Belize at the 2008 Summer Olympics | |
---|---|
IOC code | BIZ |
NOC | Belize Olympic and Commonwealth Games Association |
in Beijing | |
Competitors | 4 in 2 sports |
Flag bearer | Jonathan Williams |
Medals Ranked -th |
|
Summer Olympics appearances (overview) | |
Belize competed in the 2008 Summer Olympics, held in Beijing, People's Republic of China from 8 to 24 August 2008. Its participation in Beijing marked its eighth Olympic appearance under the name "Belize" and its tenth overall, as its first two appearances (1968 in Mexico City and 1972 in Munich) were under the name "British Honduras". The Belizean delegation in 2008 included four athletes: three participated in track and field events (Jonathan Williams, Tricia Flores, and Jayson Jones) and one in taekwondo (Alfonso Martínez). Belize did not medal in Beijing, and had not medaled before Beijing, but Jonathan Williams became the first Belizean athlete to advance past the first round of any Olympic event.
Belize first participated in the Olympic games at the 1968 Summer Olympics in Mexico City and has appeared in every Summer Olympics since with the exception of the 1980 Summer Olympics in the Soviet Union, represented by a total of 46 competitors. [1] Belize was a British colony during the 1968 Mexico City Games and the 1972 Munich Games and participated under the name "British Honduras". [2] [3] Between 1968 and 2008 Belize had no medalists. [1] Jonathan Williams, Belize's flag bearer in Beijing, was the first Belizean Olympian to advance past a preliminary round. [4]
German-born runner Jayson Jones, who played football for Florida State University, represented Belize at both the 2000 Summer Olympics in Sydney and at the 2008 Olympics in Beijing. He qualified for the 2004 Summer Olympics in Athens despite an injury, but chose not to attend and thus his appearance at Beijing marked his third qualification but second appearance at the Olympic games. [5] At the Olympics Jones participated in the 200 meters dash. He was placed in Heat 6 during the first round of the event on 17 August; competitors in his heat included American Wallace Spearmon, Norwegian Jaysuma Saidy Ndure, and Guinean Nabie Foday Fofonah. Jones ran the event in 21.54 seconds, ranking sixth out of the eight athletes in the heat, scoring 0.14 seconds faster than Fofanah, and 0.34 seconds behind Latvia's Ronalds Arājs (5th place). [6] Overall, Jones ranked 53rd place out of 66 athletes. He did not progress to the next round on 18 August. [6]
Former UCLA student Jonathan Williams took advantage of his parents' Belizean citizenship to qualify on behalf of Belize's Olympic team. [7] Taking part in the men's 400 meters hurdles dash, his participation in Beijing marked his first Olympic appearance. [8] Williams completed his event in 49.61 seconds, placing fourth in a heat of seven, having been placed in Heat 1 in the first round on 15 August. Williams ran 0.02 seconds faster than fifth-place finalist Kenji Narisako of Japan and 0.16 seconds slower than third-place finalist Mahau Suguimati of Brazil. Overall, Williams ranked 16th out of 26 athletes in the first round. He progressed to semifinals. [9] In doing so, Williams became the first Belizean athlete to advance in an Olympic event. [4] Williams participated in Heat 2 of the semifinal round on 16 August, facing athletes that included American Kerron Clement and Jamaican Danny Mcfarlane. Williams ranked sixth in a heat of eight athletes, ahead of Suguimati by 0.52 seconds but behind South African Alwyn Myburgh by 0.48 seconds. He ranked 13th place out of 16 athletes and did not advance to finals. [9]
Former University of Belize athlete Tricia Flores participated on behalf of Belize at the Beijing Olympics as a long jumper. She was the only female to compete as a member of that year's Belizean delegation. Flores' participation at the Beijing Olympics marked her first appearance at any Olympic Games. [10] Flores participated in the first qualifying heat on 18 August, where she competed against 21 athletes that included Brazil's Maurren Higa Magi, the United States' Grace Upshaw, and Sweden's Carolina Klüft. Flores ranked 19th in the heat, finishing last ahead of Slovakia's Jana Veldakova and Ukraine's Liudmyla Blonska, whose scores were not ranked. [11] Overall, 42 athletes competed in women's long jump qualifiers and 38 completed the event. Flores ranked 38th and did not advance to semifinals, having jumped 5.25 meters. [11]
Athlete | Event | Heat | Quarterfinal | Semifinal | Final | ||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Result | Rank | Result | Rank | Result | Rank | Result | Rank | ||
Jayson Jones | 200 m | 21.54 | 6 | Did not advance | |||||
Jonathan Williams | 400 m hurdles | 49.61 | 4 q | — | 49.64 | 6 | Did not advance |
Athlete | Event | Qualification | Final | ||
