Torch Relay is a non-competitive replication of the ancient Flame relay and a symbolic celebration of the Olympic Games. In a prophetic speech at the end of the Stockholm Games, on June 27, 1912, Baron Pierre de Coubertin said:

“And now… great people have received the Torch… and have thereby undertaken to preserve and… quicken its precious Flame.

Lest our youth temporarily… let the Olympic Torch fall from their hands… other young people on the other side of the world are prepared to pick it up again.”

The Torch Relay, as the opening of the Olympic celebration, was revived in the Berlin Olympiad in 1936 and since then the Torch Relay has preceded every Olympic Summer Games. Starting from Olympia and carried by the first runner, the young athlete Konstantinos Kondylis, the Flame traveled for the first time hand to hand until it reached the Berlin Olympic Stadium. Since, the Flame’s magic has marked and has been identified with the beginning of the Games.

Yes. The answer is Konstantinos Kondylis during the 1936 Olympic Games in Berlin when the whole Olympic Torch Relay was first instituted.

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Who was the first Olympic Torch bearer?

She first competed during the 1936 Olympic Games in Berlin, Germany in the women’s individual foil event. It was also her first gold, making her the first Hungarian woman to win an Olympic gold.

Then came the war that halted or postponed the Games. So, it was only after 12 years did she compete again and during the 1948 London Games, Elek was able to retain her title (yes, winning another gold). This also gave her the title of being the first woman to win two Olympic gold medals in the individual foils event.

During the next Games, Helsinki 1952, 45 year-old Elek competed once again. She didn’t win the gold but she did manage to take home the silver medal and another title for being the oldest Olympic fencing medalist in history.

Now, tell me, Ilona Elek’s Olympic efforts are remarkable, right? For me, she’s a true Olympian.

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Ilona Elek, one of history’s greatest foilswomen

Štukelj had competed in the World Gymnastics Championships [Ljubljana 1922, Lyon 1926, and Luxembourg 1930] and the Olympic Games [Paris 1924, Amsterdam 1928, and Berlin 1936]. He earned a total of 6 Olympic medals: 3 Gold, 1 Silver, and 2 Bronze. Other medals earned are 5 Gold, 3 Silver, and 3 Bronze; a total of 11 Worlds medals won. His last major competition was 1936 Olympic Games in Berlin.

Štukelj, aged 97, was inducted into the International Gymnastics Hall of Fame in 1997.

It’s fun to note that apart from being a Slovene Gymnast, a multiple Olympic Medalist, and a world-class athlete, he was also a lawyer by profession then turned judge after finishing his career in gymnastics. The man had both brains and brawn. That explains why he lived to be a century old and died just 4 days short of his 101st birthday.

Leon Štukelj was able to hold on to the title of having been the oldest living Olympic gold medalist for about 10 years, though.

Remarkable.

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Leon Štukelj, the 100-Year-Old Olympic Legend