If it’s the Olympics, nothing is impossible. And no age too old or too young for Olympic glory.
Ask Abdullah Al-Rashidi, a seven-time Olympian, who, at 58 years, won his second straight skeet-shooting bronze on Monday.
The only difference: At Rio in 2016, he was considered an independent athlete, not a Kuwaiti. Kuwait’s national Olympic committee had been suspended by the IOC for government interference so Al-Rashidi and his compatriots at the Rio Games had to compete as part of an independent team.
That meant no team uniform — he wore an Arsenal football jersey — no Kuwaiti flag or national anthem should anyone win gold. This time, he made sure he had the Kuwaiti flag out first, draping it over his shoulders even before the medal had been presented.
“I am happy to see my Kuwaiti flag and second Olympic medal,” Al-Rashidi said, promising to return at the 2024 Paris Games, when he would be a sprightly 61.
Hours before Al-Rashidi’s feat, Japan’s Momiji Nishiya became the second youngest champion in summer Olympic history, aged 13 years and 330 days, by winning the inaugural women’s skateboarding street competition.
Only Marjorie Gestring, who was 13 years and 268 days when winning the women’s 3m springboard diving at the 1936 Berlin Olympics, has secured gold in a summer Games at a younger age.
Nishiya came out on top of an unusually young field of competitors, with all three medallists in their teens.
Brazilian silver medallist Rayssa Leal is also 13, while bronze medallist Funa Nakayama, also from Japan, is 16. If it’s the Olympics, anything is possible.