In the modern age of sport, there is no question that the longevity of exceptional athletes has increased. Chalk it up to advances in sports medicine or technological improvements in equipment, but athletes are competing for longer. However, one thing that hasn’t changed is that many of these athletes are in the ‘swan song’ of their careers as they enter their 40s. But Nick Baumgartner seems to be just hitting his stride.
Nick Baumgartner, for the uninitiated, is the oldest Olympic gold medalist in Snowboarding history, winning his gold medal alongside Lindsey Jacobellis at the 2022 Winter Olympics in the inaugural Snowboard Cross team event race. Hailing from Iron Creek, Michigan, this Yooper icon is 44 and has competed at five separate Winter Olympics and has no plans to stop now.
- Related: From 15 to 44: Meet Team USA’s Youngest & Oldest Athletes at the 2026 Olympics
During the 2026 Milano Cortina Games, Baumgartner gained attention for his social-media-savvy posts alongside teammates often half his age. The average age of Olympians has risen from 24 in 1980 to 28 by the 2022 Games. Even so, at 44, Baumgartner remained a major outlier.
Future Olympic Plans
In a recent sit-down with NBC Los Angeles, Baumgartner hinted that he is not expecting the 2030 Winter Olympics in the French Alps to be his last. When speaking on his future retirement, Baumgartner states, “We could say 2030, but let’s be honest. How cool would it be to retire on home soil? 2034 in Salt Lake City, Utah. Is it possible? I don’t know. Are we gonna find out? Absolutely.”
Competing on the world’s biggest stage at age 52 would be an incredible feat, but not an unheard-of one. The oldest athlete at the 2026 Winter Games was Austria’s Claudia Riegler, who competed in alpine snowboarding at 52 years old, finishing 16th in the parallel giant slalom. Carl August Kronlund of Sweden won an Olympic silver medal in curling at age 58 in 1924. Fellow American Rich Ruohonen also became the oldest U.S. Winter Olympian at age 54 while competing in curling at the 2026 Milano Cortina Games. Still, one could argue snowboard cross is a touch more physically demanding. In fact, a SnowBrains analysis of Olympic injury data found snowboard cross to be one of the most dangerous Winter Olympic sports, with one of the highest injury rates across recent Games.
- Related: The Top 5 Most Dangerous Olympic Sports at the Winter Olympics
Age is Just a Number
While age inevitably slows most athletes down, experience can also become a major advantage. Knowing when to take calculated risks and how to approach a course strategically has helped Baumgartner remain competitive with racers young enough to be his teammates’ younger siblings, or “kids,” as he jokingly calls them. Being called “Grandpa” or mistaken for a coach has become part of the Olympic experience that keeps him motivated…