The Youngest Wrestlers Heading to the Paris 2024 Games: A Glimpse into the Future of Olympic Champions

As the Paris 2024 Olympic Games approach, fans are eagerly anticipating the performances of both established stars and a new wave of talented Olympians. Among the 290 athletes bound for Paris, 19 wrestlers under the age of 21 have the potential to make history and become some of the youngest Olympic champions ever. In this article, we’ll take a closer look at the 15 youngest wrestlers heading to the Games, including the ones who could potentially break records and make a lasting impact on the sport.

Women’s Wrestling: The Future is Bright

Women’s wrestling dominates the youth spotlight, with six wrestlers under the age of 21 vying for gold. Xu Wang from China remains the youngest-ever Olympic champion in women’s wrestling, a record that has stood for over two decades. However, Sol Gum Pak from North Korea is close to breaking this record, as she will be just 18 years and 9 months old when she competes in the 68kg category on August 5. If she reaches the gold-medal bout, she’ll surpass Wang’s record by a month and 23 days.

Other rising stars in women’s wrestling include Antim Antim from India, who could potentially surpass Kaori Icho’s age record, and Akari Fujinami from Japan, who is on a 120+ match winning streak and is expected to make a strong impression on the record books.

Greco-Roman and Freestyle Wrestling: The Next Generation

In Greco-Roman wrestling, Islambek Albiev from Russia holds the record as the youngest Olympic gold medalist, set at the Beijing 2008 Games. Saied Esmaeili from Iran is the youngest competitor in the Greco-Roman field, and while he may not challenge the top six spots, he could potentially become the seventh-youngest Greco-Roman Olympic champion if he wins the 67kg final on August 8.

In freestyle wrestling, Aman Aman from India is the youngest contender, and while he may not be close to breaking the youngest-ever title, he could still make a mark by becoming the 11th youngest Olympic champion if he wins gold on August 9-10.

The Top 15 Youngest Wrestlers Heading to Paris 2024

Here’s a list of the 15 youngest wrestlers heading to the Paris 2024 Games:

1. Sol Gum Pak (DPRK) - 18 years old | November 2, 2005 | Women’s Wrestling
2. Antim Antim (IND) - 19 years old | August 31, 2004 | Women’s Wrestling
3. Amit Elor (USA) - 20 years old | January 1, 2004 | Women’s Wrestling
4. Akari Fujinami (JPN) - 20 years old | November 1, 2003 | Women’s Wrestling
5. Kennedy Blades (USA) - 20 years old | September 4, 2003 | Women’s Wrestling
6. Gabija Dylite (LTU) - 20 years old | September 3, 2003 | Women’s Wrestling
7. Aman Aman (IND) - 20 years old | July 16, 2000 | Freestyle Wrestling
8. Saied Esmaeili (IRI) - 21 years old | July 15, 2003 | Greco-Roman Wrestling
9. Aurora Russo (ITA) - 21 years old | June 3, 2003 | Women’s Wrestling
10. Nonoka Ozaki (JPN) - 21 years old | March 23, 2003 | Women’s Wrestling
11. Akhmed Tazhudinov (BRN) - 21 years old | January 25, 2003 | Freestyle Wrestling
12. Alireza Mohmadi Piani (IRI) - 21 years old | October 30, 2002 | Greco-Roman Wrestling
13. Hasrat Jafarov (AZE) - 21 years old | October 5, 2002 | Greco-Roman Wrestling
14. Zaineb Sghaier (TUN) - 21 years old | September 25, 2002 | Women’s Wrestling
15. Amirali Azarpira (IRI) - 22 years old | March 26, 2002 | Freestyle Wrestling

These young wrestlers are set to make a mark on the Paris 2024 Olympic Games, and fans are eagerly anticipating their performances.

Historical Context:

• The Olympic Games have a long history of featuring young and talented wrestlers, with some athletes making their debut as early as 16 years old.
• Xu Wang from China holds the record for the youngest-ever Olympic champion in women’s wrestling, winning the title at the age of 18 years and 10 months in 2000.
• Islambek Albiev from Russia holds the record for the youngest Olympic gold medalist in Greco-Roman wrestling, winning the title at the age of 18 years and 11 months in 2008.
• Kaori Icho from Japan is the most decorated wrestler in Olympic history, with a total of 12 medals, including eight gold medals.

Summary in Bullet Points:

• 19 wrestlers under the age of 21 are heading to the Paris 2024 Olympic Games, with six women’s wrestlers vying for gold. • Sol Gum Pak from North Korea is close to breaking Xu Wang’s record for the youngest-ever Olympic champion in women’s wrestling, set to compete in the 68kg category on August 5. • Antim Antim from India and Akari Fujinami from Japan are other rising stars in women’s wrestling, with potential to surpass Kaori Icho’s age record. • Saied Esmaeili from Iran is the youngest competitor in the Greco-Roman field, and could potentially become the seventh-youngest Greco-Roman Olympic champion if he wins the 67kg final on August 8. • Aman Aman from India is the youngest contender in freestyle wrestling, and could still make a mark by becoming the 11th youngest Olympic champion if he wins gold on August 9-10. • The top 15 youngest wrestlers heading to the Paris 2024 Games include six women’s wrestlers, four Greco-Roman wrestlers, and five freestyle wrestlers. • These young wrestlers are set to make a mark on the Paris 2024 Olympic Games, and fans are eagerly anticipating their performances.