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OLYMPICS: Ranking the Countries That Have Never Medaled

***Update 7/29/21: San Marino has captured their first medal! Alessandra Perilli earned the bronze medal in the Women’s Trap event! 69 NOCs now remain!**

***Update 7/27/21: Turkmenistan has earned their first medal! Polina Guryeva took home silver in the Women’s 59kg Weightlifting! Now just 70 NOCs to go!***

The Olympics are an exciting display of the world’s best athletes. As Americans, we are used to watching our athletes step on the podium, hearing our National Anthem playing, and being proud of our fellow countrymen. The United States, especially in the Summer Olympics, generally dominates year in and year out. Since the 1984 Summer Olympics in Los Angeles, the United States has earned the most Gold Medals in 6 of the 9 Olympic Games (1984, 1996, 2000, 2004, 2012 and 2016). The Soviet Union (1988), the fallout Soviet Union “Unified Team” (1992) and China (2008) prevented the 9-peat. The US placed 3rd in Gold Medals in 1988 (East Germany took 2nd), 2nd in 1992, and 2nd in 2008, meaning that in the past 36 years only four countries have ever placed in front of the United States in Gold Medal Count.

Have you ever imagined what it would be like if you weren’t an American? What if your country had never won an Olympic Medal? Of the 206 active National Olympic Committees, 71 have never received a medal. That’s 34%, over one-third of the countries that compete in the Games have never won a single medal! In addition to rooting for your fellow Americans to strive for glory, here is a list of countries you may also want to keep an eye on. Can they snap their streak?

TOP 10: COUNTRIES WITHOUT A MEDAL, SORTED BY NUMBER OF OLYMPICS PARTICIPATED

1: Monaco (30)

  • The micro-state bordered by France and the Mediterranean Sea has sent 149 athletes to the Olympics. They have participated in every Winter Olympics since 1984, and they have sent at least one athlete to all but three Summer Olympics since 1920 (1932 Los Angeles, 1956 Melbourne, 1980 Moscow boycott). In their 30 Olympic Games, they have never won a medal. Julien Medecin won a bronze metal in architecture in 1924, but the art medals do not count on the official medal tally.
  • This year, San Marino has four Olympic medal opportunities. First, they have Charlotte Afriat in the Women’s 100M track event. They also have Cedric Bessic at 73kg in Judo, Quentin Antognelli in the Men’s single sculls rowing and Xiaoxin Yang in women’s singles table tennis.

2. San Marino (24)

  • The small state enclaved by Italy has competed in 14 Summer Olympics (all Summer Games since 1960 except the 1964 Tokyo games) and 10 Winter Olympics (starting with 1976, only misses are 1980 Lake Placid and 1998 Nagano). San Marino has come dangerously close to medaling. The closest they came was in 2012, when Alessandra Perilli finished in a three-way tie for 2nd place in the Women’s Trap final, but she took last in the three-woman shoot-off, meaning that she finished 4th, missing the podium.
  • This year, San Marino has four medal opportunities. Paolo Persoglia will participate in the 90kg judo, Myles Armine will suit up in the 86kg wrestling division, and Gian Marco Berti and Alessandra Perilli will participate in the men’s and women’s trap shooting event.
  • UPDATE: SAN MARINO NOW HAS AN OLYMPIC MEDAL!!!!

3. Andorra (23)

  • The landlocked microstate on the Iberian Peninsula has not missed an Olympics of either variety since their first appearances in 1976 (Montreal and Innsbruck).
  • Andorra is sending 4 athletes to this year’s Olympics. Pol Moya is running the Men’s 800M. Monica Doria Vilarruba will have two shots at the medal, as she competes in the C-1 and K-1 races. In swimming, Bernat Lomerto (50M Freestyle) and Nadia Tubo Cubells (100M Breaststroke) will try to break through.

4. Bolivia (20)

  • This western-central South America country has struggled in Olympic pursuits. They participated in the 1936 Berlin Summer Olympics, but did not return to Summer action until 1964. Since then, their only absence at the Summer games was the ’80 Boycott. On the Winter side, they have been selected to participate six times (1956, 1980, 1984, 1988, 1992, 2018).
  • There are just two athletes competing for Bolivia this Summer. Bruno Rojas will be racing in the 100M, while Angela Castro stars in the 20km walk.

