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  • 21 Aug, 2019

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Mauritania At The 2020 Summer Olympics
Mauritania competed at the 2020 Summer Olympics in Tokyo 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 the COVID-19 pandemic. It was the nation's tenth appearance at the Summer Olympics since its debut in 1984. The delegation consisted of two athletes, one man and one woman, competing in two athletic events. Sprinters Abidine Abidine and Houlèye Ba represented Mauritania in the men's 5000 metres and women'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. Abidine and Houlèye lead the Mauritanian squad as the flagbearers in the opening ceremony. As of 2023, Mauritania, however, has yet to win its first ever Olympic medal.

Background

Mauritania, officially the Islamic Republic of Mauritania, is a country located in Northwest Africa between the Atlantic Ocean and Mali. As of 2023 the country had a population of approximately 4,244,878. Formerly a French colony within French West Africa (1904–1960), Mauritania gained independence on 1960. The Mauritanian National Olympic and Sports Committee was formed in 1962, and was recognized by the International Olympic Committee in 1979. Mauritania has participated in every Summer Olympics since its debut in the 1984 Summer Olympics in Los Angeles. The highest number of Mauritanians participating at any single Summer Games was six at the 1988 Games in Seoul, South Korea and the 1992 Games in Barcelona, Spain. As of 2023, no Mauritanian has ever won a medal at the Olympics.

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 the COVID-19 pandemic. For the 2020 Summer Olympics, Mauritania sent a delegation of two athletes. Sprinter Houlèye Ba, participating in the women's 100 metres was making her second appearance at the Olympic Games having previously competed in the 2016 Summer Olympics in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. Long distance runner Abidine Abidine, made his Olympics debut competing in the men's 5000 metres event. Houlèye and Abidine were chosen to be the flagbearers for Mauritania during the parade of nations of the opening ceremony. No athletes from Mauritania were present for the closing ceremony due to COVID-19 related protocols that required athletes to leave Japan within 48 hours from completion of their final event.

Athletics

Main articles: Athletics at the 2020 Summer Olympics and Athletics at the 2020 Summer Olympics – Qualification
Aerial view of the Japan National Stadium
The Japan National Stadium, where the track and field events took place.

Abidine Abidine was 28 years old at the time of these Olympics and was making his first appearance at the games. Abidine competed in the men'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. He finished directly behind Nursultan Keneshbekov of Kyrgyzstan (14 minutes 07.79 seconds). The leaders of Abidine's heat were Kenya's Nicholas Kimeli (13 minutes 38.87 seconds) and eventual silver medalist Mohammed Ahmed of Canada (13 minutes 38.96 seconds). Overall, Abidine placed 37th out of the 40 athletes who participated in the qualification round.

Competing at her second Summer Olympics, Houlèye Ba competed in the women's 100 metres. She had previously competed in the women's 800 metres event at the 2016 Summer Olympics. 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. Her heat was led by Antigua and Barbuda's Joella Lloyd who finished 3.71 seconds ahead of Houlèye with a time of 11.55 second. The medals from the event went to athletes from Jamaica.

Key
  • Note–Ranks given for track events are within the athlete's heat only
  • Q = Qualified for the next round
  • q = Qualified for the next round as a fastest loser or, in field events, by position without achieving the qualifying target
  • NR = National record
  • N/A = Round not applicable for the event
  • Bye = Athlete not required to compete in round
Track & road events
Athlete Event Heat Quarterfinal Semifinal Final
Result Rank Result Rank Result Rank Result Rank
Abidine Abidine Men's 5000 m 14:54.80 PB 19 — Did not advance
Houlèye Ba Women's 100 m 15.26 PB 9 Did not advance

See also

Notes

  1. ^ One athlete, Mike Foppen, did not finish.
  2. ^ One athlete, Mike Foppen, did not finish. Two athletes, Samwel Masai and Patrick Tiernan, did not start.

References

  1. ^ Grohmann, Karolos (4 March 2020). "IOC to allow male/female flagbearers at Tokyo Games". Reuters. Archived from the original on 11 July 2021. Retrieved 17 June 2022.
  2. ^ "Country Summary". The World Factbook. Central Intelligence Agency. Archived from the original on 17 December 2023. Retrieved 16 December 2023.
  3. ^ "Mauritania vote 'free and fair'". BBC News. 12 March 2007. Archived from the original on 15 December 2018. Retrieved 2 January 2024.
  4. ^ "Национальные олимпийские комитеты Африки — Олимпийский комитет России" (in Russian). Russian Olympic Committee. Archived from the original on 2 January 2024. Retrieved 2 January 2024.
  5. ^ "Mauritania - at the olympics - olympic medals and facts". Olympian Database. Retrieved 27 February 2024.
  6. ^ "Joint Statement from the International Olympic Committee and the Tokyo 2020 Organising Committee". Olympics. 24 March 2020. Archived from the original on 24 March 2020. Retrieved 28 March 2020.
  7. ^ "Flagbearers for Mauritania". olympedia.org. Archived from the original on 22 May 2023. Retrieved 2 January 2024.
  8. ^ 東京五輪閉会式始まる 日本選手団は約90人参加、侍マー君や石川佳純ら - 東京オリンピック2020 : 日刊スポーツ. Nikkan Sports (in Japanese). Archived from the original on 8 August 2021. Retrieved 29 December 2023.
  9. ^ "Abidine Abidine". olympedia.org. Archived from the original on 11 December 2023. Retrieved 11 December 2023.
  10. ^ "Abidine ABIDINE". World Athletics. Archived from the original on 11 December 2023. Retrieved 11 December 2023.
  11. ^ "5,000 metres, Men". olympedia.org. Archived from the original on 26 April 2023. Retrieved 11 December 2023.
  12. ^ "Houleye Ba". olympedia.org. Archived from the original on 12 December 2023. Retrieved 12 December 2023.
  13. ^ "Houleye BA". World Athletics. Archived from the original on 12 December 2023. Retrieved 12 December 2023.
  14. ^ "100 metres, Women". olympedia.org. Archived from the original on 8 January 2023. Retrieved 12 December 2023.
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