Nauru at the Olympics

Nauru at the Olympic Games

Flag of Nauru
IOC code  NRU
NOC Nauru Olympic Committee
Websitewww.oceaniasport.com/nauru
Olympic history
Summer Games

The Pacific island nation Nauru competed at the Summer Olympic Games first in the 1996 games in Atlanta. The country has made subsequent appearances in Sydney in 2000, in Athens in 2004, Beijing in 2008, and London in 2012.

The nation is mainly known for its weightlifting tradition and all seven athletes that had competed for Nauru at the Olympics before 2012 were weightlifters.[1]

Nauru earns a distinction for being the smallest nation (by population) in the 206 member International Olympic Committee.

Under the leadership of the Hon. Vinson Detenamo, the Olympic movement began in Nauru in the early 1990s. The Olympic Committee was established in 1991 and talks with the International Olympic Committee started the same year. In May 1994 Nauru presented its bid to join the IOC and in September 1994 the nation was accepted, clearing the path for participation in the 1996 games.

1996 was not the first time that Nauru athletes participated in the Olympics. After his sensational win in the 1990 Commonwealth Games, weightlifter Marcus Stephen petitioned for citizenship in Samoa to compete in the 1992 games. Stephen again competed at the Olympics in 1996 and 2000, now for his native country. He placed 11th in the 62 kg category in 2000. In 2009, he replaced Vinson Detenamo as president of Nauru's National Olympic Committee.[2]

Paul Coffa is the weightlifting coach of the Oceania Weightlifting Federation and has been Nauru's Olympic coach since 1994.

Medal tables

Medals by Summer Games

Games Athletes Gold Silver Bronze Total Rank
United States 1996 Atlanta3 0000–
Australia 2000 Sydney2 0000–
Greece 2004 Athens3 0000–
China 2008 Beijing1 0000–
United Kingdom 2012 London2 0000–
Total 0 0 0 0 –

Athletes

References

  1. ↑ Nauru at the Olympics, The Telegraph
  2. ↑ "Nauru president claims national Olympic committee ledaership", ABC Radio Australia, January 26, 2009

External links

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