Aging athletes such as LeBron James, Cristiano Ronaldo and Lindsey Vonn are similar to racing cars — maintained by tinkering mechanics, data analysts, and shelves of replacement parts. Add seven-time Formula 1 champion Lewis Hamilton, who turned 40 just a few weeks ago as he moves this season to Ferrari.
Others like quarterback Tom Brady, hockey's Jaromir Jagr, and pitcher Nolan Ryan retired at the top and well into their 40s. Martina Navratilova won the U. Open mixed doubles title in — just a month short of turning Japanese soccer player Kazuyoshi Miura turns 58 in February and plans to play with fourth-tier club Suzuka — his 40th professional season. This isn't exactly new, but it used to be rare. What's changed is the frequency, the array of aides supporting the stars, and the reality — the expectation — that athletes can compete longer and produce.
Watch any Grand Slam tennis tournament. The United States' Lindsey Vonn is making a comeback on the World Cup circuit after getting a new titanium right knee. Tanaka analyzed Olympic data starting with the first modern Games in , and he's found the peak-performance age for men has remained stable — between — depending on the discipline. Tanaka attributed this partly to cultural change in regard to marriage and child-bearing, which used to prompt women to drop out earlier from elite competition.
Of course, there are exceptions like Syrian Hend Zaza. At 12, she was the youngest in the Tokyo Olympics, delayed a year until The best evidence that athletes are staying longer and maintaining performance is seen in so-called Masters athletes.
There is no standard age as each sport sets different parameters. He seems to not take an afternoon off. Vonn is making a comeback on the World Cup circuit after getting a new titanium right knee. James, of course, has never been away after breaking into the NBA and Like James, Vonn talks about the benefits of ice baths and new recovery methods that were not around earlier in her career. She said she gets inspiration from athletes like Brady, Hamilton and Serena Williams, who won her last Grand Slam singles title at 35 at the Australian Open in She was several weeks pregnant at the time, which she didn't announce until months later.
