Publication announcements or book releases

Agnes Keleti, Holocaust Survivor and Oldest Olympic Champion with 10 Medals, Dies at 103

Jan 2, 2025, 10:50 AM

Agnes Keleti, a Holocaust survivor and one of the greatest Jewish athletes in history, died on Thursday at the age of 103 after being rushed to hospital on Christmas Day. Born in Hungary, Keleti was a renowned gymnast who won 10 Olympic medals, including five gold medals, at the 1952 Helsinki and 1956 Melbourne Olympic Games. She won her first Olympic gold at age 31 and reached her peak four years later, winning multiple golds to become the oldest female gymnast to win in the sport. She was the world's oldest living Olympic champion and a legend in gymnastics. After surviving the Holocaust, during which she lost much of her family, Keleti made aliyah to Israel in 1957, where she contributed to gymnastics as a coach. The Israeli Olympic Committee, the Gymnastics Association, and the Minister of Culture and Sport have paid tribute to her legacy, recognizing her as the greatest Jewish female athlete of all time and a recipient of the Israel Prize.