Djibouti at the Olympics facts for kids

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Djibouti at the
Olympics

IOC code

DJI

NOC

Comité National Olympique et Sportif Djiboutien

Medals
Ranked 149th

Gold	Silver	Bronze	Total
0	0	1	1

Summer appearances

1984
1988
1992
1996
2000
2004
2008
2012
2016
2020

Djibouti is a country in Africa that has sent athletes to the Summer Olympic Games nine times. They first joined the Olympics in 1984 in Los Angeles, USA. Three athletes from Djibouti competed that year, but they did not win any medals.

Djibouti has never competed in the Winter Olympic Games. The most athletes Djibouti has sent to a Summer Olympics was eight, at the 1992 Games in Barcelona, Spain. Only one athlete from Djibouti has ever won an Olympic medal. This was marathon runner Hussein Ahmed Salah, who earned a bronze medal in the 1988 marathon race.

How Many Medals Has Djibouti Won?

Djibouti has won one Olympic medal in total. This was a bronze medal.

Medals Won at Each Summer Olympics

This table shows how many medals Djibouti has won at each Summer Olympic Games.

Total		0	0	1	1	151
Games	Athletes	Gold	Silver	Bronze	Total	Rank
1984 Los Angeles	3	0	0	0	0	–
1988 Seoul	6	0	0	1	1	46
1992 Barcelona	8	0	0	0	0	–
1996 Atlanta	5	0	0	0	0	–
2000 Sydney	2	0	0	0	0	–
2004 Athens	did not participate
2008 Beijing	2	0	0	0	0	–
2012 London	5	0	0	0	0	–
2016 Rio de Janeiro	7	0	0	0	0	–
2020 Tokyo	4	0	0	0	0	–
2024 Paris	7	0	0	0	0	–
2028 Los Angeles	Future event
	Future event

Medals by Sport

Djibouti's only medal was won in the sport of athletics.

Sport	Gold	Silver	Bronze	Total
Athletics	0	0	1	1
Totals (1 entries)	0	0	1	1

Who Are Djibouti's Olympic Medalists?

Djibouti has only one Olympic medalist.

Medal	Name	Games	Sport	Event
3 Bronze	Houssein Ahmed Salah	1988 Seoul	Athletics	Men's marathon

Who Carries the Flag for Djibouti?

The flagbearer is an athlete who carries their country's flag during the opening and closing ceremonies of the Olympic Games.

Summer Olympics
Games	Athlete	Sport
1984 Los Angeles	Djama Robleh	Athletics
1988 Seoul	Hussein Ahmed Salah	Athletics
1996 Atlanta	Hussein Ahmed Salah	Athletics
2000 Sydney	Djama Robleh	Athletics
2004 Athens	Djibouti did not participate
2008 Beijing	Hussein Ahmed Salah	Athletics
2012 London	Zourah Ali (opening) Yasmin Farah (closing)	Athletics
2016 Rio de Janeiro	Abdi Waiss Mouhyadin (opening) Mohamed Ismail Ibrahim (closing)	Athletics
2020 Tokyo	Aden-Alexandre Houssein (opening) Souhra Ali Mohamed (closing)	Judo Athletics
2024 Paris	Mohamed Ismail Ibrahim (opening) Samiyah Hassan Nour (opening) Ibrahim Hassan (closing)	Athletics Athletics Football

How Do Athletes Train in Djibouti?

Djibouti has training places for its athletes. There is a special training center in Ali Sabieh for the male athletics team. Another training facility is in Djibouti City.

The training center in Djibouti City has a six-lane track. Its hurdles are made from PVC pipes. The Ali Sabieh facility has better hurdles and a high-quality track. Athletes there use weights made from milk cans filled with cement. It also has a steeplechase water pit, but it is rarely filled.

What is Djibouti's National Olympic Committee?

Djibouti NOC logo.

Djibouti has a group called the National Olympic Committee (NOC). It was started in 1983. The International Olympic Committee (IOC) officially recognized it a year later.

The head of the NOC is Ms. Aïcha Garad Ali. She is also a coach for the national women's handball team. She teaches physical education and sports. Ms. Ali was first chosen for this role in 2005 and again in 2013. The secretary general is Ali Said Houssein, who used to be a football coach and a teacher.

