| Mauritania at the 2020 Summer Olympics | |
|---|---|
 | |
| IOC code | MTN |
| NOC | Comité National Mauritanien |
| inTokyo, Japan 23 July 2021 (2021-07-23) – 8 August 2021 (2021-08-08) | |
| Competitors | 2 in 1 sport |
| Flag bearers (opening) | Houlèye Ba Abidine Abidine |
| Flag bearer (closing) | N/A |
| Medals |
|
| Summer Olympics appearances (overview) | |
Mauritania competed at the2020 Summer Olympics inTokyo which were held from 23 July to 8 August 2021. Originally scheduled to take place from 24 July to 9 August 2020, the Games were postponed due to theCOVID-19 pandemic. It was the nation's tenth appearance at the Summer Olympics since its debut in1984. The delegation consisted of two athletes, one man and one woman, competing in two athletic events. SprintersAbidine Abidine andHoulèye Ba represented Mauritania in themen's 5000 metres andwomen's 800 metres event, respectively. For the first time, in an effort to promote gender equality, two flagbearers, one male and one female were allowed at the Olympics.[1] Abidine and Houlèye lead the Mauritanian squad as the flagbearers in theopening ceremony. As of 2023, Mauritania, however, has yet to win its first ever Olympic medal.
Mauritania, officially the Islamic Republic of Mauritania, is a country located inNorthwest Africa between theAtlantic Ocean and Mali. As of 2023 the country had a population of approximately 4,244,878.[2] Formerly a French colony within French West Africa (1904–1960), Mauritania gained independence on 1960.[3] The Mauritanian National Olympic and Sports Committee was formed in 1962, and was recognized by the International Olympic Committee in 1979.[4] Mauritania has participated in every Summer Olympics since its debut in the1984 Summer Olympics inLos Angeles. The highest number of Mauritanians participating at any single Summer Games was six at the1988 Games inSeoul, South Korea and the1992 Games inBarcelona, Spain. As of 2023, no Mauritanian has ever won a medal at the Olympics.[5]
The 2020 Summer Olympics were originally due to be held from 24 July to 9 August 2020, but were delayed to 23 July to 8 August 2021 due to theCOVID-19 pandemic.[6] For the 2020 Summer Olympics, Mauritania sent a delegation of two athletes. SprinterHoulèye Ba, participating in thewomen's 100 metres was making her second appearance at the Olympic Games having previously competed in the2016 Summer Olympics inRio de Janeiro, Brazil. Long distance runnerAbidine Abidine, made his Olympics debut competing in themen's 5000 metres event. Houlèye and Abidine were chosen to be the flagbearers for Mauritania during theparade of nations of the opening ceremony. No athletes from Mauritania were present for theclosing ceremony due toCOVID-19 related protocols that required athletes to leave Japan within 48 hours from completion of their final event.[7][8]
Abidine Abidine was 28 years old at the time of these Olympics and was making his first appearance at the games.[9] Abidine competed in themen's 5000 metres event, held on 3 August 2021. He was drawn in heat one in round one. Abidine finished last out of 19 athletes that finished the race with a time of 14 minutes and 54.80 seconds, attaining a personal best but failing to qualify for the final round.[a][10] He finished directly behindNursultan Keneshbekov ofKyrgyzstan (14 minutes 07.79 seconds). The leaders of Abidine's heat wereKenya'sNicholas Kimeli (13 minutes 38.87 seconds) and eventual silver medalistMohammed Ahmed ofCanada (13 minutes 38.96 seconds). Overall, Abidine placed 37th out of the 40 athletes who participated in the qualification round.[b][11]
Competing at her second Summer Olympics, Houlèye Ba competed in the women's 100 metres. She had previously competed in thewomen's 800 metres event at the2016 Summer Olympics.[12] In the women's 100 metres event held on 30 July 2021, Houlèye was drawn in heat three of the preliminary round. She emerged last from the nine runners in her heat with a time of 15.26. She failed to qualify for the next round but achieved a personal best.[13] Her heat was led byAntigua and Barbuda'sJoella Lloyd who finished 3.71 seconds ahead of Houlèye with a time of 11.55 second. The medals from the event went to athletes fromJamaica.[14]
| Athlete | Event | Heat | Quarterfinal | Semifinal | Final | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Result | Rank | Result | Rank | Result | Rank | Result | Rank | ||
| Abidine Abidine | Men's 5000 m | 14:54.80PB | 19 | — | Did not advance | ||||
| Houlèye Ba | Women's 100 m | 15.26PB | 9 | Did not advance | |||||