Meet Agnes Keleti, the oldest surviving Olympic champion

For Agnes Keleti, the oldest living Olympic champion, the fondest memory of her remarkable 100 years is simply that she has lived through it all. Born as Agnes Klein in 1921, Agnes Keleti had her illustrious career interrupted by World War II and the subsequent cancellation of the 1940 and 1944 Olympics. The Holocaust survivor and winner of 10 Olympic medals, Agnes is still considered one of the most successful Jewish Olympic athletes of all time.

For Agnes Keleti, the oldest living Olympic champion, the fondest memory of her remarkable 100 years is simply that she has lived through it all. Credit: AFP Photo

The Holocaust survivor and winner of 10 Olympic medals in gymnastics — including five golds — turned 100 on January 9, 2021. Credit: AFP Photo

Leafing through a copy of a new book about her life —

Keleti, who was born Agnes Klein in 1921, had her illustrious career interrupted by World War II and the subsequent cancellation of the 1940 and 1944 Olympics. Credit: www.olympics.com

Forced off her gymnastics team in 1941 because of her Jewish ancestry, Keleti went into hiding in the Hungarian countryside. She survived the Holocaust by assuming a false identity and working as a maid. Credit: www.olympics.com

Resuming her career after the war, Keleti was set to compete at the 1948 London Olympics but a last-minute ankle injury dashed her hopes. Four years later, she made her Olympic debut at the 1952 Helsinki Games at the age of 31, winning a gold medal in the floor exercise as well as a silver and two bronzes. Credit: www.olympics.com

Despite her achievements — with six medals she was the most successful athlete at the 1956 Melbourne Olympics and she is recognised as one of the most successful Jewish Olympic athletes of all time — the still-vivacious Keleti said she most values her health and the simple fact that she has lived. Credit: AFP Photo

After leaving Hungary for the Olympics in 1956, she visited her native country only once before returning to Budapest in 2015. At the age of 35, while she was becoming the oldest gold medallist in gymnastics history in Melbourne, the Soviet Union invaded Hungary following an unsuccessful anti-Soviet uprising. Credit: AFP Photo

Keleti was awarded the Israel Prize in 2017 — considered that country's highest cultural honor — and is the recipient of numerous other prestigious awards, including being named one of Hungary's