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Oscar Swahn

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Oscar Swahn
Oscar Swahn at the 1912 Olympics
Personal information
Born(1847-10-20)20 October 1847
Götaland, Sweden
Died1 May 1927(1927-05-01) (aged 79)
Stockholm, Sweden
Sport
SportSports shooting
Medal record
Representing  Sweden
Olympic Games
Gold medal – first place 1908 London Single-shot running deer
Gold medal – first place 1908 London Team single-shot running deer
Gold medal – first place 1912 Stockholm 100 m team running deer, single shots
Silver medal – second place 1920 Antwerp 100 m team running deer, double shots
Bronze medal – third place 1908 London Double-shot running deer
Bronze medal – third place 1912 Stockholm 100 m running deer, double shots

Oscar Gomer Swahn (20 October 1847 – 1 May 1927) was a Swedish shooter who competed at three Olympic games and won six medals, including three gold.[1] Swahn holds records as the oldest Olympian at the time of competition, the oldest person to win gold, and the oldest athlete to win an Olympic medal.[2][3]

Biography

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At the 1908 Summer Olympics, Oscar Swahn won two gold medals in the running deer, single shot events (individual and team), and a bronze medal in the running deer double shot individual event. He was 60 years old, a year younger than Joshua Millner, the oldest gold medalist at that time.

When the 1912 Summer Olympics came to his native country, Sweden, he was a member of the single shot running deer team which again won the gold medal. He also won bronze again at the individual double shot running deer event, but came joint fourth in the individual single shot event, which was won by his son Alfred Swahn. At 64 years and 258 days of age, he became the oldest gold medalist ever, a record he still holds.[4]

At the 1920 Summer Olympics, he became the oldest athlete ever to compete in the Olympics at the age of 72. His best results were in the team competitions: a fourth place in the single shot running deer event, and a second place in the double shot running deer contest. With this silver medal, he is also the oldest medallist of all time (not counting the art competitions).[5]

In all of the Swedish shooting teams competitions that Oscar Swahn competed with at the Olympic games of 1908, 1912, and 1920, he competed alongside his son, Alfred Swahn.

References

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  1. ^ "Sports Reference: Oscar Swahn". Sports Reference. Archived from the original on 17 April 2020. Retrieved 21 February 2014.
  2. ^ "Oldest and Youngest Olympians". www.topendsports.com. Retrieved 23 February 2018.
  3. ^ "Oscar Swahn". Olympedia. Retrieved 10 April 2021.
  4. ^ "Oldest Olympic gold medallist". Guinness World Records. Retrieved 23 February 2018.
  5. ^ "Oldest Olympic medallist". Guinness World Records. Retrieved 23 February 2018.
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