176 sets of medals were awarded at the European Championships Munich 2022. Four athletes managed to win three gold medals, two countries swept the podium. But who were the oldest and youngest medal winners?
They were 16-year-old gymnast Angelina Andreoli and 59-year-old table tennis player Xia Lian Ni. Quite the age gap!
Luxembourg’s Xia Lian Ni keeps showing table tennis fans that age is just a number. The 59-year-old, who won two gold medals at the 1983 world championships, secured a spot on the women’s doubles podium as she and partner Sarah De Nutte won their quarterfinal. “It’s wonderful,” Ni said. “It’s always a challenge. Everybody is very strong, and we are very satisfied until now.” Ni was born in Shanghai, where she made the Chinese national team in 1979, aged 16.
She won her first world championships medals representing China before moving to Europe and eventually Luxembourg, which she has represented since 1991. With De Nutte, 29, she won bronze at last year’s world championships. Heading into the semi-finals, the pair secured bronze, but she is as hungry for victories as ever. “I’m always motivated. If you have no motivation, you better stay home,” Ni said.
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