El Salvador at the Olympics facts for kids
Quick facts for kids El Salvador at theOlympics |
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| IOC code | ESA | ||||||||
| NOC | El Salvador Olympic Committee | ||||||||
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| Medals |
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El Salvador is a country in Central America. It first joined the Olympic Games in 1968. That year, the Summer Olympics were held in Mexico City, Mexico. Since then, El Salvador has sent athletes to almost every Summer Olympic Games.
The only times they didn't go were in 1976 and 1980. They joined a protest led by America against the Soviet invasion of Afghanistan. El Salvador has never taken part in the Olympic Winter Games. So far, they have not won any Olympic medals.
Over the years, athletes from El Salvador have competed in 13 different sports. A total of 118 Salvadoran athletes have been to the Olympics. The most popular sports for them have been swimming (28 athletes) and athletics (27 athletes).
The group in charge of sports in El Salvador is called the Comité Olímpico de El Salvador. It was started in 1925. The International Olympic Committee officially recognized it in 1938.
Contents
Olympic Medals for El Salvador
Medals at the Summer Games
El Salvador has participated in many Summer Olympic Games. Here's a look at how many athletes they sent and their medal count for each event:
| Games | Athletes | Gold | Silver | Bronze | Total | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
 1968 Mexico City |
60 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | – |
 1972 Munich |
11 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | – |
 1976 Montreal |
did not participate | |||||
 1980 Moscow |
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 1984 Los Angeles |
10 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | – |
 1988 Seoul |
6 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | – |
 1992 Barcelona |
4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | – |
| 1996 Atlanta |
8 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | – |
 2000 Sydney |
8 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | – |
 2004 Athens |
7 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | – |
 2008 Beijing |
11 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | – |
 2012 London |
10 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | – |
 2016 Rio de Janeiro |
8 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | – |
 2020 Tokyo |
5 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | – |
 2024 Paris |
8 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2028 Los Angeles |
future event | |||||
| Total | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | – | |
Athletes by Sport at the Summer Olympics
This table shows how many Salvadoran athletes have competed in each sport at the Summer Olympics over the years.
| Sport | 1968 | 1972 | 1976 | 1980 | 1984 | 1988 | 1992 | 1996 | 2000 | 2004 | 2008 | 2012 | 2016 | 2020 | Total Athletes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Archery | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | 1 | 1 | – | – | – | – | 2 |
| Athletics | 10 | – | – | – | 4 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 1 | 31 |
| Boxing | – | – | – | – | – | 2 | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | 1 | 3 |
| Cycling | 5 | – | – | – | – | – | – | 1 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 1 | – | – | 11 |
| Football | 18 | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | 18 |
| Judo | – | – | – | – | 2 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 1 | – | 1 | 1 | 1 | – | 11 |
| Rowing | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | 1 | 2 | – | – | 3 |
| Sailing | 3 | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | 1 | 5 |
| Shooting | 8 | 4 | – | – | 1 | – | – | – | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | – | 18 |
| Swimming | 14 | 7 | – | – | 2 | – | 1 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 35 |
| Tennis | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | 1 | – | – | – | 1 |
| Weightlifting | 2 | – | – | – | – | – | – | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | – | 1 | 8 |
| Wrestling | – | – | – | – | 1 | 1 | – | – | – | – | 1 | – | – | – | 3 |
| Total Athletes | 60 | 11 | – | – | 10 | 6 | 4 | 8 | 8 | 7 | 11 | 10 | 8 | 5 | 148 |
- The "Total Athletes" column shows how many different athletes have competed in each sport over time. Some athletes might have competed in more than one Olympic Games.
- The "Total Athletes" row shows the total number of athletes who competed at each specific Olympic Games.
