Fiji at the Olympics
Fiji at the Olympics | |
---|---|
IOC code | FIJ |
NOC | Fiji Association of Sports and National Olympic Committee |
Website | www |
Medals Ranked 97th |
|
Summer appearances | |
Winter appearances | |
Fiji, having made its Olympic debut at the 1956 Summer Games, has competed at fourteen Summer Games and three Winter Games. Its athletes have taken part in archery, athletics, boxing, football, judo, sailing, shooting, swimming, weightlifting and rugby sevens.[1]
At the 2016 Summer Olympics, the Fiji rugby team won a gold medal, the country's inaugural Olympic Medal, which they retained at the 2020 Olympics. As of 2020, no other nation won a gold medal in the Olympic men's rugby sevens.
History
Qualifications
Prior to the introduction of rugby sevens, Fiji's national sport, at the 2016 Summer Olympics,[2] only two athletes had taken part in Olympic Games through reaching the required standards to qualify, rather than by receiving a wild card invitation. They are Makelesi Bulikiobo, who qualified for the women's 400 metre sprint at the 2008 Games in Beijing, and Leslie Copeland, who with a throw of 80.45 metres qualified for the men's javelin event at the 2012 Games in London.[3][4]
Invitations
Fiji's Winter Olympians were Rusiate Rogoyawa in cross-country skiing (1988, 1994) and Laurence Thoms in alpine skiing (2002), both participating by invite.
Notable participants
Fiji has had two competitors appear at five separate Summer Olympic Games. Windsurfer Tony Philp competed in five consecutive Games from Los Angeles in 1984 (when he was just 15 years of age) to Sydney 2000, finishing 10th on two occasions.[5] Swimmer Carl Probert matched the feat in Beijing 2008, having first appeared at the 1992 Summer Olympics at Barcelona.[6]
Medalling
Fiji earned its first ever Olympic medal at the 2016 Summer Olympics in Rio, a gold in Men's Rugby Sevens.[7]
As a result, the winning team broke out in a victory song that drew considerable online attention and Fiji declared a national holiday for the win.[8]
At the 2020 Olympics the team successfully defended its title, while the women's team took a bronze medal.
Medal tables
Medals by Summer sport
Sport | Gold | Silver | Bronze | Total |
---|---|---|---|---|
Rugby sevens | 2 | 0 | 1 | 3 |
Totals (1 entries) | 2 | 0 | 1 | 3 |
List of medalists
Summer sports
Medal | Name(s) | Games | Sport | Event |
---|---|---|---|---|
Gold | Apisai Domolailai Jasa Veremalua Jerry Tuwai Josua Tuisova Kitione Taliga Leone Nakarawa Masivesi Dakuwaqa Osea Kolinisau Samisoni Viriviri Savenaca Rawaca Vatemo Ravouvou Viliame Mata Semi Kunatani |
2016 Rio de Janeiro | Rugby Sevens | Men's tournament |
Gold | Josua Vakurunabili Iosefo Masi Jiuta Wainiqolo Meli Derenalagi Jerry Tuwai Napolioni Bolaca Sireli Maqala Kalione Nasoko Asaeli Tuivuaka Vilimoni Botitu Waisea Nacuqu Aminiasi Tuimaba |
2020 Tokyo | Rugby Sevens | Men's tournament |
Bronze | Vasiti Solikoviti Sesenieli Donu Raijieli Daveua Rusila Nagasau Ana Maria Roqica Reapi Ulunisau Lavena Cavuru Laisana Likuceva Viniana Riwai Alowesi Nakoci Ana Naimasi Roela Radiniyavuni Lavenia Tinai |
2020 Tokyo | Rugby Sevens | Women's tournament |
Multiple medalists
Athlete | Sex | Sport | Years | Games | Gold | Silver | Bronze | Total |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Jerry Tuwai | M | Rugby sevens | 2016–2020 | Summer | 2 | 0 | 0 | 2 |
See also
- List of flag bearers for Fiji at the Olympics
- Tropical nations at the Winter Olympics
- Fiji at the Paralympics
References
- ^ "Fiji". Sports-reference.com. Archived from the original on 2016-08-05. Retrieved 2016-08-16.
- ^ Brewer, Jerry (11 August 2016). "Fiji's rugby sevens team on the verge of making history at Rio Olympics". Sydney Morning Herald. Retrieved 11 August 2016.
- ^ "The London dream" Archived 2012-09-13 at the Wayback Machine, Fiji Times, 22 August 2011
- ^ Fiji at the Olympics, The Telegraph
- ^ "Tony Philp". sports-reference.com. Archived from the original on 2016-05-18. Retrieved 2016-08-16.
- ^ "Carl Probert". sports-reference.com. Archived from the original on 2016-12-03. Retrieved 2016-08-16.
- ^ Msallem, Habib (11 August 2016). "Fiji storms to first-ever men's rugby sevens gold at Rio 2016". rio2016.com. Rio 2016. Archived from the original on 26 August 2016. Retrieved 11 August 2016.
- ^ "The Fijian way: The people's team delivers 1st Olympic gold". Associated Press. 12 August 2016. Retrieved 12 August 2016.
External links
- "Fiji". International Olympic Committee. 4 August 2021.
- "Fiji". Olympedia.com.
- "Olympic Analytics/FIJ". olympanalyt.com.