BUDAPEST: 5-time Olympic champion Hungarian gymnast Agnes Keleti, the world’s oldest dwelling Olympic gold medallist and a survivor of the persecution of Jews in World Battle II, died on the age of 103 on Thursday (Jan 2), the Hungarian Olympic Committee mentioned.
Born as Agnes Klein in Budapest on Jan 9, 1921, Keleti joined the Nationwide Gymnastics Affiliation in 1938 and gained her first Hungarian championship in 1940, solely to be banned from all sports activities actions that 12 months due to her Jewish origin.
“Agnes Keleti is the best gymnast produced by Hungary, however one whose life and profession have been intertwined with the politics of her nation and her faith,” the Worldwide Olympic Committee mentioned in a profile on its web site.
The HOC mentioned Keleti escaped deportation to Nazi demise camps, the place tons of of 1000’s of Hungarian Jews have been killed, by hiding in a village south of Budapest with false papers. Her father and a number of other family members died within the Auschwitz demise camp.
She gained her first gold on the Helsinki video games in 1952 aged 31, when most gymnasts had lengthy been retired, the HOC mentioned.
Keleti reached the height of her profession in Melbourne in 1956, the place she gained 4 gold medals and have become the oldest feminine gymnast to win gold, the HOC mentioned. A 12 months later Keleti settled in Israel, the place she married and had two youngsters.
Her 10 Olympic medals, together with 5 golds, rank Keleti because the second most profitable Hungarian athlete of all time, the HOC mentioned. She has additionally obtained a number of Hungarian state awards.
