Marshall Islands at the Olympics

Sporting event delegation

Marshall Islands at the
Olympics

Flag of the Marshall Islands

IOC code| MHL
NOC| Marshall Islands National Olympic Committee
Website| www.oceaniasport.com/marshalls
Medals|

Gold

Silver

Bronze

Total

Summer appearances

* 2008
* 2012
* 2016
* 2020
* 2024

The Marshall Islands first competed in the Olympic Games at the 2008 Summer Olympics in Beijing, China.[1] They have participated in every edition of the Summer Games since, but have never competed in the Winter Olympic Games. The nation's Olympic Committee was established in 2001, having gained recognition by 2006 at a International Olympic Committee meeting. Fifteen different athletes have represented the Marshall Islands, of which six have been the flag bearer for the nation as of the 2024 Summer Olympics.

The Marshall Islands have fielded athletes in swimming, taekwondo, weightlifting and athletics. The highest number of Marshallese athletes participating in a Summer Games is five at both the 2008 Games in Beijing and the 2016 Games in Rio de Janeiro, and the lowest number is two at the 2020 Summer Olympics in Tokyo. No athlete from the Marshall Islands has ever won a medal at the Olympics.

## Background

[edit]

The Marshall Islands are a Micronesian island nation, located in the western Pacific Ocean midway between Hawaii and Australia. As of 2008 the island had a population of approximately 60,000. The island nation was controlled by the United States, and prior to that by Japan and Germany at different times in its history, until gaining its sovereignty. In 1979, the Government of the Marshall Islands was officially established and the country became self-governing. In 1986 the Compact of Free Association with the United States entered into force, granting the Republic of the Marshall Islands (RMI) its sovereignty. The island nation is made up of twenty-nine atolls and five single islands.[2][3]

The Marshall Islands National Olympic Committee was created in 2001, and gained recognition by the International Olympic Committee at their meeting in 2006. The Marshall Islands National Olympic Committee brought the total number of NOC's to 203 at the time of their admittance.[4][5][6]

## Olympic overview

[edit]

### 2008 Summer Olympics

[edit]

The swimming events for the 2008 Summer Olympics were held at the Beijing National Aquatics Center.

Main article: Marshall Islands at the 2008 Summer Olympics

The Marshall Islands debuted at the 2008 Summer Olympic in Beijing, China, with five athletes competing in three sports. Roman William Cress and Haley Nemra represented the nation in the track and field events. Jared Heine and Julianne Kirchner competed in the swimming events. Anju Jason, who competed in taekwondo at the Games, is the only Marshallese athlete to have competed in taekwondo at the Olympics as of the 2016 Summer Olympics.[7] Jason defeated a competitor from Samoa at the qualification tournament in New Caledonia; both athletes were wildcard entries, having failed to meet the qualification criteria for their respective events. Waylon Muller was the flag bearer for the nation.[8][9][10]

Both Cress and Nemra failed to advance from their track and field heats:[11] Cress finished eighth out of the nine athletes in his men's 100m heat with a time of 11.12 seconds,[12] while Nemra finished seventh out of the eight athletes in her women's 800m heat in 2:18.83.[13] Neither Heine or Kirchner managed to advance from their respective heats: Heine finished third in his men's 100m backstroke heat in a time of 58.86, placing forty-third in the standings;[14] meanwhile Kirchner finished fourth in her women's 50 meter freestyle heat in a time of 30.42, placing seventy-fifth in the standings.[15] Anju Jason competed in the men's welterweight division, where he was one of six athletes eliminated in tier eleven.[16]

### 2012 Summer Olympics

[edit]

Main article: Marshall Islands at the 2012 Summer Olympics

Both Nemara and Garstang competed at the London Olympic Stadium in the 2012 Summer Olympics.

