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Skateboarder is 11. She is also one of the youngest competitors at the Paris Olympics. That may be an impressively tender age to be an elite athlete but Zheng isn’t unique in her youth: she’s one of a clutch of formidable young Olympians at this year’s games.

There’s also who made her debut in gymnastics at the Paris Olympics, having just turned 16. Then there are the teens competing in their second Olympic Games. made her Olympic debut at the Tokyo games, aged 13 – and won a bronze medal. Brown won another bronze in Paris, despite carrying an injury. She’d just turned 16. Paris 2024 was also the second Olympics for 18-year-old Team USA swimmer , who debuted at Tokyo aged just 15.

The youngest known Olympic athlete is ten-year-old gymnastic bronze medal winner , who competed in the 1896 games at Athens. As you can guess, then, there is no age limit for competitors in the Olympic Games – unless a specific International Sports Federation wishes to . This means that as long as young athletes show they’re good enough, they can compete at the Olympic and Paralympic Games against the world’s best.

Competing in the Olympics might be considered the pinnacle of any athletic career, but there may be a dark side for young sportspeople peaking so early on the world stage. A released by the International Olympic Committee on youth athletic development stated that sports with high early participation rates, such as gymnastics, had the highest burden of injury.

While the report considered the effect of psychological overload from stress on young Olympians, it didn’t acknowledge the potentially destructive psychological impact of committing fully to an identity of being “an athlete” from a very young age.

Too much, too young

In the general population, identity development tends to continue . However, child athletes invest large amounts of time, resources and energy into their sport – while sacrificing other important developmental experiences along the way.

They’re also at risk of to their – or even – so they may not explore or nurture other parts of themselves and overlook any planning and investment in their .

The Developmental Model of Sport Participation (DMSP) outlines the of an athlete, including the requirements to achieve international success. This model is one of the most widely cited conceptualisations of athletic development in sports research. The DMSP states that there are three stages of athlete development: the sampling years (ages six to 12); the specialising years (ages 13 to 15); and the investment years (ages 16 plus). So, during their early teens, athletes begin to focus on one sport and go on to fully invest in it as they reach late teens, eventually achieving peak performance in adulthood.

However, there are exceptions to this timeline. Early childhood is considered to be an , so specialisation between the ages of five to seven years is considered normal in sports that require complex coordination, including such as gymnastics, swimming, diving and figure skating – and more recently skateboarding and table tennis.

Of course, athletes who follow the DMSP career trajectory can also be at risk of identity foreclosure, but what sets early specialisation athletes apart is that they achieve their performance peaks in adolescence – between the ages of 15 and 20 – and begin the retirement transition in early adulthood, between the ages 20 to 25.

For example, at 27, Simone Biles is US women’s gymnast to compete in the Olympics in more than 70 years. Biles recently said she to her former teammate Aly Raisman for referring to her as a “grandma” at the Rio Olympics in 2016 – when Raisman was 22-years-old.

In contrast, endurance sport athletes, like those competing in cross-country skiing and marathons, are more likely to specialise in adolescence and achieve their performance peaks in (ages 25-35), allowing them to retire much later.

A double-edged sword

But it’s not all bad for young athletes. Dedication to the athletic identity can be an , helping youth athletes find their way to Olympic success. For instance, it can help athletes to commit to , increase their and and make the necessary .

But when faced with retirement – either voluntarily or due to injury, deselection or no longer meeting the qualifying standards – athletes who have specialised early in life may find that athletes in other sports are just starting to peak. Those still-young people then have to establish who they are which has . At this point, their athletic identity may become to adapting to retirement, which can lead to and .

It is important, then, that governing bodies, coaches, parents and guardians are aware of the problems faced by youth athletes, who’ve lived out the majority of their careers while having of children and adolescents. Youth athletes have to negotiate the challenges of being an elite sportsperson with their own physical and emotional development. They must also balance their education alongside intense training and competition schedules.

Psychological support, with a focus on personal development and coping strategies, youth athletes to manage these demands.

Research also suggests that post-retirement distress could be alleviated by incorporating into youth athletes’ lifestyle support programs from a very young age. When facing a planned retirement, their exit from sport should be carefully managed to allow the athlete a sense of control. Athletic participation can be reduced gradually while the person finds a for the sport.

So, while we may gasp in astonishment and admiration at the ages of the youngest Olympians, it’s not all adulation and medals. Some youth athletes pay too high a price for their Olympic success.

Lisa O’Halloran does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.