Marshall Islands at the Olympics facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Marshall Islands at theOlympics |
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| IOC code | MHL | ||||||||
| NOC | Marshall Islands National Olympic Committee | ||||||||
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The Marshall Islands is a small island nation. It has taken part in the Summer Olympic Games five times. The country has not yet competed in the Winter Olympic Games.
The Marshall Islands first joined the Olympics at the 2008 Summer Olympics in Beijing, China. In those games, five athletes from the Marshall Islands competed. This is the largest number of athletes they have sent to a Summer Games so far. No athlete from the Marshall Islands has ever won an Olympic medal.
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About the Marshall Islands
The Marshall Islands is an island nation in Micronesia. It is located in the western Pacific Ocean. You can find it between Hawaii and Australia. In 2008, about 60,000 people lived there.
This island nation was once controlled by the United States. Before that, Japan and Germany ruled it at different times. The Marshall Islands became a self-governing country in 1979. In 1986, it gained full independence. This happened through an agreement with the United States. The country is made up of 29 atolls and five single islands.
The Marshall Islands National Olympic Committee was created in 2001. It was officially recognized by the International Olympic Committee in 2006. This recognition meant the Marshall Islands could send its athletes to the Olympic Games.
Olympic Journeys
2008 Summer Olympics
The Marshall Islands made its first Olympic appearance in Beijing, China, in 2008. Five athletes competed in three different sports. Roman William Cress and Haley Nemra ran in the track and field events. Jared Heine and Julianne Kirchner swam in the swimming events.
Anju Jason was the only athlete to compete in taekwondo. He is still the only Marshallese taekwondo Olympian as of 2016. Anju Jason qualified for the Games by winning a tournament. The other athletes were "wildcard entries." This means they were invited to compete even if they didn't meet the usual strict qualification rules.
2012 Summer Olympics
The Marshall Islands sent four athletes to the 2012 Summer Olympics in London. Timi Garstang and Haley Nemra competed in track and field. Giordan Harris and Ann-Marie Hepler took part in swimming. Before the Games, the team trained in Australia for a month.
2016 Summer Olympics
Five athletes from the Marshall Islands went to the 2016 Summer Olympics in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. Richson Simeon and Mariana Cress competed in track and field. Giordan Harris and Colleen Furgeson were the swimmers.
Mathlynn Sasser competed in weightlifting. She was the first (and only, as of 2016) Marshallese athlete to compete in weightlifting at the Olympics.
Medal Results
The Marshall Islands has not yet won any medals at the Olympic Games.
Medals by Summer Games
| Games | Athletes | Gold | Silver | Bronze | Total | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
 2008 Beijing |
5 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | – |
 2012 London |
4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | – |
 2016 Rio de Janeiro |
5 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | – |
 2020 Tokyo |
2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | – |
 2024 Paris |
4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | – |
 2028 Los Angeles |
future event | |||||
| Total | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | – | |
Flagbearers
A flagbearer is an athlete who carries their country's flag during the opening ceremony of the Olympic Games. It is a great honor to be chosen as a flagbearer.
| Games | Athlete | Sport |
|---|---|---|
| 2008 Beijing |
Waylon Muller | Judo |
| 2012 London |
Haley Nemra | Athletics |
| 2016 Rio de Janeiro |
Mathlynn Sasser | Weightlifting |
| 2020 Tokyo |
Colleen Furgeson Phillip Kinono |
Swimming |
| 2024 Paris |
William Reed | Athletics |
| Mathlynn Sasser | Weightlifting |
See also
In Spanish: Islas Marshall en los Juegos Olímpicos para niños
- List of participating nations at the Summer Olympic Games
- List of participating nations at the Winter Olympic Games
