Mali National Olympic and Sports Committee (French: Comité National Olympique et Sportif du Mali) selected a team of six athletes, four men and two women, to compete only in athletics, judo, swimming, and taekwondo at the Games, matching the nation's roster size with London 2012.[3] Among the Malian athletes were freestyle swimmer Fatoumata Samassékou, the lone returning Olympian from the previous Games, sprinter and opening ceremony flag bearer Djénébou Danté,[2][1] and taekwondo fighter and 2015 world bronze medalist Ismaël Coulibaly, who led the squad as the most successful member and the nation's flag bearer in the closing ceremony.[1][4] Mali, however, has yet to win its first ever Olympic medal.
Mali has qualified one judoka for the men's half-heavyweight category (100 kg) at the Games. Ayouba Traore earned a continental quota spot from the African region, as the highest-ranked Malian judoka outside of direct qualifying position in the IJF World Ranking List of May 30, 2016.[7]
Mali entered one athlete into the taekwondo competition at the Olympics. 2015 Worlds bronze medalist Ismaël Coulibaly secured a spot in the men's welterweight category (80 kg) by virtue of his top two finish at the 2016 African Qualification Tournament in Agadir, Morocco.[11]