5. Malta (18)

  • This island country consisting of an archipelago in the Mediterranean first debuted in the 1928 Amsterdam game. They missed five Summer Games since that (1932, 1952, 1956, 1964, 1976), and they have made their first two Winter Olympics in 2014 and 2018. William Chetcuti, a World Champion, narrowly missed the Double Trap Shooting final in 2004, 2008 and 2012 by narrow margins.
  • There will be six athletes from Malta competing in Tokyo. Carla Scicluna will race in the Women’s 100M run, Matthew Abela will participate in the Badminton singles, and Eleanor Bezzina will shoot in the Women’s 25m pistol. Andrew Chetcuti (100M Freestyle) and Sasha Gatt (400M Freestyle, 1500M Freestyle) will aim to make noise from the pool, and Yasmin Zammit Stevens is in the Women’s 64 KG weight class of Weightlifting.

T6. Myanmar (17)

  • Since their first Olympics in 1948, the only Summer Games that Myanmar has missed was the 1976 Montreal spectacular. Kay Thi Win nearly got Myanmar their medal, as she placed fourth in Weightlifting in the 48 KJ group. This Southeast Asian country has never qualified for the Winter Olympics.
  • This Summer, three athletes from Myanmar will lace it up. Thet Hltar is in the Badminton Women’s singles, while Chu Myat Noe Wai (63 KG Judo), and Ye Tun Naung (Table Tennis) will provide the country’s other chances.

T6. Nepal (17)

  • Another Asian nation currently sits in 6th place for years without a medal. Nepal has competed in all but one (1968) Summer Olympics since 1964. They first competed in the Winter Olympics in 2002, and they missed their first Olympics in 2018. Despite never receiving an Olympic medal, they have medaled in certain Olympic activities. Tejbir Bura won an Olympic gold in alpinism in the 1924 Olympics, but it was for an Everest Expedition and it is treated as a “mixed team” since there were multiple countries involved. Bidhan Lama won a bronze in Taekwondo in the 1988 Olympics, but at the time it was only a demonstration event, so it also does not count.
  • There are only three Nepalese in the Summer Olympics this year, all female athletes: Sarswati Chaudhary (Women’s 100M run), Soniya Bhatta (48kg Judo) and Kalpana Pariyar (48kg Judo).

T8. Bosnia and Herzegovina (14)

  • This nation near the Balkans has struggled at the Olympic games since the dissolution of Yugoslavia after the 1992 Olympics. They are joined only by Albania as the only European non-microstate NOCs to never medal at the Olympics. B&H has sent 99 athletes to the 14 Olympic Games since their founding.
  • There are seven athletes set to compete in Tokyo bearing the B&H flag: Amel Tuka (Men’s 800m T&F), Mesud Pezer (Men’s shot put), Larisa Ceric (Women’s 78+kg judo), Tatjana Djekanovic (Women’s 10m air rifle), Emir Muratovic (Men’s 50m and 100m freestyle swim), Lana Pudar (Women’s 100m butterfly), and Nezdad Husic (Men’s 68kg Taekwando).

T8. Madagascar (14)

  • The African Island nation perhaps most well known as a children’s animated movie title, Madagascar has had very little success in any Olympic Games. Their participation dates back to 1964, and they have sent 69 athletes to 14 different Olympics. The nation’s best finish came in the 1968 Men’s 100M race, when Jean-Louis Ravelomanantsoa placed 8th.
  • It is expected that six athletes from Madagascar will compete this summer: Todisoa Rabearison (Men’s 400m), Damiella Nomenjanahary (Women’s 63kg Judo), Heriniavo Rasolonjatovo (Men’s 100m backstroke), Tiana Rabarijaona (Women’s 400m freestyle), Eric Andriantsitohaina (Men’s 61kg weightlifting), and Tojonirina Andriantsitohaina (Men’s 67kg weightlifting).

