The lifespan for many sporting stars can be cruelly short - in few professional fields do people hitting 30 get described as "veteran".
運動員能發揮高水平的黃金期十分短暫，簡單地說，運動員一旦上了30歲就可以說是職業賽場上的“老將”了。

But across the Olympics, there is proof that age need not be a barrier to competing at the highest level.
但許多“老將”在奧運賽場上的精彩表現證明，年齡不是問題，拼搏就會有奇跡。

Anthony Ervin, 35, US, swimming
35歲的美國泳將安東尼?埃文

Sixteen years on from winning gold in the 50m freestyle at Sydney 2000, Anthony Ervin has reclaimed his title, becoming the Olympics' oldest swimming champion at 35.
16年前斬獲悉尼奧運會50米自由泳金牌的35歲美國泳將埃文，又一次站在里約奧運會的最高領獎臺上，成為本次奧運會年紀最大的游泳冠軍。

His "swimmer's burnout" period in between saw him pursue a love of rock music, battle personal demons and even sell his first gold medal to charity.
進入“游泳倦怠期”后，埃文癡迷過搖滾樂，挑戰過心魔，甚至還把第一枚金牌賣給了慈善機構。

But he started to train again in 2011, making the London Olympics in 2012, and already had a gold medal from the 4x100m freestyle event at Rio.
但他還是在2011年重返訓練場，參加了2012年倫敦奧運會，并在今年的里約奧運會上奪得4x100米自由泳接力冠軍。

On his latest gold, he said: "I'm keeping it for now. Who knows what the future holds?''
對于最新收獲的這枚金牌，埃文說：“我堅持到了現在，誰知道未來會怎樣呢？”

Katherine Grainger, 40, GB, rowing
40歲的英國賽艇選手凱瑟琳?格蘭格

With a silver alongside partner Victoria Thornley, Grainger has become Team GB's most decorated female Olympian.
與搭檔維多利亞?索恩里一起摘得銀牌的格蘭格是英國隊最出色的奧運會選手。

After finally winning gold at the London games, Grainger took two years off to study for a PhD.
格蘭格在倫敦奧運會上斬獲金牌之后，她又用兩年時間拿到博士學位。

She endured a difficult build-up to Rio, with reports she and Thornley had fallen out and suggestions it might be a games too far. All this is why she described the silver as her "greatest achievement".
格蘭格準備里約奧運會的過程可謂困難重重，有人曝出她與索恩里之間鬧翻，這樣參賽基本無望。所以盡管這一次僅獲得第二，格蘭格也認為這是一次“了不起的勝利”。

There are no plans, though, for a shot at Tokyo 2020, with Grainger telling her parents, "I won't put you through it again."
但格蘭格沒有計劃參加2020年東京奧運會，她對自己的父母說：“我不想讓你們再跟著受一次苦了。”

Oksana Chusovitina, 41, Uzbekistan, gymnastics
41歲的烏茲別克斯坦體操選手丘索維金娜

Gymnastics is a sport that traditionally favours youth - Aly Raisman, captain of the all-conquering US team, has the nickname "Grandma" at the grand old age of 22.
體操項目一直是年輕賽手的戰場，美國“體操夢之隊”的隊長阿萊?萊絲曼才22歲都已被戲稱為“老奶奶”。

But one woman bucking that trend is Oksana Chusovitina, who first competed in the 1992 Olympics in Barcelona, and has been at every Summer Games since.
打破這一傳統的是體操名將丘索維金娜，從1992年巴塞羅那奧運會開始，每一屆夏季奧運會都能看到她的身影。

She remains a top-level competitor too, making the vault finals in fifth place against rivals some of who weren't even born when she made her debut.
丘索維金娜始終保持著高水平的競技狀態，她力壓眾多年輕選手，以第五的成績晉級跳馬決賽。她首次參加奧運那年，這些同場競技的小姑娘們甚至都還沒出生。

"When I was younger, I was quicker and I ran and never got tired," she told the BBC before the games.
賽前，丘索維金娜對BBC的記者說：“年輕的時候，我速度更快，跑起來也不知疲倦。”

"Today, of course, things are different. Now I train with my head."
“現在當然不一樣啦，我在憑意志堅持著。”

