Agnes Keleti, the world’s oldest living Olympic gold medalist and a Holocaust survivor, has passed away at the age of 103.
The Hungarian gymnast, whose extraordinary life story is marked by resilience and unparalleled achievements, died on Thursday at Budapest Military Hospital, where she was being treated for heart failure and breathing difficulties.
Keleti, a five-time Olympic champion, made history as one of the greatest gymnasts of all time. Her first Olympic gold came at the age of 31 during the 1952 Helsinki Games. She went on to dominate the 1956 Melbourne Games, where she won four more gold medals, cementing her legacy as the oldest female gymnast to claim Olympic gold. Over the course of her career, Keleti amassed 10 Olympic medals, making her the second most successful Hungarian athlete in history.
Born in Budapest on January 9, 1921, Keleti’s early life was shadowed by the rise of anti-Semitism. She won her first Hungarian gymnastics championship in 1940, but her promising career was abruptly halted when she was banned from participating in sports due to her Jewish heritage. During World War II, Keleti narrowly escaped deportation to Nazi death camps by assuming a false identity and hiding in a village south of Budapest. Tragically, her father and several relatives perished in Auschwitz.
Despite these harrowing experiences, Keleti returned to gymnastics after the war and achieved remarkable success. Her accomplishments during the Helsinki and Melbourne Games remain a testament to her determination and talent.
Following her competitive career, Keleti moved to Israel in 1957, where she married, raised two children, and devoted herself to coaching gymnastics, contributing to the development of the sport in her adopted country.
Keleti’s extraordinary journey from a Holocaust survivor to an Olympic legend has inspired generations. She was a symbol of resilience, proving that even in the face of unimaginable adversity, greatness is possible.
Keleti would have turned 104 on January 9, 2025. Her legacy lives on as a testament to the enduring power of the human spirit.
Melissa Enoch
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