THE Olympic Games were the scene of memorable exploits which marked the history of world sport. This Thursday, January 2, 2025, the world lost Agnes Keletithe oldest Olympic champion. At the age of 103, this Hungarian legend, five-time gold medalist, died in a hospital in Budapest, leaving behind an exceptional legacy.
Agnes Keletiborn January 9, 1921 in Budapest under the name ofAgnes Kleinembodied resilience and courage throughout his life. Coming from a Jewish family, she experienced the horror of Shoah. Deprived of competition from 1939 because of her origins, she escaped deportation by usurping a Christian identity and sacrificing all her possessions. During the World War IIshe trained secretly, despite the risks, on the banks of the Danube. Tragedy struck his family: his father and several relatives were deported and murdered in Auschwitzwhile his mother and sister survived thanks to the Swedish diplomat Raoul Wallenberg.
It was only after she turned 30 that Agnes Keleti achieved Olympic recognition, winning five gold medals at the Helsinki Games (1952) et Melbourne (1956)at a time when Hungary lived under Soviet rule. She declared in 2016: “ I played sports, not because it made me feel good, but to see the world. » An affirmation which reflects his quest for emancipation and discovery in a tense geopolitical context.
After the Melbourne Gamesmarked by the failure of the anti-Soviet uprising in Hongrie, Oriental chose not to return to his native country, going into exile in Israel where she continued her career and her life until her definitive return to Hungary in 2015. Her atypical career path and her undeniable talent have earned her a total of ten Olympic medals, making her an undisputed icon of world sport.
The death ofAgnes Keletiwhich occurred after hospitalization for pneumonia, marks the end of a life as exceptional as it was marked by trials. She will be remembered not only as a champion with multiple victories, but also as a woman who triumphed over adversity to write her name in golden letters in Olympic history.