10. Mali (13)

  • The eighth-largest African Nation, located in a landlocked position on the continent’s Western half, has never produced an Olympic medalist. They have sent an athlete to every Summer Games since 1964, except 1976, but there has never been a Winter Olympic athlete from this nation. In total, 89 athletes have competed for the country, including 23 in Athens (2004).
  • Four Mali athletes will compete in Tokyo: Fode Sissoko (Men’s 100m), Djenebou Dante (Women’s 100m), Sebastien Kouma (Men’s 100m breaststroke) and Seydou Fofana (Men’s 68kg).

11-71: THE BEST OF THE REST (Listed A-Z, number of 2021 Athletes in parentheses)

T11. (12 Olympic Games)–Albania (9), Belize (3), Cayman Islands (5), Chad (3), Republic of the Congo (3), Honduras (22), Liberia (3), Nicaragua (8)

  • Albania has participated in Olympic Games dating back to 1972, though they missed three Summer Games (1980, 1984, 1988) due to political boycotts. Albania, one of only two European nations (Bosnia and Herzegovina) without a medal, has sent 62 athletes to the Games. Weightlifting has brought the most success so far, with a pair of 5th place finishes (2000, 2016). Nine Albanians will compete in Tokyo this summer.
  • Belize, once known as British Honduras, has competed in every Summer Olympics since 1968 other than the 1980 boycott. 62 Belize athletes have competed, with their most success coming in 1968, when Mario Mendoza placed 19th in weightlifting. Three athletes will compete for Belize in Tokyo, two runners and one canoer.
  • The Cayman Islands have sent 61 athletes to the Olympic Games, and they have all returned without a medal. Cydonie Mothersille came closest with an 8th place finish in the 2008 Women’s 200m. Five athletes will represent the Cayman Islands in Tokyo.
  • Chad has had 36 athletes participate at the Summer Olympics dating back to 1964. In their first Olympics, Mahamat Idriss placed 9th in the high jump. No athlete from the country has placed higher in any Olympics since. Three athletes will represent Chad in Tokyo.
  • Republic of the Congo has sent athletes to 12 Olympic Games, including a record 24 in the 1980 Moscow Games. In the 2016 Games, Franck Elemba narrowly missed out on the nation’s first Olympic Medal in the shot put. He posted a 21.20 distance, while the bronze medalist had a 21.36. Three athletes will be competing for Congo in the upcoming Games.
  • Honduras has had at least 20 athletes in each of the past four Olympic games, but they have never medaled. A twelfth place finish in Wrestling by Brandon Escobar in 2012 was the closest finish for Honduras. They have four athletes along with their Men’s Soccer team participating in Tokyo.
  • Liberia has sent 50 athletes to the Olympics dating back to 1956. Jangy Addy (19th in 2008, 23rd in 2012) is the only Liberian athlete to place at the Olympics. Three athletes will be participating in Tokyo from Liberia.
  • Nicaragua has sent athletes to every Summer Olympics since 1968, save for the 1988 Seoul Games. Despite that consistency, they have yet to medal. In Atlanta in 1996, their baseball team reached the Semifinals, losing to Gold Medalist Cuba. They then lost to the United States in the Bronze Medal Match. Seth Greisinger spotted Nicaragua 3 runs in the first inning before retiring 19 of 21 batters in a 10-3 victory. 8 Athletes from Nicaragua will travel to Tokyo.

T19. (11 Olympic Games)–Benin (7), British Virgin Islands (3), El Salvador (5), Eswatini (4), Guinea (0), Lesotho (2), Sierra Leone (4)

