - olympic games)

The winner of two gold in motorboating in 1908, Thomas Thornycroft, was selected, at the age of 70, as an alternate sailer to the 1952 Olympics. He went to Helsinki but did not compete. That would have been a career of 44 years.
Similarly, the 1912 100m winner, Ralph Craig, went to London in 1948 (36 years later), but only as an alternate sailer. He did carry the US flag at the opening ceremony also.

This list attempts to be complete with regards to years. Everyone who has competed in Olympics (at least) 18 years apart should be on here. That also includes all instances of people being present at SIX olympics. Five olympics can be achieved in just 16 years and there are lots of instances of that feat.

  1. 40 - 8 (1908-1948) - Ivan Osiier, Danish fencer
  2. 40 - 8 (1948-1972,1988) - Durward Knowles, Bahamian Sailer
  3. 40 - 8 (1948-1960,1968,1972,1984,1988) Paul Elvstrøm, Danish Sailer
  4. 40 - 6 (1908-1920,1928,1936,1948) - Magnus Konow, Norwegian Sailer
  5. 36 - 4 (1924,1928,1956,1960) Krou Lekarski, Bulgarian Equestrian
  6. 36 - 4 (1924,1952-1960) François La Fortuno Sr, Belgian Shooter
  7. 32 - 9 (1964-1996) Hubert Raudaschl, Austrian Sailer
  8. 28 - 8 (1948-1976) Piero d'Inzeo, Italian Equestrian
  9. 28 - 8 (1948-1976) Raimondo d'Inzeo, Italian Equestrian
  10. 28 - 7 (1964-1976,1984-1992) John Michael Plumb, American Equestrian
  11. 28 - 7 (1972,1976,1984-2000) Ian Millar, Canadian Equestrian
  12. 28 - 6 (1932-1960) Gerevich Aladár, Hungarian Fencer
  13. 28 - 6 (1964-1992) Christlot Hanson-Boylen, Canadian Equestrian
  14. 28 - 5 (1920,1928-1948) Tore Anton Holm, Swedish Sailer
  15. 28 - 5 (1960-1972,1988) David Broome, British Equestrian
  16. 28 - 3 (1960,1964,1988) Anne Newbury-Ransehousen, American Equestrian
  17. 28 - 2 (1896,1924) Hajós Alfréd, Hungarian Swimmer, then Artist (Architect)
  18. 28 - 2 (1920,1948) Max Houben, Belgian Sprinter, then Bobsledder
  19. 28 - 2 (1924,1952) Cyril Mackworth-Praed, British Shooter
  20. 24 - 7 (1952-1976) François La Fortuno Jr, Belgian Shooter (and son of higher placed)
  21. 24 - 7 (1964-1988) Kerstin Palm, Swedish Fencer
  22. 24 - 7 (1972-1996) Ragnar Skanaker, Swedish Shooter
  23. 24 - 6 (1960-1972,1976,1984) Hans Fogh, Danish, then Canadian Sailer
  24. 24 - 6 (1976-1980,1988-2000) Alexander Lukyanov, Russian Cox
  25. 24 - 6 (1976-1980,1988-2000) Jochen Schümann, German Sailer
  26. 24 - 5 (1900,1908-1924) Frantisek Janda-Suk, Czech Discus Thrower
  27. 24 - 5 (1928-1952) Heikki Ilmari Savolainen, Finnish Gymnast
  28. 24 - 5 (1932-1956) André Jousseaumé, French Equestrian
  29. 24 - 5 (1932-1956) Gustav-Adolf Boltenstein, Swedish Equestrian
  30. 24 - 5 (1932-1956) Ellen Preis, Austrian Fencer
  31. 24 - 5 (1936-1960) Edoardo Mangiarotti, Italian Fencer
  32. 24 - 5 (1936-1960) Kovács Pál, Hungarian Fencer
  33. 24 - 5 (1936-1960) Torsten Ullman, Swedish Shooter
  34. 24 - 5 (1964,1968,1976,1984,1988) Reiner Klimke, German Equestrian
  35. 20 - 6 (1948-1968) Janice Romary, American Fencer
  36. 20 - 6 (1952-1972) Lia Manoliu, Romanian Discus Thrower
  37. 20 - 6 (1952-1972) Bill Steinkraus, American Equestrian
  38. 20 - 6 (1956-1976) Hans-Günther Winkler, German Equestrian
  39. 20 - 6 (1956-1976) Bill Hoskyns, British Fencer
  40. 20 - 6 (1956-1976) William McMillan, American Shooter
  41. 20 - 6 (1964-1984) Carl-Erik Eriksson, Swedish Bobsledder
  42. 20 - 6 (1968-1988) Colin Coates, Australian Speed Skater
  43. 20 - 6 (1976-1996) Tessa Sanderson, British Javelin Thrower
  44. 20 - 6 (1980-2000) Merlene Ottey, Jamaican sprinter
  45. 20 - 6 (1980-2000) Manuel Estiarte, Spanish waterpolo-player
  46. 20 - 5 (1908-1928) Paulo Radmilovic, British Waterpoloer
  47. 20 - 5 (1908-1928) George Mackenzie, British Wrestler
  48. 20 - 5 (1956-1976) Abdon Pamich, Italian Walker
  49. 20 - 5 (1972-1992) Frances Larrieu-Smith, American long-distance Runner
  50. 20 - 5 (1976,1984-1996) Christine Stückelberger, Swiss Equestrian
  51. 20 - 5 (1980, 1984-2000) Birgit Fischer-Schmidt, German Canoeist
  52. 20 - 4 (1900,1908-1920) Lars Jörgen Madsen, Danish Shooter
  53. 20 - 4 (1928-1936,1948) Sven Thofelt Swedish Modern Pentathlete and Fencer
  54. 20 - 4 (1932-1952) Frans Stack, Canadian Speed Skater
  55. 20 - 4 (1932-1952) Martin Hindorff, Swedish Sailer
  56. 20 - 4 (1936-1956) Sepp Bradl, Austrian Ski Jumper
  57. 20 - 4 (1936-1956) Dorothy Odam-Tyler, British High Jumper
  58. 20 - 4 (1936-1956) Toyoko Yoshino-Nakamura, Japanese Discus Thrower
  59. 20 - 4 (1956-1964,1976) Conn Findlay, American Rower, then Sailer
  60. 20 - 3 (1908-1912,1928) Johan Anker, Norwegian Sailer
  61. 20 - 3 (1928,1932,1948) John Heaton, American Skeletonner and Bodsledder
  62. 20 - 3 (1928,1936,1948) Bibi Torriani, Swiss Ice Hockeyer
  63. 20 - 2 (1900,1920) Max Decugis, French Tenisser
  64. 20 - 2 (1900,1920) Hubert van Innis, Belgian Archer
  65. 20 - 2 (1928,1948) Willy Van Rompaey, Belgian Sailer
  66. 20 - 2 (1928,1948) Ludovic Franck, Belgian Sailer
  67. 20 - 2 (1972,1992) Jamie McEwan, American Slalom Canoeist
  68. 18 - 6 (1976-1994) Marja-Liisa Hämälainen-Kirvesniemi, Finnish Nordic Skier

