Independent Olympic Athletes at the 2016 Summer Olympics

For the refugee Olympic team, see Refugee Olympic Team at the 2016 Summer Olympics. For the Paralympic team, see Independent Paralympic Athletes Team at the 2016 Summer Paralympics.

Independent Olympic Athletes at the 2016 Summer Olympics
Olympic Flag
IOC code	IOA
in Rio de Janeiro
Competitors	9 in 3 sports
Flag bearer	Volunteer[1]
Medals Ranked 51st	Gold 1 Silver 0 Bronze 1 Total 2
Summer Olympics appearances (overview)
1992 1996 2000 2004–2008 2012 2016 2020 2024
Other related appearances
Kuwait (1968–)

Independent Olympic athletes competed at the 2016 Summer Olympics in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, from 5 to 21 August 2016. The team was composed of Kuwaiti athletes who competed under the Olympic flag, as the Kuwait Olympic Committee had been suspended by the International Olympic Committee (IOC) for the second time in five years due to governmental interference.^[2][3][4]

In addition to the independent athletes, ten refugees were scheduled to compete under the Olympic flag as the Refugee Olympic Team, which constituted a separate team.

Kuwaiti shooter Fehaid Al-Deehani became the first independent athlete to win a gold medal.^[5]

Medalists

Further information: 2016 Summer Olympics medal table and List of 2016 Summer Olympics medal winners

Medal	Name	Sport	Event	Date
Gold	Fehaid Al-Deehani	Shooting	Men's double trap	10 August
Bronze	Abdullah Al-Rashidi	Shooting	Men's skeet	13 August

Background

The Kuwaiti Olympic Committee was suspended due to interference from the government. The suspension started in October 2015.^[6] Kuwait was also suspended in 2010, but this suspension was lifted before the start of the 2012 Olympic Games.^[6]

Fencing

Main article: Fencing at the 2016 Summer Olympics

One fencer competed as independent athlete into the Olympic competition. Abdulaziz Al-Shatti had claimed his Olympic spot in the men's épée with a top finish at the Asian Zonal Qualifier in Wuxi, China, signifying the nation's sporters' return to the sport at the Olympics for the first time since 2000.

Athlete	Event	Round of 64	Round of 32	Round of 16	Quarterfinal	Semifinal	Final / BM
		Opposition Score	Opposition Score	Opposition Score	Opposition Score	Opposition Score	Opposition Score	Rank
Abdulaziz Al-Shatti	Men's épée	Rédli (HUN) L 13–14	Did not advance

Shooting

Main article: Shooting at the 2016 Summer Olympics

Kuwaiti individual shooters – starting as independent athletes and not for their country – have achieved quota places for the following events by virtue of their best finishes at the 2015 World Shotgun and Asian Championships, as long as they obtained a minimum qualifying score (MQS) by March 31, 2016.^[7]

Athlete	Event	Qualification		Semifinal		Final
		Points	Rank	Points	Rank	Points	Rank
Ahmad Al-Afasi	Men's double trap	128	15	Did not advance
Fehaid Al-Deehani		135	6 Q	28	1 Q	26
Abdulrahman Al-Faihan	Men's trap	115	14	Did not advance
Khaled Al-Mudhaf		117	8	Did not advance
Abdullah Al-Rashidi	Men's skeet	123	1 Q	14	4 q	16
Saud Habib		117	20	Did not advance

Qualification Legend: Q = Qualify for the next round; q = Qualify for the bronze medal (shotgun)

Swimming

Main article: Swimming at the 2016 Summer Olympics

Kuwait has received a Universality invitation from FINA to send two swimmers (one male and one female) to the Olympics.^[8][9][10]

Athlete	Event	Heat		Semifinal		Final
		Time	Rank	Time	Rank	Time	Rank
Abbas Qali	Men's 100 m butterfly	54.63	36	Did not advance
Faye Sultan	Women's 50 m freestyle	26.86	54	Did not advance

See also

• Kuwait at the 2016 Summer Paralympics

References

1. "The Flagbearers for the Rio 2016 Opening Ceremony". International Olympic Committee. Retrieved 5 August 2016.
2. "IOC suspends Kuwait's national Olympic committee". USA Today. 27 October 2015. Retrieved 4 November 2015.
3. "Suspension of the Kuwait Olympic Committee". Olympics. 27 October 2015. Retrieved 4 November 2015.
4. "Independent Olympic Athletes". Rio2016.com. Rio 2016 Organising Committee for the Olympic and Paralympic Games. Archived from the original on 15 August 2016. Retrieved 3 August 2016.
5. "Kuwaiti becomes first independent athlete to win gold with men's double trap win". stuff.co.nz. 10 August 2016. Retrieved 10 August 2016.
6. "Kuwait ban unlikely to be lifted in time for Rio 2016 Olympics: IOC". Indian Express. 3 June 2016. Retrieved 5 August 2016.
7. "Quota Places by Nation and Number". www.issf-sports.org/. ISSF. 30 May 2016. Retrieved 30 May 2016.
8. "Swimming World Rankings". FINA. Archived from the original on 6 January 2011. Retrieved 14 March 2015.
9. "Men's Final Entry List" (PDF). FINA. Retrieved 20 July 2016.
10. "Women's Final Entry List" (PDF). FINA. Retrieved 20 July 2016.

External links

• Independent Olympic Athletes at the 2016 Summer Olympics at SR/Olympics (archived)