  • Benin, also known as the Kingdom of Dahomey, has competed in every Summer Olympics since 1972 except for Montreal (1976). No athletes from Benin have placed in a finals of an Olympic event, though Barthelemy Adoukonu made it to the Round of 16 in Boxing in 1980 before a TKO loss. Seven Benin athletes will compete in Tokyo.
  • British Virgin Islands has sent 35 athletes to the Olympics, including two winter athletes (1984 Sarajevo and 2014 Sochi). The best finish came in 1992 when Robin Tattersall placed 17th in Sailing. Three BVI athletes will travel to Tokyo.
  • El Salvador has competed in all but two Summer Olympics since 1968. They sent a national record 60 athletes to their first games in Mexico City, but still came up without a medal. Maureen Kaila Vergara placed 5th in Cycling in 1996, but no athlete has finished higher. 5 El Salvador athletes will compete in Tokyo.
  • Eswatini, formerly known as Swaziland, has competed dating back to 1972. They also made one appearance in the Winter Olympics, with an Alpine Skiier in Albertville in 1992. Four athletes will compete in Tokyo from Eswatini in 2020.
  • Guinea started sending athletes to the Olympics in 1968, and for the third time they will sit out voluntarily in 2020. After boycotting in 1976 and 1980, they decided to withdraw their five athletes from Tokyo in 2020, citing COVID-19 concerns.
  • Lesotho has sent 58 athletes to the Olympics since 1972, with an absence only in 1976 as part of the boycott. Two Leosotho athletes will compete in Tokyo, one in each gender’s marathon. This is the nation’s best Olympic sport, with a 16th place finish from Thabiso Moqhali in 2000 the nation’s crowned jewel of Olympic efforts.
  • Sierra Leone has participated in the Olympics since 1968, though they were absent in 1972 and 1976. Eunice Barber placed 5th in the 1996 Heptathlon. Four athletes will compete from Sierra Leone in Tokyo, two simmers, a runner and a judo fighter.

T26. (10 Olympic Games)–Antigua and Barbuda (6), Central African Republic (2), Democratic Republic of the Congo (7), Libya (4), Malawi (5), Papua New Guinea (8)

  • Antigua and Barbuda sent double-digit athletes to the Summer Olympics in 1976-1996 (save for the 1980 Boycott), but their participation has not returned to that level since. The Lehrer brothers’ 1000m sprint in the canoeing race of 1996 earned a 17th place finish. This year, six athletes from A&B will travel to Tokyo.
  • Central African Republic sent 1 athlete to Mexico City in 1968, boycotted the next three Olympics, and has participated every Summer Games since. Their best performance was Sylvie Datty in Women’s Wrestling in 2012, as she finished 20th. Two athletes will participate from CAR this Summer.
  • Democratic Republic of the Congo, also known previously as Zaire, is the second most populous country in the world to have never won a medal (Bangladesh). This summer, they have one runner, four boxers and a participant in both judo and taekwondo as they aim to snap that drought.
  • Libya, like numerous nations, has boycotted a pair of Olympics. Unlike most nations, they sat out 1984 in Los Angeles along with the 1976 Montreal Games. Ezedin Tlish placed 7th in the 2004 Takewondo competition to set a new national best. Four Libyans will compete in Tokyo.
  • Malawi will be sending five athletes to Tokyo, their eleventh Olympic competition. They did not participate in 1976 and 1980 due to Boycotts, and they have sent single digit athletes to the Games since 1992, after three straight 15+ athlete Games.
  • Papua New Guinea has sent 79 athletes to the Olympics with some of the least success of any nation at that level of participation. The most successful athlete was Ryan Pini, who placed 8th in the 100m butterfly in 2008. Eight athletes will represent PNG in Tokyo.

T32. (9 Olympic Games)–American Samoa (6), Angola (20), Bangladesh (6), Bhutan (4), Burkina Faso (7), Cambodia (3), Equatorial Guinea (3), Gambia (4), Guam (5), Laos (4), Mauritania (2), Oman (5), Rwanda (6), Seychelles (5), Solomon Islands (3), Somalia (2)

