Azerbaijan at the Olympics
Azerbaijan has sent athletes to the Summer Games since 1952 but only had their own delegation in 1996. From 1952 to 1988, Azerbaijan athletes were part of the Soviet Union delegation and the Unified Team in 1992.
In 1996, they sent athletes under their own flag and wrestler Namik Abdullayev took second place in men's freestyle 52 kg division. In Sydney 2000, they had their first taste of Olympic gold when shooter Zemfira Meftahatdinova and wrestler Namik Abdullayev took the top spot in Women's Skeet and Men's freestyle 54 kg division respectively. Boxer Vugar Alekperov also took Olympic honors when he won the bronze medal in the middleweight division.
Azerbaijan athletes have taken home Olympic honors since they first participated as an independent nation in the 1996 Atlanta Summer Games. Their consistently impressive performance in the Summer Games is slowly making an impact in the Olympic world.
In 1998, Azerbaijan participated in the Winter Games for the first time as an independent nation which was held in Nagano, Japan. They are yet to win a medal in the Winter Olympic Games despite their perfect attendance since 1998. Azerbaijan athletes did win medals before but as part of the Soviet Union (1952 – 1988).
Trivia
- At the Olympic Games in London Azerbaijan won 10 medals (their most successful Games yet). For a country with only 9 million people that is a big achievment.
- The majority of the medals won by athletes from Azerbaijan are in the sport of wrestling.
Related Pages
- Information about the Soviet Union at the Olympics
- About sport in Azerbaijan
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