Puerto Rico at the Olympics facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Puerto Rico at the Olympics
Flag of Puerto Rico
IOC code	PUR
NOC	Puerto Rico Olympic Committee
Website
Medals Ranked 92nd	Gold Silver Bronze Total 2 2 8 12
Summer appearances
1948 1952 1956 1960 1964 1968 1972 1976 1980 1984 1988 1992 1996 2000 2004 2008 2012 2016 2020
Winter appearances
1984 1988 1992 1994 1998 2002 2006–2014 2018

This flag was used by Puerto Rican teams at the 1948 and 1952 games. The current flag of Puerto Rico became official during the 1952 Summer Olympics, and the team started using it right away.

Puerto Rico first joined the Olympic Games in 1948. Since then, they have sent athletes to every Summer Olympic Games. Puerto Rico also started competing in the Winter Olympic Games in 1984. However, they did not take part in the Winter Games in 2006, 2010, and 2014.

Puerto Rican athletes have won a total of twelve medals. Six of these medals were won in boxing. Three were in track and field, one in tennis, and two in wrestling.

The Puerto Rican national baseball team won a bronze medal at the 1988 Summer Olympic Games in Seoul, South Korea. But this medal is not counted in Puerto Rico's official Olympic totals. This is because baseball was a demonstration sport back then, not a full Olympic event.

The Puerto Rico Olympic Committee was created in 1948. It was recognized by the International Olympic Committee in the same year. When Puerto Rican athletes win Olympic gold medals, "La Borinqueña" is played. This is their own anthem, not the U.S. national anthem.

Puerto Rico at the Summer Olympics

1948 London Games

Puerto Rico made its Olympic debut at the 1948 Summer Games in London. A team of nine athletes competed in eight different sports. This group included three athletes for track and field, three for boxing, and two for shooting.

Juan Evangelista Venegas made history for Puerto Rico. He won the country's first Olympic medal, a bronze in bantamweight boxing. Venegas won his first three fights. He then lost to a Hungarian boxer in the semi-finals. But he won the bronze medal match against a Spanish boxer. This was a big win for Puerto Rico!

1952 Helsinki Games

Puerto Rico took part in its second Summer Games at the 1952 Helsinki Olympics. This time, a larger group of 21 athletes competed. They took part in athletics, basketball, boxing, fencing, and shooting. Puerto Rico's basketball team played in the Olympics for the first time. They finished 9th overall after beating Bulgaria and the Philippines.

1956 Melbourne Games

At the 1956 Melbourne Olympics, Puerto Rico sent a smaller team of 10 athletes. They competed in shooting and athletics. Even though they did not win any medals, the athletes performed well.

1960 Rome Games

In the 1960 Rome Olympics, Puerto Rico sent 27 athletes. They competed in seven sports: athletics, basketball, boxing, fencing, shooting, weightlifting, and wrestling. They did not win any medals, but the athletes gained valuable experience. The basketball team finished 13th. The boxing team showed promise, with many boxers reaching later rounds. This was also Puerto Rico's first time competing in weightlifting and wrestling.

1964 Tokyo Games

At the 1964 Tokyo Olympics, Puerto Rico sent 32 athletes. They competed in seven sports, including athletics, basketball, boxing, fencing, shooting, and weightlifting. The basketball team had a great moment. They beat Yugoslavia, a very strong team, and finished in 4th place. The boxing team also did well, with several athletes reaching the quarterfinals.

1968 Mexico City Games

During the 1968 Olympics in Mexico City, Puerto Rico had 58 athletes. They competed in many sports, including athletics, basketball, boxing, cycling, fencing, judo, shooting, weightlifting, wrestling, and sailing. The boxing team showed their strength again. The basketball team finished 9th. These games also marked Puerto Rico's first time in judo, wrestling, and sailing.

1972 Munich Games

At the 1972 Munich Olympics, 59 Puerto Rican athletes took part in 11 different sports. These included athletics, basketball, boxing, cycling, fencing, judo, shooting, swimming, weightlifting, wrestling, and sailing. The boxing team performed well, but no medals were won. The basketball team finished 6th. This was Puerto Rico's first time competing in swimming.

1976 Montreal Games

The 1976 Montreal Olympics were very important for Puerto Rico. It was their biggest team ever, with 80 athletes in 12 sports. This was also the first time a Puerto Rican woman, Carmen Milagros Vélez Vega, competed in the Olympics.