The Marshall Islands sent four athletes to the 2012 Summer Olympics in London. Timi Garstang and Haley Nemara competed in the track and field events and Giordan Harris and Ann-Marie Hepler represented the nation in swimming at the Games. Before competing in the 2012 Summer Games, the Marshallese delegation attended a training camp in Australia for a month. Nemara was the flag bearer for the nation.[17][18][10]

Both Garstang and Nemra failed to advance from their track and field heats: Garstang finished last out of the seven athletes in his men's 100m heat with a time of 12.81 seconds,[19] while Nemara finished sixth out of the seven athletes in her women's 800m heat with a time of 2:14.90.[20] Neither Harris or Hepler managed to advance from their respective heats: Harris finished sixth in his men's 50 meter freestyle heat in a time of 26.88 seconds, placing forty-sixth in the standings;[21] meanwhile Hepler finished third in her women's 50 meter freestyle heat in a time of 28.06 seconds, placing forty-ninth in the rankings.[22]

### 2016 Summer Olympics

[edit]

Main article: Marshall Islands at the 2016 Summer Olympics

Five athletes from the Marshall Islands took part in the 2016 Summer Olympics in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. Richson Simeon and Mariana Cress represented the nation in the track and field events. Giordan Harris and Colleen Furgeson competed in the swimming events. Mattie Sasser, who took part in weightlifting at the Games, was the first Marshallese athlete to compete in weightlifting at the Olympics and was the flag bearer.[23][24]

Both Simeon and Cress failed to advance from their track and field heats: Simeon finished last out of the eight athletes in his men's 100m heat with a time of 11.81 seconds,[25] while Cress finished sixth out of the eight athletes in her women's 100m heat with a time of 13.20 seconds.[26] Neither Harris or Furgeson managed to advance from their respective heats: Harris finished fifth in his men's 50 meter freestyle heat in a time of 25.81 seconds, placing sixty-third in the standings;[27] meanwhile Furgeson finished first in her women's 50 meter freestyle heat in a time of 28.16 seconds, placing fifty-eighth in the standings.[28] Sasser finished eleventh in the women's 58 kg competition.[29]

### 2020 Summer Olympics

[edit]

Main article: Marshall Islands at the 2020 Summer Olympics

Only two athletes from the Marshall Islands took part in the 2020 Summer Olympics in Tokyo, Japan, as Colleen Furgeson and Phillip Kinono represented the nation in swimming at the Games and were the flag bearers.[30][31] Both Furgeson and Kinono failed to advance from their respective heats: Furgeson finished fifth in her women's 100m heat in a time of 58.71 seconds, placing forty-fourth in the standings;[32] meanwhile Kinono finished last in his men's 50 meter heat in a time of 27.86 seconds, placing seventieth in standings.[33]

### 2024 Summer Olympics

[edit]

Main article: Marshall Islands at the 2024 Summer Olympics

The Marshall Islands sent four athletes to the 2024 Summer Olympics in Paris, France. William Reed represented the nation in the track and field events and was the male flag bearer.[34] Kayla Hepler and Phillip Kinono competed in the swimming events.[35] Mattie Sasser represented the nation in weightlifting at the Olympics and was the female flag bearer.[36][37]

Reed failed to advance from his track and field heat, as he finished sixth out of the seven athletes in his men's 100m heat with a time of 11.29 seconds.[38] Neither Hepler or Kinono managed to advance from their respective heats: Hepler finished second in her women's 50 meter freestyle heat in a time of 30.33 seconds, placing sixty-second in the standings;[39] meanwhile Kinono finished first in his men's 50 meter freestyle heat in a time of 27.43 seconds, placing sixty-fourth in the standings.[40] Sasser finished tenth in the women's 59 kg competition.[41]

## Medal tables

[edit]

See also: All-time Olympic Games medal table

### Medals by Summer Games

[edit]

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
2032 Brisbane
Total | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | –

## See also

[edit]

* List of participating nations at the Summer Olympic Games
* List of participating nations at the Winter Olympic Games

## References

[edit]

