2022 Winter Olympics: What are the age requirements for athletes?

The 2022 Winter Olympics are upon us. The athletes are headed to Beijing for the Olympic and Paralympic Games, but what age requirements do they face?

The Olympic Games tend to feature a group of athletes within a wide range and variety of ages. Some of them happen to be shockingly young and it’s fair to ask why a kid who could be in middle or high school is competing for a medal on what is arguably the biggest stage in international sports.

So, what kind of age limits are instituted by the International Olympic Committee? How is this regulated? Who steps in to say how old an athlete must be to compete in the Olympics? Does it differ between the Winter Olympics and the Summer Olympics?

2022 Winter Olympics: Is there a minimum age requirement for Olympic athletes?

While there are some sports that institute minimum age limits, there is technically no age limit for athletes to participate in the Olympics. According to the International Olympic Committee, no specific age limit has been set for the games as a whole.

However, that doesn’t mean that some athletes won’t face an age requirement. While the Olympic Games has no specific age limit, each International Sports Federation is able to step in and put a requirement in place for its individual sport.

According to the Olympic Charter, that age requirement is approved by the International Olympic Committee Executive Board, but that’s pretty much all the IOC has to do with age requirements.

To learn more about what rules and regulations are in place with the Olympic Games, click here to access the Olympic Charter.