In 2017, there was a vote for Ms. Aicha Garad to serve a third term. She won the vote. However, 12 out of 22 sports groups complained to the IOC. They said that not enough representatives were at the vote. They also said there were problems with how the vote was done. Ahmed Salah also complained that no international observers were there to watch the vote.

Djibouti's Olympic Journey

Before the Olympics: Independence and Boycotts

Djibouti was a territory controlled by France until 1977. That year, the people of Djibouti voted to become an independent country. This meant that the 1980 Moscow Olympics was the first time Djibouti could have joined. However, Djibouti was one of 65 countries that decided not to go to the 1980 Games. They did this to protest the Soviet Union's war in Afghanistan.

1984 Summer Olympics: First Appearance

Mumin Gala competing in the 2012 Olympics.

Djibouti made its Olympic debut at the 1984 Games. Three athletes from Djibouti competed, all in the marathon race. Djama Robleh had the best finish, coming in eighth place. This was a very good result, even better than some of the top marathon runners at the time.

1988 Summer Olympics: First Medal

This was an important year for Djibouti. It was the first time they competed in sports other than the marathon. Athletes from Djibouti still focused on long-distance running events. Ahmed Salah was the only athlete from 1984 to return. He won Djibouti's first and only Olympic medal, a bronze in the marathon. He finished the race in 2 hours, 10 minutes, and 59 seconds.

Djibouti also started competing in sailing this year. Robleh Ali Adou was the first sailor from Djibouti to go to the Olympics. He finished 40th out of 45 people in the mixed windsurfer event.

1992 Summer Olympics: More Athletes and New Sports

In 1992, Djibouti sent the most athletes they ever had to the Olympics. This was also the first time Djibouti competed in judo. Both judo athletes, Youssef Omar Isahak and Alaoui Mohamed Taher, did not win any matches.

Djibouti continued to compete in athletics and sailing. Robleh Ali Adou finished 39th in the sailing event. In athletics, Djiboutian runners competed in races like the 1500 meters, 5000 meters, 10000 meters, and the marathon. Ahmed Salah had the best finish in a final, placing 30th in the marathon.

1996 Summer Olympics: Continued Participation

At the 1996 Olympic Games, Djibouti competed in athletics and sailing again. Salah competed in his fourth Olympics. He finished 42nd among Djibouti's marathon runners. Two sailors also competed in different boat races.

2000 Summer Olympics: First Female Olympian

The 2000 Olympic Games had the fewest athletes competing for Djibouti. However, it was a special year because Roda Ali Wais became the first female athlete from Djibouti to compete. She was only 16 years and 62 days old, making her Djibouti's youngest Olympian ever. She ran in the 800-meter race but finished last in her heat. The only other athlete was Omar Daher Gadid, who ran in the marathon but did not finish.

2004 Summer Olympics: Did Not Participate

Djibouti's Olympic Committee planned to send four athletes to the 2004 Games. Two were for tennis and two for athletics. But for reasons that are not known, none of these athletes competed.

2008 Summer Olympics: Return to the Games

After missing the 2004 Olympics, Djibouti sent a small team to the 2008 Summer Olympics. They sent one male and one female athlete. Neither athlete made it to the finals. Fathia Ali Bouraleh finished 8th in her 100-meter race heat. Mahamoud Farah finished 9th in his 1500-meter race heat.

2012 Summer Olympics: New Sports and a Finalist

In the 2012 Olympic Games, Djibouti returned to athletics and judo. They also debuted in two new sports: swimming and table tennis. Abdourahman Osman and Yasmin Farah did not get past the first round in their events. Sally Raguib, competing in Judo, lost her first match. Zourah Ali became the first female flagbearer for Djibouti at these Games. Mumin Gala, who ran in the 5000-meter race, made it to the final and finished 13th.

2016 Summer Olympics: Close to a Medal

Djibouti sent six athletes for athletics, one for judo, and one for swimming in 2016. Djibouti was very close to winning another medal. Ayanleh Souleiman finished fourth in the 1500-meter race. He also ran in the 800-meter race but did not make it past the semifinals. Anass Houssein lost his first judo match. Bourhan Abro finished 74th in swimming and did not advance.

Images for kids

Djibouti NOC logo.
Mumin Gala competing in the 2012 Olympics.