Suriname at the Olympics
Suriname, which is also referred to as officially as the Republic of Suriname, is an independent nation that is situated on South America’s northeastern Atlantic coast. Suriname first participated at the Olympic Games in 1968, though an athlete attended the 1960 Games. Wim Esajas, took part in the Opening Ceremony at the 1960 Games, but he did not compete due to a scheduling error. He was entered in the 800 metres, but was told that the heats were in the afternoon. When he arrived at the stadium the heats were over.
Suriname also missed the 1980 Summer Olympics after siding with US-led boycott.
Suriname has won two medals (1 gold and 1 bronze) at the Olympiad courtesy of tanker Anthony Nesty. Competing in the men’s 100-meter butterfly event in swimming, Nesty pulled off a giant-sized shocker in the 1988 Seoul Olympic Games by capturing his pet event. He returned in the 1992 Barcelona Olympic Games to add a bronze medal to his achievements. Another notable athlete from Suriname is Letitia Vriesde, who is the first sportsperson from Suriname to compete at five Olympic Games (1998-2004).
In the recently concluded 2016 Rio Olympic Games that nation sent 6 athletes to strut their wares in 4 sports. Unfortunately, the all of the nation’s Olympians failed to secure a spot in the next round on their respective events.
Related Pages
- List of all countries that have participated at the Olympic Games.
- About sport in Suriname.
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