  • American Samoa has participated in every Summer Games since Seoul (1988), as well as a lone appearance in the 1994 Lillehammer Winter Games. Maselino Masoe placed 5th in boxing in 1992, the nation’s best performance at any Games. Six athletes from Samoa will compete in Tokyo.
  • Angola, probably most known for its five lopsided defeats against the United States in basketball (four men’s/one women’s), is still seeking its first Olympic Medal. They are sending twenty athletes to Tokyo, including their women’s handball club.
  • Bangladesh at 170 million citizens, is the most populous country to have never medaled at the Olympics. In 2016, they sent a record seven athletes to the Games, and they will send six athletes to Tokyo. They have two archers, two swimmers, a runner and a shooter to compete with hopes of breaking the nine-Olympic medal-free drought.
  • Bhutan celebrates Archery as its national sport, and between 1984 and 2008 they only sent archers to the Games. Kunzang Choden in Women’s Air Rifle broke that streak in 2012, though she did not advance to the final round. This year, the nation is sending four athletes in a record four sports: Archery, Judo, Shooting and Swimming.
  • Burkina Faso competed in 1972 as Upper Volta, and they have competed in every Games since 1988 as Burkina Faso. Multiple Burkina Faso athletes have lost in the Round of 16 in Judo, tying for the nation’s best finish. This year, a record seven athletes from Burkina Faso will compete, with hopes of snapping their medal drought.
  • Cambodia first competed in 1956 at the Melbourne Games, though due to quarantine rules, their only events occurred in Stockholm, Sweden. After 1972, they sat out 24 years of Olympic Games due to the activities of the Khmer Rouge regime. In 1996, they returned to the Games and they have participated annually since. They are sending three athletes to Tokyo.
  • Equatorial Guinea has competed annually in the Summer Olympics since the Los Angeles Games in 1984. Their most notable performance came in Sydney in 2000 when Eric Moussambani won his heat despite an unprecedentedly slow time of 1:52.72. This was the slowest time in Olympic history, but “Eric the Eel” advanced due to disqualification of his fellow heat competitors. Equatorial Guinea is sending three athletes to Tokyo.
  • Gambia boycotted the first two Olympics they were eligible to attend (1976, 1980) but they have sent athletes to every Summer Games since. Suwaibou Sanneh reached the semifinals of the 2012 men’s 100m race. This summer, Gambia will send four athletes.
  • Guam has competed in nine Olympic Games, all eight summer competitions since 1988 and the 1988 Winter Games in Calgary. 42 of the nation’s 82 athletes were Track and Field or Swimming participants. This year, three of their five athletes hail from those two disciplines, the others in men’s judo and women’s wrestling.
  • Laos first participated in the 1980 Moscow Games, sending 20 athletes to compete. Since then, their peak participation mark is six athletes, in Barcelona (1992) and Rio de Janeiro (2016). In 1980, Laos experienced their most Olympic success when Thipsamay Chanthaphone placed 25th in the 20km walk. Four Laos athletes will battle in Tokyo.
  • Mauritania has participated in every Summer Olympics since 1984, and their first female athlete participated in 2000. 22 of their 28 Olympic athletes have been in Track and Field, while the other six were in wrestling. Two runners will run for Mauritania this Summer.
  • Oman sent a large cohort of athletes to their first two Summer Games, with 16 in Los Angeles (1984) and 13 in Seoul (1988). Since those Games, they have only sent 29 athletes to the last 7 Olympics combined. Oman’s best finish came from Mohamed Amer Al-Malki in 1988, when he placed 8th in the 400M. They will send five athletes in four sports to Tokyo.
  • Rwanda has had 51 athletes compete in Summer Games dating back to 1984. Their most distinguished athlete in any Olympic competition is Jean de Dieu Nkundabera who earned a bronze in the Paralympic Games of 2004. Six Rwandans will compete in 2021.
  • Seychelles first participated in the Summer Games in 1980. They did not participate in 1988, but otherwise have sent at least six athletes to every games. The nation had a pair of quarterfinal boxing exits, but otherwise have not been anywhere close to a medal. This year, they will send their smallest cohort of athletes to the Summer Games, with a five-athlete group.
  • Solomon Islands debuted in the Olympics in Los Angeles in 1984. Since then, they have struggled to contend for any medals, with Wendy Hale’s 12th place finish in the 2008 Weightlifting competition the nation’s best performance. Solomon Islands will send three athletes in three different sports to Tokyo.
  • Somalia has one of the most unique Olympic histories. They boycotted 1976 and 1980, and they declined an invitation in 1992 due to a nationwide famine. Due to their ongoing Civil War, athletes have been displaced and forced to compete for other nations or the Refugee Olympic Team. Mo Farah, a four-time Gold Medalist, was born in Somalia but fled with his family to Great Britain due to the War. Two Somalians will compete in Tokyo.