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Distance | Position | Distance | Position | ||
Tricia Flores | Long jump | 5.25 | 38 | Did not advance |
Taiwan-based athlete [12] Alfonso Martinez was the sole representative of Belize in taekwondo, and in any sport other than a track and field event, at the Beijing Olympics. Martinez took part in the men's under 58 kilogram category, otherwise known as flyweight. [13] At the Olympics Martinez was placed in the first round's seventh match, which took place on 20 August. His opponent was Juan Antonio Ramos, a taekwondo martial artist from Spain. In the course of the match Ramos scored two points on Martinez, while Martinez scored only one on Ramos. Thus Ramos defeated Martinez and advanced to the next round, while Martinez did not. Ramos ultimately placed fifth in the final round. [14]
Athlete | Event | Round of 16 | Quarterfinals | Semifinals | Repechage | Bronze Medal | Final | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Opposition Result | Opposition Result | Opposition Result | Opposition Result | Opposition Result | Opposition Result | Rank | ||
Alfonso Martínez | Men's −58 kg | Ramos (ESP) L 1–2 | Did not advance |
Vanuatu competed at the 2008 Summer Olympics in Beijing, China. A total of three Vanuatuan athletes competed in two sports. Moses Kamut and Elis Lapenmal competed in, respectively, the men's and women's 100m sprints, and Priscilla Tommy competed in women's singles table tennis after being selected by the IOC's Tripartite Commission. Tommy's appearance in particular was Vanuatu's debut into table tennis. Tommy was also the country's flagbearer during the opening ceremony. The Vanuatuan delegation to Beijing included the country's head of state and prime minister, but only included Elis Lapenmal; the other two athletes did not accompany the delegation and arrived in China at different times.
The Bahamas sent a delegation of athletes to compete in the 2008 Summer Olympics, which were held in Beijing, People's Republic of China from 8 to 24 August 2008. Its Beijing appearance marked its fourteenth time at the Olympics since its début at the 1952 Summer Olympics in Helsinki. The delegation included 25 athletes across four sports and nineteen distinct events. Its athletes advanced to semifinals in eight events and finals in five events, medaling in two of them. The Bahamian delegation was one of the largest sent between its début and 2008. The country's flag bearer was Debbie Ferguson-McKenzie.
Grenada competed in the 2008 Summer Olympics, held in Beijing, People's Republic of China from 8 to 24 August 2008. Nine athletes represented the country, eight track and field athletes and one boxer. Of the eight track and field competitors, five were women, and three were men. Although none of the athletes would win a medal, runners Allison George and Neisha Bernard-Thomas progressed past the qualification rounds, and participated on behalf of Grenada in the quarterfinals of their events. Grenada's Beijing delegation was their biggest at nine athletes, and marked the seventh consecutive appearance of Grenada at the Olympics.
Guatemala competed in the 2008 Summer Olympics, held in Beijing, People's Republic of China from August 8 to August 24, 2008. In what was the country's fourteenth Summer Olympics since its debut at the 1952 Summer Olympics in Helsinki, Finland. A total of twelve athletes competed in nine sports and twelve distinct events. It was the lowest number of participants for Guatemala since the 1980 Games in Moscow, USSR. Three of the twelve athletes were taking part in their second Olympics, and one of them, race walker Luis García, participated in his fourth. In any event that involved a progression through rounds, the Guatemalan athletes did not advance past the first round; as of the Beijing Olympics, there had yet to be a Guatemalan medalist. At the opening ceremony, badminton player Kevin Cordón bore Guatemala's flag.
Puerto Rico competed in the 2008 Summer Olympics which was held in Beijing, People's Republic of China from August 8 to August 24, 2008. The American territory with a population of four million people qualified 22 athletes in eight different sports. The appearance of the Puerto Rican delegation at the Beijing Olympics marked the commonwealth's sixteenth consecutive appearance at the Summer Olympics, and its twenty-second appearance at any Olympic Games, since its debut at the 1948 Summer Olympics in London, England. Of its competitors participating in events that involve progression by heats, six athletes advanced at least one round in their events, and two advanced at least two rounds, with Asunción Ocasio almost medaling bronze in taekwondo. However, there were no Puerto Rican medalists at the Beijing Olympics. McWilliams Arroyo, a boxer, bore Puerto Rico's flag at the ceremonies.