Orlando Maldonado ended Puerto Rico's 28-year wait for a medal. He won a bronze in light flyweight boxing. This was Puerto Rico's second Olympic medal.

1980 Moscow Games

The U.S. led a boycott of the 1980 Moscow Olympics. But Puerto Rico decided to take part. They sent a smaller team of 15 athletes. They competed in athletics, boxing, judo, and shooting. Even though they didn't win medals, their choice to compete showed their dedication to the Olympic spirit.

1984 Los Angeles Games

The 1984 Olympics in Los Angeles were a big event for Puerto Rico. 51 athletes from the island competed in 13 sports. This was the first time Puerto Rico took part in both the Summer and Winter Olympics in the same year.

Puerto Rico won two medals in boxing. Luis Ortiz won the island's first silver medal in lightweight boxing. Arístides González won a bronze in middleweight. The basketball team finished 6th, just missing a medal.

1988 Seoul Games

During the 1988 Seoul Olympics, Puerto Rico had a team of 52 athletes. They competed in 11 different sports. Athletes also competed in athletics, fencing, judo, and shooting. Some of them reached the later rounds of their events.

1992 Barcelona Games

In 1992, Puerto Rico sent its largest team since 1976 to the Barcelona Olympics. There were 75 athletes competing in 13 different sports. Aníbal Santiago Acevedo won a bronze medal in welterweight boxing. The basketball team played against the U.S. "Dream Team." This was Puerto Rico's first time competing in table tennis and badminton.

1996 Atlanta Games

In the 1996 Atlanta Olympics, 69 Puerto Rican athletes competed in 16 sports. Boxing was a highlight. Daniel Santos won a bronze medal in welterweight boxing. This added to Puerto Rico's growing list of boxing medals. The men's volleyball team made their Olympic debut and finished 11th.

2000 Sydney Games

During the 2000 Sydney Olympics, Puerto Rico had 29 athletes. They competed in 12 different sports. The island did not win any medals this time. This was unusual for Puerto Rico, as they often win boxing medals.

2004 Athens Games

During the 2004 Athens Olympics, Puerto Rico had 43 athletes in 15 sports. Puerto Rico's basketball team made history. They beat the United States "Dream Team" 92-73. This was a memorable moment in Olympic basketball. These games also marked Puerto Rico's first time in taekwondo.

2008 Beijing Summer Olympics

During the 2008 Beijing Olympics, Puerto Rico had a smaller group of 22 athletes. They competed in eight sports. They did not win any medals. But the team performed well in boxing, athletics, and wrestling. The women's wrestling team made their first Olympic appearance.

2012 London Games

The 2012 London Olympics were very successful for Puerto Rico. The island sent 25 athletes to compete in eight sports. This was the youngest team Puerto Rico had ever sent.

Puerto Rico had two major achievements. Jaime Espinal made history by winning a silver medal in men's freestyle wrestling (84 kg). This was Puerto Rico's first wrestling Olympic medal. It was also only the country's second silver medal ever.

Javier Culson, a top hurdler, won a bronze medal in the men's 400m hurdles. This was Puerto Rico's first Olympic medal in track and field. Culson was known as one of the best hurdlers in the world.

2016 Rio Olympics

The 2016 Rio Olympics were a huge moment for Puerto Rico. The island won its first Olympic gold medal ever! The team had 40 athletes in 15 different sports.

Monica Puig's amazing performance in tennis was the highlight. Puig, ranked 34th in the world, won the gold medal in women's singles. She beat Germany's Angelique Kerber, who was ranked second in the world. Puig's win was not just a personal success. It was a historic event for Puerto Rican sports.

Young table tennis players Adriana Díaz and Brian Afanador also made their first Olympic appearances. They were among the youngest members of the team.

2020 Tokyo Olympics

The 2020 Tokyo Olympics took place in 2021 because of the COVID-19 pandemic. This was another great achievement for Puerto Rico. The island sent 37 athletes to compete in 15 sports.

The biggest moment was Jasmine Camacho-Quinn's amazing win in track and field. She won gold in the women's 100m hurdles. This was Puerto Rico's second gold medal ever in the Olympics. It was also the first in track and field.

Camacho-Quinn set a new Olympic record in the semifinals with a time of 12.26 seconds. She then won the gold in the final with a time of 12.37 seconds. Her victory brought great pride to Puerto Rico.

Adriana Díaz and Brian Afanador were the flagbearers during the opening ceremony. Díaz showed great skill, reaching the third round in women's singles.

