From 16 to 59: a multi-generational event for two multi-sport medallists
Luxembourg’s Xia Lian Ni (fourth from left) claimed a bronze medal in the women’s table tennis doubles at the age of 59 at the European Championships Munich 2022.
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.
Angela Andreoli (far right) won team all-around gold and individual bronze at the age of 16 - the youngest medallist at the multi-sport European Championships Munich 2022.
On the other hand, Italy’s Angela Andreoli wasn’t even born until 6 June 2006. Yet the young gymnast seems to also be on a great path, seeing she too is part of the national team at the tender age of 16. Having just turned old enough to compete in the senior division and therefore at Munich 2022 Andreoli showed that talent and grit are more important than age when she became the youngest Munich 2022 medallist.
First, the Italian won gold in the team all-around, which was spear-headed by her compatriot Asia D’Amato. Later in the week, Andreoli followed the success up with an individual bronze medal on floor exercise, showing that she can hold her own against the very best in Europe.