Alcaraz, Phelps, Márquez, Comaneci and other great early athletes in history

Sport at its most demanding, professional, is an activity defined by the physical splendor of its practitioners and, therefore, a realm reserved for young people. Sometimes even the extremely young, still far from physiological and muscular fullness.. The existence of great early talents is revealed as a constant in the memory of sport. Carlos Alcaraz is one of those examples. Winner at Wimbledon at the age of 20, he already prevailed at 19 at the United States Open and became, in addition, the youngest ATP number one in history.

Women, who generally develop earlier than men, more often break precocity records. On the other hand, some disciplines (tennis, swimming, gymnastics…), according to medical explanations that exceed the scope of this work, are more open than others to the youth revolution.. In tennis, Conchita Martínez and Arantxa Sánchez Vicario dominated the Spanish courts from childhood. Margaret Court (who turned 81 on Sunday the 16th), Mary Pierce, Martina Hingis, Mónica Seles, Jennifer Capriati, Tracy Austin, Gabriela Sabatini, Maria Sharapova and Serena Williams began to reach the top while still “teenagers”. Hingis and Williams were already professionals at the age of 14. Capriati, at los 13. Hingis won the Australian Open at the age of 16. Seles had won nine Grand Slams before he was 20.

Rafael Nadal won his first Roland Garros at the age of 19. And Michael Chang his only one with 17. Mats Wilander was also 17 when he won the first of his three Roland Garros, and 18 when he won the first of his three Australian Opens.. The same age as Boris Becker, winner of six Grand Slams, when he took Wimbledon in 1985. Björn Borg, king six times at Roland Garros and, consecutively, five times at Wimbledon, also had 18 in his first title in Paris. He was equally early in his retirement. He hung up the racket at the age of 26.

Nadia Comaneci at the Montreal 76 Games. AP

In gymnastics, Nadia Comaneci was 14 when she made the world fall in love at the Montreal 76 Olympic Games. Liudmila Turischeva was 15 when she obtained, in the Mexico 68 team contest, the first of her four Olympic golds in three editions of the Games. Olga Korbut shone in her 17 years when in Munich 1972 she hung three gold medals from her graceful neck. Simone Biles was already world champion on floor at 16.

Pelé, in 1958, in Sweden, was world champion at the age of 17, the same age at which Cruyff debuted at Ajax, Raúl at Madrid and Messi at Barcelona. Maradona was still 15 (he had 10 days left to turn 16) when he did the same with Argentinos Juniors.

It is common for basketball players to stand out very early. But not as much as Ricky Rubio, who debuted in the ACB at 14 years, 11 months and 24 days. Juan Antonio Corbalán was 15 years old when Real Madrid entered and was international at 16, before even having a record for the first white team, with whom he had only participated, as a guest, in a game.

Swimming is especially cozy with the most tender. The examples are practically innumerable.. But worth some. Michael Phelps was already fifth, at the age of 15, in the 200 butterfly at the Sydney 2000 Games. And with 15 years and nine months he broke the world record of 200 butterfly. Thus, he surpassed Ian Thorpe, record holder of the 400 freestyle at the age of 16 years and 10 months, in precocity in such high competitions.

Ledecky in a swimming competition. AFP

Katie Ledecky was also fifteen when she won, in London 2012, in the 800 free, the first of her seven Olympic gold medals. Also at that age Shane Gould achieved in Munich 72, three golds, one silver and one bronze. And, seen and not seen, he withdrew. He left the sport almost still at puberty. Missy Franklin made her Olympic debut in London at the age of 17 with five medals, four of them gold. Mikaela Shiffrin, ski's top star, entered the World Cup with 16 and achieved the first of her 88 victories with 17.

Engine

Motorcycles have seen teenage champions: Valentino Rossi, Dani Pedrosa, Jorge Lorenzo…. Formula 1, on the other hand, is not for youngsters. But Marx Verstappen was that same age, 17, when he made his debut in the highest category of motorsport. In golf you have to be very curdled. For this reason, it should be noted that “Tiger” Woods was 21 when he won his first Major (Augusta) and Severiano Ballesteros was 22 when he reigned at the British Open.

Athing Mu was 19 when she was the 800m Olympic champion at Tokyo 2020. Jakob Ingebrigtsen was already absolute European champion of 1,500 and 5,000 at the age of 17 and, in Tokyo, Olympic 1,500 at 20. In the pole vault, Sergei Bubka and Armand Duplantis began their festival of records and medals before they turned 20.