Somalia at the Olympics
The African nation of Somalia first took part at the Summer Olympic Games in 1972 and has participated in the majority of the Games since 1984. Somalia missed the 1976 edition of the Olympics in Montreal when it joined most of the other African nations who lodged a boycott and participated in the US-led boycott of the 1980 Summer Olympic Games which was held in Moscow.
The Somali Olympic Committee was established in 1959, and was acknowledged by the International Olympic Committee (IOC) in 1972.
In spite of the ongoing civil war that is happening in Somalia the nation still managed to send athletes at the Games since 1996. The nation is still seeking its first Olympic medal and it is almost close at capturing one as Abdi Bile, the reigning 1,500 meters run world champion finished sixth in 1996.
Somalia took part at the 2012 London Summer Olympic Games in London, and fielded a couple of athletes in the track and field competition. Mohamed Hassan Mohamed and Zamzam Mohamed Farah, were seeded to the team by virtue of wildcard places. The two competitors failed to secure berths into the next round.
Somalia also saw action at the 2016 Rio de Janeiro Summer Olympics and sent two athletes, Mohamed Daud Mohamed and Maryan Nuh Muse to compete in the track and field competition. Mohamed and Muse saw action in the men’s 5,000 meters and women’s 400 meters run respectively but were not lucky enough to secure spots in the next round.
Trivia
- British athlete Mo Farah was born in Somalia, arriving in London from Mogadishu at the age of 8
Related Pages
- List of all countries that have participated at the Olympic Games.
- About sport in Somalia
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