Hoang Xuan Vinh, 41, Vietnam, shooting
41歲的越南射擊選手黃春榮

While gymnasts tend to be young, shooting and equestrian have broader age ranges, with competitors having the highest median age of participants.
相較于體操選手的年輕化，射擊與馬術比賽對年齡的要求相對寬松，中年參賽者比比皆是。

Proving this point, Vinh gained Vietnam's first-ever Olympic gold in the men's 10m air pistol event.
黃春榮就是其中之一。他獲得里約奧運會男子10米氣手槍冠軍，為越南拿到首枚奧運會金牌。

He also won silver in the men's 50m pistol event.
此外，他還在本屆奧運會男子50米手槍比賽中獲得銀牌。

It delighted his home nation, with Vietnam's sports minister saying he had "gone down in history".
黃春容為國爭了光，就連越南體育部部長也稱贊他為“越南奧運史的里程碑”。

Kristin Armstrong, 43, US, cycling
43歲的美國自行車賽手克里斯汀?阿姆斯特朗

At the time trial last Wednesday, Armstrong became the first cyclist to win three consecutive golds in the same event. Her experience proved crucial on a difficult course.
在上個星期三的自行車女子個人計時賽中，阿姆斯特朗成功衛冕，成為該項賽事第一位三連冠車手。她的比賽之路也充滿艱辛。

She was the oldest competitor in the event, and has been in the sport long enough to retire - twice. Her victory came a day before her 43rd birthday.
阿姆斯特朗是這項比賽中年齡最大的賽手，大到足夠可以退役兩次了。取得勝利的第二天正好是她43歲的生日。

At home in Boise, Idaho, she works as a community health advocate, finding time to train alongside raising a family.
阿姆斯特朗的家位于美國愛達荷州的首府博伊西。她是一位社區健康宣傳者，在訓練的同時還要養家糊口。

Asked why she still wants to compete, she said: "Because I can."
在被問及為何還在堅持參賽時，她回答說：“因為我可以。”

Lesley Thompson-Willie, 56, Canada, rowing
56歲的加拿大賽艇選手萊斯利?湯普森-威利

When Thompson-Willie took her seat as coxswain with Canada's women's eight rowing team, she tied the record for most appearances by a woman at a games, at eight.
湯普森-威利作為加拿大女子八人單槳舵手再次征戰奧運，連續參加八屆奧運也讓她成為了參加奧運會次數最多的女選手。

The role involves tactics, motivation and navigation. Coxswains have to be strong enough to sit still in choppy waters and keep their weights to strict limits.
湯普森-威利在比賽中負責比賽策略，帶動隊員積極性并觀察船的走向。因為舵手們需要在起伏的水浪中坐穩，所以她們要將體重控制在嚴格范圍內。

"I think it's redefining to our society that we can keep going, as long as we're active,"she told the Globe and Mail.
湯普森-威利對《環球郵報》記者說道：“我認為社會應該對‘年老體弱’重新定義，只要我們充滿活力，我們就不算老。”

"Hopefully it's a sign of the importance of being fit and being able to keep participating in things."
“這意味著保持健康的重要性，我們要積極投入到運動中。”

Julie Brougham, 62, New Zealand, equestrian
62歲的新西蘭馬術選手朱莉?布魯厄姆

There are several equestrian competitors in their sixties at Rio, but the oldest, both in the sport and across the whole games, is Julie Brougham.
本屆奧運會的馬術賽場上有數位六十歲以上的選手，其中最年長的當屬朱莉?布魯厄姆，她同時也是本屆奧運會中年齡最大的選手。

It is her first Olympics and she is only the third rider to represent New Zealand at that level.
這是布魯厄姆第一次參加奧運會，她也是新西蘭在該項目派出的第三位騎手。

She missed out on qualification in the dressage, finishing 44th.
遺憾的是她最終止步于盛裝舞步的第44名。

But with Japanese equestrian Hiroshi Hoketsu competing at the London games aged 71, she could still have another shot at glory next time.
不過有日本馬術選手法華津寬71歲參加倫敦奧運會的先例，想必布魯厄姆也能在下一屆奧運會再創輝煌。

英文來源：BBC
翻譯：劉佳麗（中國日報網愛新聞iNews譯者）
編審：yaning