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Golden oldie athletes show how to win
RIO DE JANEIRO: At 54, Argentinian Olympic sailor Santiago Lange is tired and in pain. And on the cusp of winning gold.
RIO DE JANEIRO: At 54, Argentinian Olympic sailor Santiago Lange is tired and in pain. And on the cusp of winning gold.
The Olympics may resemble a celebration of youthful perfection, but sprinkled across a surprising variety of sports are veterans like Lange.
There are over-40s in gymnastics and rowing, while equestrian events feature several over-50 year olds, topped by the oldest competitor in the Olympics, New Zealand rider Julie Brougham, 62.
Lange has already been in five Olympics and won two bronze medals. Now his Nacra 17 catamaran, crewed by 29-year-old Cecilia Carranza Saroli, heads the fleet ahead of Tuesday’s medal race, meaning he has an excellent chance of boosting that haul.
Sailing has not the same physical demands as running or gymnastics, but the fast Nacra catamaran requires agility, wits and the toughness to spend days bouncing around in the waves and weather.
“I’m hurting. It takes it out of me,” Lange told AFP at the Olympic sailing base Marina da Gloria, admitting to exhaustion after his latest victorious race. “It’s painful just to pull the boat out of the water.”
It isn’t just creaky joints he has to worry about.
Lange underwent lung cancer surgery last year and spent months out of the sport. Adding to the weight of these Games, Lange has two sons on the Argentine team, sailing a 49er.
OLD DOGS, NEW TRICKS
Brazil’s Robert Scheidt, 43, is looking to add to his haul of five medals to become the most decorated Olympic sailor ever. And 40-yearold rower Katherine Grainger became Britain’s most decorated female Olympian in Rio.
Among other golden oldies are Kristin Armstrong, the US winner of the cycling time trial, who is 43, and Argentina and NBA basketball’s Manu Ginobili, 39.
