Who You Calling Old? At the 2026 Olympics, Age is Just a Number

United States - Ekhbary News Agency

Who You Calling Old? At the 2026 Olympics, Age is Just a Number

In the world of sports, often perceived as a domain for the young, a growing number of veteran athletes are challenging conventional notions of age, gearing up for participation in the 2026 Olympic Games. Among them is American athlete Gus Kenworthy, who found himself at a crossroads after retiring from professional skiing. Despite three years having passed since he left his sport, and less than a year before the 2026 Olympics, a radical thought tugged at his mind: at 34 years old, he desired one more shot at competing on his sport's biggest stage.

Kenworthy, a three-time Olympian, had already walked away once. In the years since the 2022 Beijing Games, he had cultivated an enviable life, working as an actor, model, and LGBTQ+ advocate. He traveled the world and became a popular fixture on red carpets and at glitzy Hollywood parties. He didn't *need* skiing. Yet, he began to feel like an imposter in his own life.

"I'd be at a party, and someone would ask, 'What do you do now?'" Kenworthy recounts. "And I wouldn't know how to answer. Saying anything other than, 'I'm a professional skier,' felt wrong coming out of my mouth. I felt a loss of my sense of identity." But fear loomed. What if his body failed him? What would his competitors, many of whom were nearly half his age, think? What if his life didn't wait for him?

Then, he witnessed Lindsey Vonn, a skiing legend, return to the podium of a World Cup race in Sun Valley, Idaho, in March 2025. This occurred five months after her 40th birthday and six months after she had returned to skiing following a six-year retirement. In Vonn's comeback, Kenworthy saw a tangible example of what could be achieved if he pushed beyond his fears.

"Anything's easier when you watch someone else do it," Kenworthy explains. "I know that Lindsey would've had to go through all the same thoughts, emotions, and fears that I went through. And despite all of that, she decided to give it another go. To see her do that and it pay off, and her prove she's still that girl, I was like, 'I'm still that girl, too.'" Kenworthy laughs, but the look in his eyes on this rainy October day in New York makes it clear he believes these words. This comeback has not been easy. His knees ache, and he is away from his friends and family more than he would prefer. However, he has made a promise to himself to chase his unfinished dreams, aiming to join the ranks of several older athletes who have emerged from retirement for these Olympics.

This includes not only Vonn but also freeskier Nick Goepper, who staged an improbable return to his sport in a different discipline, and Maddy Schaffrick, 31, who returned to halfpipe snowboarding after a decade's absence to make her first Olympic team. Like Vonn, Schaffrick, and Goepper, Kenworthy understood the risks—failure, injury, criticism—yet he chose to move forward. They all recognize that the sports landscape has evolved, and they have too. It might be more challenging this time around. Recovery may take longer, and their joints might be sore. But they are not the same competitors they were before; in many ways, they are better.

Ten years ago, Schaffrick was a plumber's apprentice in Steamboat Springs, Colorado, attempting to distance herself from the memory of being one of the nation's most promising halfpipe snowboarders. A prodigy who had spent seven years competing on the U.S. halfpipe team, she retired in 2015 following a series of knee surgeries. At just 20, she was burned out and disillusioned with the sport. Her anxiety during competitions became so severe that she barely recalls her performances now. Standing at the top of the halfpipe before dropping in for her runs, she would spiral into negative self-talk, seeking out teammates and competitors to dance with as a distraction, to distance her mind from the moment.

"I would just dissociate," Schaffrick admits. "I didn't land a lot of runs in those last few years because I felt fear." After retiring, she felt anger and resentment. She wanted to discover her identity outside of snowboarding, so she began learning the trade from a friend who owned a plumbing business. However, about a year later, she was offered an opportunity to coach youth snowboarders at her hometown club in Steamboat Springs. Initially, the job was merely a means to an end, but she soon discovered a new passion in helping others pursue their aspirations.

This shift in her life's trajectory, from professional athlete to plumber and coach, exemplifies human resilience and the capacity for self-reinvention. The narratives of Kenworthy, Vonn, Schaffrick, and Goepper not only inspire fellow athletes but also challenge societal perspectives on aging and physical capabilities. They serve as potent reminders that passion and perseverance know no age limits, and that the grandest stages of sport can indeed be the perfect place to prove that age is merely a number.

Ekhbary News Agency