As The Bahamas did not have a National Olympic Committee (NOC) at the time of the 1948 Olympic Games, their two leading yachtsmen,Durward Knowles andSloan Farrington, chose to representGreat Britain, which was permitted under Olympic rules as The Bahamas was a British colony. On 7 May 1952 a NOC was established and recognized by the International Olympic Committee (IOC) and The Bahamas competed at the Olympic Games under their own name for the first time that year. Since then they have failed to be present only at the 1980 Moskva Olympics, but they have not yet competed in the Olympic Winter Games.

Through 2016, Bahamian athletes have won 16 medals and 8 gold medals, led byChris Brown with four (one gold-one silver-two bronze between 2000 and 2016).Pauline Davis-Thompson andShaunae Miller-Uibo are the only Bahamian athletes with two gold medals.

In April 2013 The Bahamas Olympic Association officially changed its name to The Bahamas Olympic Committee after a request from the IOC.