Flag Bearers

Olympic Medals for Puerto Rico

Medals by Summer Games

Games	Athletes	1 Gold	2 Silver	3 Bronze	Total	Rank
1896 Athens	did not participate
1900 Paris
1904 St. Louis
1908 London
1912 Stockholm
1920 Antwerp
1924 Paris
1928 Amsterdam
1932 Los Angeles
1936 Berlin
1948 London	9	0	0	1	1	34
1952 Helsinki	21	0	0	0	0	-
1956 Melbourne	10	0	0	0	0	–
1960 Rome	27	0	0	0	0	–
1964 Tokyo	32	0	0	0	0	–
1968 Mexico City	58	0	0	0	0	–
1972 Munich	53	0	0	0	0	–
1976 Montreal	80	0	0	1	1	37
1980 Moscow	3	0	0	0	0	–
1984 Los Angeles	51	0	1	1	2	30
1988 Seoul	47	0	0	0	0	–
1992 Barcelona	75	0	0	1	1	54
1996 Atlanta	69	0	0	1	1	71
2000 Sydney	29	0	0	0	0	–
2004 Athens	43	0	0	0	0	–
2008 Beijing	22	0	0	0	0	–
2012 London	25	0	1	1	2	63
2016 Rio de Janeiro	40	1	0	0	1	54
2020 Tokyo	37	1	0	0	1	63
2024 Paris	51	0	0	2	2	80
2028 Los Angeles	future event
Total		2	2	8	12	92

Medals by Winter Games

Games	Athletes	1 Gold	2 Silver	3 Bronze	Total	Rank
1924 Chamonix	did not participate
1928 St. Moritz
1932 Lake Placid
1936 Garmisch-Partenkirchen
1948 St. Moritz
1952 Oslo
1956 Cortina d'Ampezzo
1960 Squaw Valley
1964 Innsbruck
1968 Grenoble
1972 Sapporo
1976 Innsbruck
1980 Lake Placid
1984 Sarajevo	1	0	0	0	0	-
1988 Calgary	9	0	0	0	0	-
1992 Albertville	6	0	0	0	0	–
1994 Lillehammer	5	0	0	0	0	–
1998 Nagano	6	0	0	0	0	–
2002 Salt Lake City	2	0	0	0	0	–
2006 Turin	did not participate
2010 Vancouver
2014 Sochi
2018 Pyeongchang	1	0	0	0	0	–
2022 Beijing	2	0	0	0	0	–
2026 Milan/Cortina	future event
Total		0	0	0	0	-

Medals by Summer Sport

Sports	1 Gold	2 Silver	3 Bronze	Total	Rank
Athletics	1	0	2	3	70
Tennis	1	0	0	1	20
Boxing	0	1	5	6	52
Wrestling	0	1	1	2	51
Total	2	2	8	12	92

List of Medal Winners

Medal	Name	Games	Sport	Event
3 Bronze	Juan Venegas	1948 London	Boxing	Men's bantamweight
3 Bronze	Orlando Maldonado	1976 Montreal	Boxing	Men's light flyweight
2 Silver	Luis Ortiz	1984 Los Angeles	Boxing	Men's lightweight
3 Bronze	Arístides González	1984 Los Angeles	Boxing	Men's middleweight
3 Bronze	Aníbal Acevedo	1992 Barcelona	Boxing	Men's welterweight
3 Bronze	Daniel Santos	1996 Atlanta	Boxing	Men's welterweight
2 Silver	Jaime Espinal	2012 London	Wrestling	Men's freestyle 84 kg
3 Bronze	Javier Culson	2012 London	Athletics	Men's 400 metres hurdles
1 Gold	Monica Puig	2016 Rio de Janeiro	Tennis	Women's singles
1 Gold	Jasmine Camacho-Quinn	2020 Tokyo	Athletics	Women's 100 metres hurdles
3 Bronze	Jasmine Camacho-Quinn	2024 Paris	Athletics	Women's 100 metres hurdles
3 Bronze	Sebastian Rivera	2024 Paris	Wrestling	Men's Freestyle 65kg

Images for kids

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  Aristides González (in red) after receiving a bronze medal at middleweight boxing in the 1984 Summer Olympics.

See also

In Spanish: Puerto Rico en los Juegos Olímpicos para niños

• List of flag bearers for Puerto Rico at the Olympics
• Puerto Rico Olympic Committee
• Category:Olympic competitors for Puerto Rico
• Tropical nations at the Winter Olympics
• Puerto Rico at the Paralympics