1. ^ "2008 Beijing Summer Olympics | Marshall Islands , Country Profile, Olympic Tradition | Outlook, Medal Count | NBC Olympics". NBC Olympics. August 24, 2008. Archived from the original on August 24, 2008. Retrieved July 12, 2017.`{{cite web}}`: CS1 maint: bot: original URL status unknown (link)
2. ^ "2008 Summer Olympics Country Profile". NBC Olympics. NBCOlympics.com. Archived from the original on August 24, 2008. Retrieved July 31, 2008.`{{cite web}}`: CS1 maint: bot: original URL status unknown (link)
3. ^ "Marshall Islands Ready to Join Olympics". SF Gate. October 1, 2008. Archived from the original on October 1, 2008. Retrieved February 6, 2017.`{{cite web}}`: CS1 maint: bot: original URL status unknown (link)
4. ^ "Marshall Islands – National Olympic Committee (NOC)". International Olympic Committee. Archived from the original on August 2, 2016. Retrieved May 12, 2018.
5. ^ "2008 Beijing Summer Olympics | Marshall Islands , Country Profile, Olympic Tradition | Outlook, Medal Count | NBC Olympics". August 24, 2008. Archived from the original on August 24, 2008. Retrieved May 29, 2018.
6. ^ "About MINOC – Marshall Islands National Olympic Committee – SportsTG". SportsTG. Archived from the original on March 10, 2018. Retrieved May 29, 2018.
7. ^ "Marshall Islands at the 2008 Beijing Summer Games | Olympics at Sports-Reference.com". March 4, 2016. Archived from the original on March 4, 2016. Retrieved July 12, 2017.
8. ^ Longman, Jeré (August 5, 2008). "For the Marshall Islands, a Debut on a World Stage". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Archived from the original on August 29, 2021. Retrieved March 3, 2017.
9. ^ "Panda Express' Anju Jason Qualifies for Beijing Olympics". Panda Express. July 17, 2008. Archived from the original on July 18, 2008. Retrieved August 1, 2008.
10. ^ a b "Olympic History of Marshall Islands". Olympics at Sports-Reference.com. Archived from the original on April 17, 2020. Retrieved July 13, 2017.
11. ^ "Olympic Games 2008 - Startlist 100 Metres M Heats". IAAF Athletics. September 4, 2008. Archived from the original on September 4, 2008. Retrieved January 23, 2017.`{{cite web}}`: CS1 maint: bot: original URL status unknown (link)
12. ^ "Athletics at the 2008 Beijing Summer Games: Men's 100 metres". Sports-Reference. March 5, 2016. Archived from the original on March 5, 2016. Retrieved January 23, 2017.
13. ^ "Athletics at the 2008 Beijing Summer Games: Women's 800 metres". Sports-Reference. November 16, 2015. Archived from the original on November 16, 2015. Retrieved January 23, 2017.
14. ^ "Swimming at the 2008 Beijing Summer Games: Men's 100 metres Backstroke Round One". November 24, 2015. Archived from the original on November 24, 2015. Retrieved March 2, 2017.
15. ^ "Swimming at the 2008 Beijing Summer Games: Women's 50 metres Freestyle Round One". February 23, 2016. Archived from the original on February 23, 2016. Retrieved March 3, 2017.
16. ^ "Anju Jason Bio, Stats, and Results". Sports-Reference. March 3, 2016. Archived from the original on March 3, 2016. Retrieved February 5, 2017.
17. ^ "Marshall Islands at the 2012 London Summer Games | Olympics at Sports-Reference.com". March 5, 2016. Archived from the original on March 5, 2016. Retrieved July 13, 2017.
18. ^ "Marshall Islands athletes train in Australia for Olympics | Pacific Beat | ABC Radio Australia". April 5, 2014. Archived from the original on April 5, 2014. Retrieved July 12, 2017.`{{cite web}}`: CS1 maint: bot: original URL status unknown (link)
19. ^ "Athletics at the 2012 London Summer Games: Men's 100 metres | Olympics at Sports-Reference.com". Sports-Reference. March 4, 2016. Archived from the original on March 4, 2016. Retrieved February 7, 2017.
20. ^ "Athletics at the 2012 London Summer Games: Women's 800 metres | Olympics at Sports-Reference.com". Sports-Reference. November 16, 2015. Archived from the original on November 16, 2015. Retrieved February 7, 2017.