Top Finishes by Salvadoran Athletes
Best Results at the Summer Olympics
Even though El Salvador hasn't won any medals, some athletes have achieved impressive results. Here are some of their best finishes:
| Name | Games | Sport | Event | Result | Ref |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ricardo Merlos | 2004 Athens |
 Archery |
Men's individual | 35th | |
| Kriscia García | 1984 Los Angeles |
 Athletics (track & road event) |
Women's 1500 metres | 22nd | |
| Rosario Martínez | 1968 Mexico City |
Athletics (field event) |
Women's shot put | 14th | |
| Henry Martínez | 1988 Seoul |
 Boxing |
Men's – 48 kg | 9th (tie) | |
| Maureen Kaila Vergara | 1996 Atlanta |
 Cycling |
Women's points race | 5th | |
| 1968 Team | 1968 Mexico City |
 Football |
Men's football | 13th (tie) | |
| Juan Vargas | 1984 Los Angeles |
 Judo |
Men's 71 kg | 9th (tie) | |
| Camila Vargas Palomo | 2012 London |
 Rowing |
Women's single sculls | 16th | |
| Mario Aguilar & Manuel Escobar |
1968 Mexico City |
 Sailing |
Flying Dutchman | 30th | |
| Luisa Maida | 2008 Beijing |
 Shooting |
Women's 25 metre pistol | 8th | |
| María José Marenco | 1992 Barcelona |
 Swimming |
Women's 800 metre freestyle | 20th | |
| Rafael Arévalo | 2008 Beijing |
 Tennis |
Men's singles | 17th (tie) | |
| Eva Dimas | 2004 Athens |
 Weightlifting |
Women's +75 kg | 11th | |
| Julio Salamanca Pineda | 2012 London |
Weightlifting |
Men's 62 kg | 11th | |
| Íngrid Medrano | 2008 Beijing |
 Wrestling |
Women's freestyle 48 kg | 9th |
El Salvador at Specific Summer Olympic Games
1968 Mexico City Olympics
El Salvador's first time at the Olympics was in Mexico City. They sent their biggest team ever: 60 athletes! These athletes competed in seven sports. These included athletics, cycling, football, sailing, shooting, swimming, and weightlifting. They didn't win any medals.
Two special athletes from El Salvador competed here. Swimmer Rubén Guerrero was the youngest at 13 years old. He swam in five different events. Roberto Soundy was the oldest at 68 years old. He competed in shooting. Swimmer Salvador Vilanova proudly carried El Salvador's flag at the opening ceremony.
1972 Munich Olympics
In Munich, El Salvador sent a much smaller team of only 11 athletes. They competed in just two sports: swimming and shooting. This was the fewest sports El Salvador had ever competed in. For the second time, swimmer Salvador Vilanova was chosen to carry the flag.
1984 Los Angeles Olympics
El Salvador did not participate in the 1976 Olympics. They also joined a boycott of the 1980 Summer Olympics in Moscow.
But El Salvador returned to the Olympics in Los Angeles, USA. They sent ten athletes. These athletes competed in athletics, judo, swimming, shooting, and wrestling. Long-distance runner Kriscia García had the honor of carrying the flag.
1988 Seoul Olympics
For the 1988 Summer Olympics in Seoul, South Korea, El Salvador sent six athletes. They competed in athletics, boxing, judo, and wrestling. Wrestler Gustavo Manzur was the flag bearer for his country.
1992 Barcelona Olympics
El Salvador sent its smallest team ever to the 1992 Summer Olympics in Barcelona, Spain. Only four athletes participated. They competed in athletics, judo, and swimming. Swimmer María José Marenco carried the flag for El Salvador.
1996 Atlanta Olympics
Eight Salvadoran athletes went to the 1996 Summer Olympics in Atlanta, USA. They competed in five sports: athletics, judo, swimming, cycling, and weightlifting. Cyclist Maureen Kaila Vergara had a great performance. She finished fifth in the Women's Point Race, which was very close to winning a medal! Judoka Juan Vargas was the flag bearer.
2000 Sydney Olympics
El Salvador sent eight athletes to the 2000 Summer Olympics in Sydney, Australia. They competed in seven different sports. These included athletics, archery, cycling, judo, shooting, swimming, and weightlifting. Weightlifter Eva Dimas carried the flag for her country.
2004 Athens Olympics
Seven athletes represented El Salvador at the 2004 Summer Olympics in Athens, Greece. They took part in seven sports: athletics, archery, cycling, shooting, swimming, and weightlifting. Cyclist Evelyn García was chosen to carry the flag.
2008 Beijing Olympics
At the 2008 Summer Olympics in Beijing, China, El Salvador competed in more sports than ever before. Eleven athletes took part in nine sports. These included athletics, cycling, judo, rowing, shooting, swimming, tennis, weightlifting, and wrestling. Pistol shooter Luisa Maida finished in eighth place. This was a strong finish, not far from a medal! Weightlifter Eva Dimas, who also carried the flag in 2000, was again the flag bearer.
2012 London Olympics
Ten Salvadoran athletes went to the 2012 Summer Olympics in London, United Kingdom. They competed in seven sports: athletics, rowing, swimming, cycling, judo, shooting, and weightlifting. Cyclist Evelyn García, who carried the flag in 2004, had the honor again.
See also
In Spanish: El Salvador en los Juegos Olímpicos para niños
- List of Salvadorian Olympians
- List of flag bearers for El Salvador at the Olympics
- El Salvador at the Paralympics
