Carla Marangoni, whose name was often spelled incorrectly as Clara (including in the official report), was only 12-years-old when, as a member of the Italian team, she won a silver medal in the gymnastic all-around event at the 1928 Summer Olympics. She and her teammates had trained locally in their native Pavia and had few resources, but had nonetheless qualified to represent Italy at the Games. Upon their return, they were congratulated personally by Benito Mussolini. This was her only major achievement in the sport and, with no professional opportunities, she gave up the sport several years after the Games.
Marangoni eventually studied to be an accountant, working for the Pavia Transportation Department before and during World War II. It was this occupation that led to her being one of the first women in Italy to obtain a driver’s license. At some point, she lost her Olympic medal. While one of her teammates, Bianca Ambrosetti, died very young, Marangoni lived to be the last-known surviving competitor from the 1928 Summer Games, outliving even the last-known survivor of the 1932 edition, Simone Schaller. Marangoni is also the Olympian who lived the longest after her Olympic appearance.
Italy