21. ^ "Swimming at the 2012 London Summer Games: Men's 50 metres Freestyle | Olympics at Sports-Reference.com". Sports-Reference. September 21, 2015. Archived from the original on September 21, 2015. Retrieved February 7, 2017.
22. ^ "Swimming at the 2012 London Summer Games: Women's 50 metres Freestyle | Olympics at Sports-Reference.com". Sports-Reference. March 4, 2016. Archived from the original on March 4, 2016. Retrieved February 7, 2017.
23. ^ "Marshallese athletes in the Rio 2016 Olympics". www.olympiandatabase.com. Archived from the original on June 12, 2020. Retrieved July 13, 2017.
24. ^ "The Flagbearers for the Rio 2016 Opening Ceremony". International Olympic Committee. January 24, 2017. Archived from the original on June 25, 2018. Retrieved July 13, 2017.
25. ^ "100 m M - Athletics at the 2016 Summer Olympics in Rio - Results". www.olympiandatabase.com. Archived from the original on December 28, 2024. Retrieved May 10, 2017.
26. ^ "100 m W - Athletics at the 2016 Summer Olympics in Rio - Results". www.olympiandatabase.com. Archived from the original on December 28, 2024. Retrieved May 10, 2017.
27. ^ "50 m freestyle M - Swimming at the 2016 Summer Olympics in Rio - Results". www.olympiandatabase.com. Archived from the original on June 18, 2024. Retrieved May 10, 2017.
28. ^ "50 m freestyle W - Swimming at the 2016 Summer Olympics in Rio - Results". www.olympiandatabase.com. Archived from the original on August 13, 2024. Retrieved May 10, 2017.
29. ^ "Mathlynn Sasser - Olympic Facts and Results". www.olympiandatabase.com. Retrieved May 10, 2017.
30. ^ "Marshallese athletes in the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games". www.olympiandatabase.com. Retrieved December 27, 2024.
31. ^ "The Flagbearers for the Tokyo 2020 Opening Ceremony". International Olympic Committee. July 23, 2021. Archived from the original on September 26, 2024. Retrieved December 27, 2024.
32. ^ "Olympedia – Colleen Furgeson". Olympedia. Archived from the original on December 14, 2022. Retrieved December 4, 2023.
33. ^ "Olympedia – 50 metres Freestyle, Men". Olympedia. Archived from the original on October 30, 2021. Retrieved December 4, 2023.
34. ^ "Athletics Paris 2024 Final Entries". World Athletics. Archived from the original on July 11, 2024. Retrieved July 12, 2024.
35. ^ Race, Retta (July 12, 2024). "Initial Olympic Swimming Entries Published for 2024 Paris Games". www.swimswam.com. SwimSwam. Archived from the original on July 12, 2024. Retrieved July 25, 2024.
36. ^ "Phuket, Day 4: Glory and tears for Olympic champions, and a world record for China in 'best ever session'". International Weightlifting Federation. April 3, 2024. Archived from the original on June 1, 2024. Retrieved April 12, 2024.
37. ^ Pick, Oscar (July 26, 2024). "Every Olympic flagbearer for Paris 2024 opening ceremony as Tom Daley and LeBron James take stage". The Independent. Archived from the original on October 7, 2024. Retrieved July 26, 2024.
38. ^ "Men's 100m - Round 1 - Heat 1/8 results" (PDF). Paris 2024. August 3, 2024. Archived (PDF) from the original on August 8, 2024. Retrieved December 29, 2024.
39. ^ "Women's 50 metre freestyle results" (PDF). Paris 2024. August 3, 2024. Archived (PDF) from the original on August 15, 2024. Retrieved December 29, 2024.
40. ^ "Men's 50 metre freestyle results" (PDF). Paris 2024. August 1, 2024. Archived (PDF) from the original on August 17, 2024. Retrieved December 29, 2024.
41. ^ "Weightlifting Women's 59kg results" (PDF). Paris 2024. August 8, 2024. Archived (PDF) from the original on August 8, 2024. Retrieved December 29, 2024.

## External links

[edit]

* "Marshall Islands". International Olympic Committee.
* "Marshall Islands". Olympedia.com.
* "Olympic Analytics/MHL". olympanalyt.com.

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