| Somalia at the 2016 Summer Olympics | |
|---|---|
 | |
| IOC code | SOM |
| NOC | Somali Olympic Committee |
| Website | www |
| inRio de Janeiro | |
| Competitors | 2 in 1 sport |
| Flag bearer | Mohamed Daud Mohamed |
| Medals |
|
| Summer Olympics appearances (overview) | |
Somalia competed at the2016 Summer Olympics inRio de Janeiro, Brazil, from 5 to 21 August 2016. The country's participation at Rio de Janeiro marked its ninth in the Summer Olympics since its debut in1972. The delegation included two track and field athletes: sprinterMaryan Nuh Muse and long-distance runner Mohamed Daud Mohamed, who was the nation's flag bearer in theParade of Nations. Neither athlete progressed past the first round of their respective competitions.
Somalia participated in nineSummer Olympics between its debut in the1972 Summer Olympics inMunich,West Germany, and the 2016 Summer Olympics inRio de Janeiro, Brazil. The highest number of Somalis participating at any single Summer Games was seven at the1984 Games inLos Angeles, United States.[1] No Somali has ever won a medal at an Olympics. Somalia receiveduniversality slots from theInternational Association of Athletics Federations to send one male and one female athlete to the 2016 Summer Olympics.[2]
In 2014, theSomali Olympic Committee appointed a team of professionals to find talented Somali athletes for the upcoming Summer Olympics. Efforts were hampered by the ongoingSomali Civil War, both in access for the scouts and because athletes were fleeing the fighting.Samia Yusuf Omar, who represented the national at the2008 Summer Olympics inBeijing, China, drowned off the Libyan coast while attempting to reach Europe by boat in 2012.[3]
Maryan Nuh Muse was chosen to compete in thewomen's 400 metres andKenyan-born Mohamed Daud Mohamed in themen's 5000 metres.[3] Other Somali nationals competed at the 2016 Summer Olympics, but under the citizenships of other countries; these includedMo Farah, forGreat Britain andMohammed Ahmed, forCanada.[2] Mohamed was chosen to be the Somalia's flag bearer during theParade of Nations.[4]
The following is the list of number of competitors participating in the Games and selected biographies.
| Sport | Men | Women | Total |
|---|---|---|---|
| Athletics | 1 | 1 | 2 |
| Total | 1 | 1 | 2 |
Somalia was represented by one male athlete at the 2016 Games in athletics – Mohamed Daud Mohamed, a5000 metres runner. It marked his first appearance at an international athletics competition, following a transition into athletics fromfootball. He said prior to the Olympics, "I am improving by the day and I hope to improve on my finish time. Running is hard and all athletes aim to win. My objective is to win; but there are different ways of winning. It is not about being first, second or third. If I set a new personal record, it is a win for me".[2] Mohamed competed on 17 August in the first heat of the 5000 metres, finishing in 24th position out of the 25 runners, only ahead ofRosefelo Siosi of theSolomon Islands, thus eliminating him from the competition.[5]
The country's sole female athlete at the 2016 Games was Maryan Nuh Muse, in the400 metres. Muse had previously competed on behalf of Somalia at international youth athletic competitions around the world. Prior to the competition, she spoke of the difference in the quality of the training facilities in Somalia compared to those in other countries, saying "A number of countries will be participating among them Jamaica and United States; but I am hoping to shine. We don't have the same training facilities, theirs is better than ours. I know they are determined to win but we are also equally determined."[2] She competed in the sixth heat of the 400 metres competition on 13 August; she came in last place with a time of 1:10:14, over 18 seconds behind the heat's winnerSalwa Eid Naser ofBahrain.[6]
| Athlete | Event | Heat | Semifinal | Final | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Time | Rank | Time | Rank | Time | Rank | ||
| Mohamed Daud Mohamed | Men's 5000 m | 14:57.84 | 24 | — | Did not advance | ||
| Maryan Nuh Muse | Women's 400 m | 1:10.14 | 8 | Did not advance | |||
