The lifespan for many sporting stars can be cruelly short - in few professional fields do people hitting 30 get described as "veteran".

运动员能发挥高水平的黄金期十分短暂，简单地说，运动员一旦上了30岁就可以说是职业赛场上的“老将”了。

But across the Olympics, there is proof that age need not be a barrier to competing at the highest level.

但许多“老将”在奥运赛场上的精彩表现证明，年龄不是问题，拼搏就会有奇迹。

Anthony Ervin, 35, US, swimming

35岁的美国泳将安东尼•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年前斩获悉尼奥运会50米自由泳金牌的35岁美国泳将埃文，又一次站在里约奥运会的最高领奖台上，成为本次奥运会年纪最大的游泳冠军。

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.

进入“游泳倦怠期”后，埃文痴迷过摇滚乐，挑战过心魔，甚至还把第一枚金牌卖给了慈善机构。

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.

但他还是在2011年重返训练场，参加了2012年伦敦奥运会，并在今年的里约奥运会上夺得4x100米自由泳接力冠军。

On his latest gold, he said: "I'm keeping it for now. Who knows what the future holds?''

对于最新收获的这枚金牌，埃文说：“我坚持到了现在，谁知道未来会怎样呢？”

Katherine Grainger, 40, GB, rowing

40岁的英国赛艇选手凯瑟琳•格兰格

With a silver alongside partner Victoria Thornley, Grainger has become Team GB's most decorated female Olympian.

与搭档维多利亚•索恩里一起摘得银牌的格兰格是英国队最出色的奥运会选手。

After finally winning gold at the London games, Grainger took two years off to study for a PhD.

格兰格在伦敦奥运会上斩获金牌之后，她又用两年时间拿到博士学位。

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".

格兰格准备里约奥运会的过程可谓困难重重，有人曝出她与索恩里之间闹翻，这样参赛基本无望。所以尽管这一次仅获得第二，格兰格也认为这是一次“了不起的胜利”。

There are no plans, though, for a shot at Tokyo 2020, with Grainger telling her parents, "I won't put you through it again."

但格兰格没有计划参加2020年东京奥运会，她对自己的父母说：“我不想让你们再跟着受一次苦了。”

Oksana Chusovitina, 41, Uzbekistan, gymnastics

41岁的乌兹别克斯坦体操选手丘索维金娜

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.

体操项目一直是年轻赛手的战场，美国“体操梦之队”的队长阿莱•莱丝曼才22岁都已被戏称为“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.

打破这一传统的是体操名将丘索维金娜，从1992年巴塞罗那奥运会开始，每一届夏季奥运会都能看到她的身影。

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.

丘索维金娜始终保持着高水平的竞技状态，她力压众多年轻选手，以第五的成绩晋级跳马决赛。她首次参加奥运那年，这些同场竞技的小姑娘们甚至都还没出生。

"When I was younger, I was quicker and I ran and never got tired," she told the BBC before the games.

赛前，丘索维金娜对BBC的记者说：“年轻的时候，我速度更快，跑起来也不知疲倦。”

"Today, of course, things are different. Now I train with my head."

“现在当然不一样啦，我在凭意志坚持着。”

Hoang Xuan Vinh, 41, Vietnam, shooting

41岁的越南射击选手黄春荣

While gymnasts tend to be young, shooting and equestrian have broader age ranges, with competitors having the highest median age of participants.

相较于体操选手的年轻化，射击与马术比赛对年龄的要求相对宽松，中年参赛者比比皆是。

Proving this point, Vinh gained Vietnam's first-ever Olympic gold in the men's 10m air pistol event.

黄春荣就是其中之一。他获得里约奥运会男子10米气手枪冠军，为越南拿到首枚奥运会金牌。

He also won silver in the men's 50m pistol event.

此外，他还在本届奥运会男子50米手枪比赛中获得银牌。

It delighted his home nation, with Vietnam's sports minister saying he had "gone down in history".

黄春容为国争了光，就连越南体育部部长也称赞他为“越南奥运史的里程碑”。

Kristin Armstrong, 43, US, cycling

43岁的美国自行车赛手克里斯汀•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.

在上个星期三的自行车女子个人计时赛中，阿姆斯特朗成功卫冕，成为该项赛事第一位三连冠车手。她的比赛之路也充满艰辛。

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.

阿姆斯特朗是这项比赛中年龄最大的赛手，大到足够可以退役两次了。取得胜利的第二天正好是她43岁的生日。

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国爱达荷州的首府博伊西。她是一位社区健康宣传者，在训练的同时还要养家糊口。

Asked why she still wants to compete, she said: "Because I can."

在被问及为何还在坚持参赛时，她回答说：“因为我可以。”

Lesley Thompson-Willie, 56, Canada, rowing

56岁的加拿大赛艇选手莱斯利•汤普森-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.

汤普森-威利作为加拿大女子八人单桨舵手再次征战奥运，连续参加八届奥运也让她成为了参加奥运会次数最多的女选手。

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.

汤普森-威利在比赛中负责比赛策略，带动队员积极性并观察船的走向。因为舵手们需要在起伏的水浪中坐稳，所以她们要将体重控制在严格范围内。

"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.

汤普森-威利对《环球邮报》记者说道：“我认为社会应该对‘年老体弱’重新定义，只要我们充满活力，我们就不算老。”

"Hopefully it's a sign of the importance of being fit and being able to keep participating in things."

“这意味着保持健康的重要性，我们要积极投入到运动中。”

Julie Brougham, 62, New Zealand, equestrian

62岁的新西兰马术选手朱莉•布鲁厄姆

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.

本届奥运会的马术赛场上有数位六十岁以上的选手，其中最年长的当属朱莉•布鲁厄姆，她同时也是本届奥运会中年龄最大的选手。

It is her first Olympics and she is only the third rider to represent New Zealand at that level.

这是布鲁厄姆第一次参加奥运会，她也是新西兰在该项目派出的第三位骑手。

She missed out on qualification in the dressage, finishing 44th.

遗憾的是她最终止步于盛装舞步的第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.

不过有日本马术选手法华津宽71岁参加伦敦奥运会的先例，想必布鲁厄姆也能在下一届奥运会再创辉煌。