The same list by number of Olympic games :

  1. 32 - 9 (1964-1996) Hubert Raudaschl, Austrian Sailer
  2. 40 - 8 (1908-1948) - Ivan Osiier, Danish fencer
  3. 40 - 8 (1948-1972,1988) - Durward Knowles, Bahamian Sailer
  4. 40 - 8 (1948-1960,1968,1972,1984,1988) Paul Elvstrøm, Danish Sailer
  5. 28 - 8 (1948-1976) Piero d'Inzeo, Italian Equestrian
  6. 28 - 8 (1948-1976) Raimondo d'Inzeo, Italian Equestrian
  7. 28 - 7 (1964-1976,1984-1992) John Michael Plumb, American Equestrian
  8. 28 - 7 (1972,1976,1984-2000) Ian Millar, Canadian Equestrian
  9. 24 - 7 (1952-1976) François La Fortuno Jr, Belgian Shooter
  10. 24 - 7 (1964-1988) Kerstin Palm, Swedish Fencer
  11. 24 - 7 (1972-1996) Ragnar Skanaker, Swedish Shooter
  12. 40 - 6 (1908-1920,1928,1936,1948) - Magnus Konow, Norwegian Sailer
  13. 28 - 6 (1932-1960) Gerevich Aladár, Hungarian Fencer
  14. 28 - 6 (1964-1992) Christlot Hanson-Boylen, Canadian Equestrian
  15. 24 - 6 (1960-1972,1976,1984) Hans Fogh, Danish, then Canadian Sailer
  16. 24 - 6 (1976-1980,1988-2000) Alexander Lukyanov, Russian Cox
  17. 24 - 6 (1976-1980,1988-2000) Jochen Schümann, German Sailer
  18. 20 - 6 (1948-1968) Janice Romary, American Fencer
  19. 20 - 6 (1952-1972) Lia Manoliu, Romanian Discus Thrower
  20. 20 - 6 (1952-1972) Bill Steinkraus, American Equestrian
  21. 20 - 6 (1956-1976) Hans-Günther Winkler, German Equestrian
  22. 20 - 6 (1956-1976) Bill Hoskyns, British Fencer
  23. 20 - 6 (1956-1976) William McMillan, American Shooter
  24. 20 - 6 (1964-1984) Carl-Erik Eriksson, Swedish Bobsledder
  25. 20 - 6 (1968-1988) Colin Coates, Australian Speed Skater
  26. 20 - 6 (1976-1996) Tessa Sanderson, British Javelin Thrower
  27. 20 - 6 (1980-2000) Merlene Ottey, Jamaican sprinter
  28. 20 - 6 (1980-2000) Manuel Estiarte, Spanish waterpolo-player
  29. 18 - 6 (1976-1994) Marja-Liisa Hämälainen-Kirvesniemi, Finnish Nordic Skier

Written 2000-07-09 - last modified 2000-10-13

hermandw@village.uunet.be / Copyright ©2000.