T48. (8 Olympic Games)–Aruba (3), Cook Islands (6), Maldives (4), Saint Vincent and the Grenadines (3), Vanuatu (3)

  • Aruba finally broke free from the joint Olympic distinction of the Netherlands Antilles in 1988 when they participated in Seoul. Nine Summer Games and 37 athletes later, Aruba is still seeking its first medal. They will send three athletes to Tokyo, their lowest total since Beijing (2008).
  • Cook Islands is the only associated territory of New Zealand that has their own NOC. 39 athletes later, they have the same amount of medals as the non-competitors (Niue and Tokelau). Six Cook Island athletes will go to the Olympics this summer, including running, canoeing and swimming.
  • Maldives and their 41 athletes starting competing in The Olympics in 1988. They have experienced little success with Hussein Haleem (86th in 1992 Marathon) the only athlete to advance path group play. They send out four athletes in this summer’s Games.
  • Saint Vincent and the Grenadines has participated in every Summer Games since Seoul (1988). Pamenos Ballentyne placed 31st in the 2000 Marathon, but otherwise the country has zero Olympic prowess. Three athletes, all awarded by universality, will compete in Tokyo.
  • Vanuatu and their 31 athletes have competed since 1988 at the Summer Games. Luigi Teilemb placed 30th in the single sculls rowing in 2016, the only athlete from Vanuatu to advance past the preliminary stages since the nation’s debut (two boxers lost in Round of 32). Vanuatu will compete in judo, rowing and table tennis in Tokyo, one athlete in each sport.

T53. (7 Olympic Games)–Dominica (2), Yemen (5)

  • Dominica achieved independence in 1978, and their NOC was first recognized in the 1996 Atlanta Summer Games. They sent six athletes to Atlanta, but since then the nation has sent exactly two athletes to every Summer Games, including 2021. Dominica also had two athletes in the 2014 Sochi Winter Games. Jerome Romain set the nation’s best performance in the Atlanta Games with a 12th place finish at the Triple Jump competition.
  • Yemen first competed as a unified nation in Barcelona (1992). They previously had competed as North Yemen and South Yemen. The unified team sent 13 athletes to Barcelona, the only time Yemen has had double-digit athletes. Their largest total since Barcelona is five, the number of athletes in Beijing (2008) and this summer in Tokyo.

T55. (6 Olympic Games)–Cape Verde (6), Comoros (3), Guinea-Bissau (4), Nauru (2), Palestine (5), Saint Kitts and Nevis (2), Saint Lucia (5), Sao Tome and Principe (3), East Timor (3), Turkmenistan (9)

