PersonJewish Eligibility — Verified by JWR

Ilona Elek-Schacherer

Hungarian Olympic foil fencer of documented Jewish paternal ancestry who won gold in 1936 and 1948 and silver in 1952, the latter at age 45 years 71 days.

Budapest, HungaryFounded 961

Ilona Elek with French Olympic fencer André Gardère in a fencing context, Hungary, 1941.

FORTEPAN / Bojár SándorSourceCC BY-SA 3.0

Biography

Ilona Elek-Schacherer was born in Budapest on 17 May 1907. A leading Hungarian foil fencer, she won Olympic individual foil gold in 1936 and again in 1948, then silver at the Helsinki 1952 Games (the final took place in Espoo, Finland). Her 1952 medal came at age 45 years 71 days. Born to a Jewish father and a Catholic mother, she was included in the International Jewish Sports Hall of Fame class of 2023. JWR recognizes her documented Jewish paternal ancestry under its heritage eligibility pathway, without making a determination of religious status or personal identification. She died in Budapest on 24 July 1988.

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Records held by Ilona Elek-Schacherer

JWR VerifiedFounding Record

Sports · Olympic GamesOldest

Oldest Jewish Woman to Win a Summer Olympic Medal

Record holder

Ilona Elek-Schacherer

Record value

45 years and 71 days

At Helsinki 1952, Hungarian foil champion Ilona Elek-Schacherer returned to the Olympic podium at an age almost unheard of in elite fencing. The women’s individual foil final pool concluded on 27 July 1952, when Elek won the silver medal. Born on 17 May 1907, she was exactly 45 years and 71 days old. JWR’s Jewish-women Olympic age review found no eligible Jewish woman who won a Summer Olympic medal at an older age. Elek had already won Olympic foil gold in 1936 and 1948, making the 1952 silver the final medal of an extraordinary career spanning pre-war and post-war Olympic competition.

Country represented: Hungary
Achievement location: Helsinki, Finland
Achievement date: 27 July 1952

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