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Agnes Keleti, the world’s eldest Olympic medalist, has passed away at the age of 103, it has been reported.
Last week, Keleti was admitted to a hospital in Budapest due to pneumonia, reportedly entering on Christmas Day.
Tributes Pour in for Gymnastics Legend
“We offer prayers for her; she possesses immense vitality,” her son Rafael Biro-Keleti told Hungarian media at the time.
Her spokesperson, Tamas Roth, confirmed to AFP that Keleti passed away on Thursday in the hospital.
A Pillar of Hungarian Olympic Success
Keleti was one of Hungary’s most triumphant Olympians, securing 10 medals in gymnastics at the Helsinki 1952 and Melbourne 1956 Olympic Games.
Glimpse of Her Remarkable Career
“Keleti claimed the floor exercise title in the Finnish capital, before winning the uneven bars, balance beam, floor, and team competitions four years later.
- ‘The Floor Exercise’ – Helsinki 1952
- ‘The Uneven Bars’ – Melbourne 1956
- ‘The Balance Beam’ – Melbourne 1956
- ‘The Floor Exercise’ – Melbourne 1956
- ‘The Team Event’ – Melbourne 1956
A Life Marked by Resilience
Born Agnes Klein in Budapest in 1921, she began gymnastics at the age of four.
She joined the VAC Sports Club, the sole Jewish club in Budapest, and went on to win the national title at the age of 16.
Her Olympic debut was postponed due to the cancellation of the 1940 and 1944 Games because of the Second World War.
In 1941, Keleti was expelled from her gymnastics team due to her Jewish heritage.
She adopted a false identity and worked as a maid during the war, with Keleti, her mother, and sister surviving the Holocaust with the assistance of Swedish diplomat Raoul Wallenberg.
The sole survivor amongst relatives, her father and other family members tragically perished at the Auschwitz concentration camp.
They were among the 550,000 Hungarian Jews who lost their lives at Auschwitz and other camps.
“Having qualified for the 1984 Olympics after the war, an ankle injury ultimately prevented her from competing.
A Legacy of Triumph Over Adversity
Her Olympic debut finally came in 1952 in Helsinki at the age of 31, where she secured one gold, one silver, and two bronze medals.
Keleti became the oldest gymnastics gold medalist four years later in Melbourne.
She was the most successful athlete at the Games, earning four gold and two silver medals.
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Forced to stay with the Games at Melbourne having eluded back to Hungry when the Soviet Union invaded, Keleti sought political asylum alongside 44 other athletes from the Hungarian delegation at the Melbourne Games.
The Olympic champion relocated to Israel in 1957, where she met her husband Robert Biro and had two sons, Daniel and Rafael.
Global Influence on Olympic Sport
Keleti played a pivotal role in advancing Israeli gymnastics, serving as a coach from 1958 to 1980, while also aiding the Italian team’s preparation for the 1960 Olympics. She taught physical education at the Orde Wingate Institute in Israel and served as an international gymnastics judge, choosing to retire at the age of 75.
Keleti was inducted into the International Gymnastics Federation Hall of Fame in 2002.
Setting New Records
With her passing, she was the eldest living Olympic champion. In 2023, she surpassed water polo player Sandor Tarics as the oldest-ever Olympic champion at 102 years and 241 days. She was due to celebrate her 104th birthday on January 9.
‘Agnes Keleti, a five-time Olympic gold medalist gymnast and Hungary’s female athlete with the most Olympic medals, passed away at the age of 104 on Thursday morning,’ a Hungarian Olympic Committee statement reads.
“Agnes Keleti was one of our own, The MOB offers condolences to the family and the gymnastics community.”