  • Cape Verde first competed in Atlanta (1996). The nation’s best sport is the men’s marathon, with a peak performance of 48th place in 2008. Cape Verde will send a record six athletes to Tokyo, interestingly enough without a marathon runner. They instead will compete in the 400m hurdles, boxing, rhythmic gymnastics, judo and swimming.
  • Comoros also began their Olympic journey in Atlanta (1996). They have had nineteen athletes compete in the Olympics since, and not a single athlete has advanced past the preliminary stage to earn a formal “place”. Comoros will have three athletes competing in Tokyo, two runners and one judo fighter.
  • Guinea-Bissau is another African nation that started in 1996. Wrestling is a sport that Guinea-Bissau thrives, as they have multiple Top 20 performances. Their peak level came in 2012 when Augusto Midana placed 7th. Midana is one of four athletes competing in Tokyo.
  • Nauru is the nation with the smallest population (206) of any NOC. They sent only weightlifters in their first three Olympic appearances, and out of their fifteen all-time athletes (counting two this year), they have three non-lifters. In Tokyo, they have a lifter and their first ever runner in the 100M. These athletes will try to beat Yukio Peter’s national best 8th place finish that happened in the 2004 Weightlifting competition.
  • Palestine first started in Atlanta (1996), and they have been in every Summer Games since then. Ramy Deeb placed 44th in the 20km walk in Sydney (2000), a performance level nobody in Palestine has been able to surpass. Five athletes in four sports will compete in Tokyo.
  • Saint Kitts and Nevis saw 10 athletes in their debut in Atlanta. Although none of those athletes advanced, Kim Collins was able to set a national best 6th place finish in the 2004 100m in Athens and the 200m in Beijing. Collins is the only athlete that has advanced to the finals from Saint Kitts and Nevis. They are sending two runners to Tokyo.
  • Saint Lucia has also been competing in Summer Olympics since 1996. Levern Spencer placed 6th in Rio (2016) in the Women’s High Jump. Jahvid Best is the best known athlete from Saint Lucia, as the former NFL tailback ran in the 2016 Men’s 100M. Spencer is one of five Saint Lucia athletes that will be competing in Tokyo.
  • Sao Tome and Principe started competing in Atlanta (1996). They have sent fourteen athletes in the Olympics between 1996 and 2016, with Fumilay Fonseca’s 52nd place finish in the 2004 20km walk the lone performance that exceed past the preliminary rounds. Three Sao Tome and Principe athletes will compete in Tokyo, one runner and two canoers.
  • East Timor originally competed as part of Indonesia until 1996. In 2000, the four East Timor athletes were classified as Individual Olympic Athletes. Starting with 2004 in Athens, the nation has had their own Olympic team. They have competed in four Summer Games and two Winter Games since 2004, with Francelina Cabral’s 28th place performance in 2016 in cycling setting a national best. Three athletes will compete in Tokyo under the East Timor flag, including the nation’s first two Olympic swimmers.
  • Turkmenistan first began competing as an individual nation in 1996 after time as part of the Soviet Union and the Unified team of 1992. Turkmenistan is the only post-Soviet state that has not participated in the Winter Olympics. Furthermore, it is the only post-Soviet nation that has not won a medal yet. Turkmenistan had 9 athletes in 2020. (UPDATE: MEDALED!!!!!!)

T65. (5 Olympic Games)–Brunei (2), Federated States of Micronesia (3), Palau (3)

  • Brunei has struggled at the Olympics, with just 10 athletes in five games. In 2000, Prince Abdul Hakeem Jefri Bolkiah placed 45th in Skeet Shooting, the nation’s best finish. Two athletes, a runner and a swimmer, will compete in Tokyo.
  • The Federated States of Micronesia have sent 26 athletes to the past five Olympics. Manuel Minginfel is the nation’s most decorated Olympic athlete with 10th, 11th and 10th place finishes in Weightlifting in the 2004, 2008 and 2012 Games.
  • Palau has sent 24 athletes to the past five Summer Olympics. Stevick Patris (2012) and Valerie Pedro (2000) both placed 14th in Weightlifting, the most success Palau has seen at the games.

68. (4 Olympic Games)–Kiribati (3)

  • Kiribati has sent 11 athletes to the past four Summer Olympic Games combined. Meamea Thomas’ 13th place finish in Weightlifting in 2004 is the nation’s best place, though David Katoatau has placed the last three Olympics in weightlifting. Kiribati will send three athletes to Tokyo this summer.

T69. (3 Olympic Games)–Marshall Islands (2), Tuvalu (2)

  • Marshall Islands, the island nation made up of 29 atolls and 5 lone-islands, has sent 14 athletes to the past three Summer Olympic Games combined. Their best finish has been Mathlynn Sasser in 2016 Women’s Weightlifting (11th). Two swimmers will compete for the Marshall Islands this year.
  • Tuvalu has sent 7 athletes to the past three Summer Olympic Games combined, with Tuau Lapua Lapua’s 12th place finish in the Weightlifting competition of 2016 is the island nation’s best finish. Two runners will compete in 2021 for Tuvalu.

71. (1 Olympic Game)–South Sudan (2)

  • After gaining independence from Sudan in 2011, South Sudanese athlete Guor Marial competed under the Independent Olympic Athlete flag in 2012 and placed 47th in the Marathon. South Sudan was approved by the IOC as a separate NOC in 2015. In their debut in the 2016 Olympics, three athletes competed with only Guor Marial placed in the final event (82nd in the Marathon). Five South Sudanese athletes also competed under the Refugee Olympic Team flag in 2016, as they had been displaced to a refugee camp in Kenya. None of those athletes placed. Lucia Morris (Women’s 200m) and Abraham Guem (Men’s 1500m) are their only athletes competing in 2020.

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