The 5 Mature Female Olympians To Watch This Year

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Stellato-Dudek is expected to join her long-term pairs partner, Maxime Deschamps, on the ice.

Hilary Knight, 36

Not only is this Knight’s fifth Olympic ice hockey appearance, not only is she 36 (and nearly double the age of most of her competitors), but this superstar is also making huge waves off the ice. She helped create the Professional Women’s Hockey Players Association, and she currently sits on their board of directors. She is in the executive committee of the league’s labor union and the PWHL Players Association, and she actively promotes gay athletes after she finally came out publicly as queer in 2023. When she joined the Olympic team for the 2010 Winter Olympics in Vancouver, she held the title of youngest member of the team. She has led her team to numerous victories as captain.

Why to watch

She holds records for goals, assists and points at the IIHF Women’s World Championships.

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She plans to be front and center in the ice-hockey rink.

Katie Uhlaender, 41

On her Instagram, there’s a video of Uhlaender running on a treadmill while holding onto a weight that’s on the ground (don’t try this at home). The 41-year-old was training to compete in skeleton, where she will be sliding down an icy-track head-first on a small sled (also don’t try this at home). It’s one of the more dangerous of the Olympic sports, and you have to have a ton of bravery to slide head-first down a sheet of ice, but she’s already done this five times in the Olympics. She also helps the sport in other ways as well. Uhlaender testified on doping in sports in 2018, admitting she felt unfairly disadvantaged when she competed against others who take performance supplements. She is a strong advocate for mental health, and has overcome many physical challenges as well: a broken knee and three hip surgeries.

As of press time, Uhlaender’s appearance at the Olympics was still not finalized due to a last-minute controversy. The Canadians needed at least 21 athletes to compete to receive the maximum number of points. But only 19 competed, and despite Uhlaender winning her race, she has been denied entry to the games: They simply didn’t have the points. But she’s fighting for her right to be there, and we’ve got our fingers crossed.

Why to watch

She has described her sport as a “cookie sheet with rails,” and she hits speeds of up to 89 miles.

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On the skeleton.

Claudia Riegler, 49

At a time when most people over 50 are struggling to go from sitting to standing, this 52-year-old is training by standing on a snowboard perched on a tightrope. No joke (check her Insta for proof). Twenty years ago, Riegler was dropped from her alpine ski team because she was considered “too old,” but it’s a good thing she didn’t listen. In interviews, she said she couldn’t believe they wanted her out because she was 30. She knows she’s fit and she’s never had a significant injury. “Age is just a number,” she told Olympics.com.

Why to watch

She’s a four-time Olympian, and she’s a true force to be reckoned with.

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On the downhill spine ski.