The United States Virgin Islands competed in the 2008 Summer Olympics, which were held in Beijing, the People's Republic of China from August 8 to August 24, 2008. The appearance of its 23-person delegation marked its fifteenth appearance at the Olympic games, and its tenth appearance at the Summer Olympic games. In total, seven athletes participated on behalf of the Virgin Islands in Beijing. Of those, John Jackson and Tabarie Henry progressed to a post-preliminary event, and Henry reached semifinals in his own. There were no Virgin Islander medalists at the Beijing Olympics.
Sudan sent a delegation to compete at the 2008 Summer Olympics in Beijing, China. Nine competitors, all from the Darfur region and northern Sudan, represented Sudan at the Beijing games.
Guyana sent a team to compete at the 2008 Summer Olympics in Beijing, China. Four representatives of Guyana qualified to take part in the Beijing Games–Adam Harris, Marian Burnett, and Aliann Pompey in track, and Niall Roberts in swimming–and Pompey advanced past the first round in her event, progressing to semifinals. Meanwhile, Alika Morgan and Geron Williams (cycling) took part in the Games' Youth Olympics camp, held in Beijing at the same time as the Olympics. Along with coaches and administrative members, Guyana sent a total of ten people to Beijing. The appearance of Guyana's delegation in Beijing marked the fifteenth Guyanese Olympic delegation to appear at an Olympic games, which started with their participation as British Guiana in the 1948 Summer Olympics. There were no medalists from Guyana at the Beijing Olympics. Roberts was Guyana's flagbearer at the ceremonies in Beijing.
Jamaica sent a delegation to compete at the 2008 Summer Olympics, held in Beijing, China from August 8 to August 24, 2008. This was, by far, Jamaica's best showing at the Summer Olympics; it was the nation's largest delegation yet, and its athletes nearly doubled its total gold medal count in addition to breaking the nation's record for number of medals earned in a single games. Jamaica's appearance at Beijing was its fifteenth consecutive appearance and appearance as an independent nation, although it had previously participated in four other games as a British colony and as part of the West Indies Federation. In the 29 events that included Jamaican athletes, there were 26 cases in which a Jamaican athlete or relay progressed to a final round. Usain Bolt won three of Jamaica's six gold medals at Beijing, breaking an Olympic and world record in all three of the events in which he participated. Shelly-Ann Fraser led an unprecedented Jamaican sweep of the medals in the Women's 100 m. Female sprinter Veronica Campbell-Brown carried Jamaica's flag at the ceremonies.
Benin took part in the 2008 Summer Olympics which were held in Beijing, China from 8 to 24 August 2008. The country's participation at Beijing marked its eighth consecutive appearance in the summer Olympics since its debut in 1972, and its ninth Olympic appearance ever. The Benin delegation included five athletes in 2008, participating in three sports: athletics, swimming and taekwondo. Fabienne Feraez, a sprinter, was selected as the flag bearer for the opening ceremony. None of the Benin athletes progressed further than the heat round.
The British Virgin Islands took part in the 2008 Summer Olympics which were held in Beijing, China from 8 to 24 August 2008. The dependency's participation at Beijing marked its seventh consecutive appearance in the summer Olympics since its debut in 1984, and its eighth Olympic appearance ever. The British Virgin Islander delegation included two athletes in 2008 participating in two distinct events in one sport: discus thrower Eric Matthias and sprinter Tahesia Harrigan. Of the athletes, Harrigan was the flagbearer and the first female Olympian to participate on behalf of the British Virgin Islands in its entire history. Overall, Harrigan advanced to quarterfinals in her event, although neither athlete medaled.
Antigua and Barbuda competed at the 2008 Summer Olympics in Beijing, China, submitting a delegation that included athletes Daniel Bailey, Brendan Christian, James Grayman, and Sonia Williams in track and field events, and Kareem Valentine in swimming. Antigua and Barbuda's appearance in Beijing marked its eighth appearance at the Summer Olympics since the nation's debut at the 1976 Summer Olympics in Montréal, Canada. There were no medalists from Antigua and Barbuda in 2008, although Bailey reached the quarterfinals and Christian the semifinals of their respective events.
Barbados sent a delegation to compete at the 2008 Summer Olympics in Beijing, China. The island nation made its tenth appearance as an independent nation upon its arrival in Beijing. Eight athletes across three sports and ten events represented Barbados, marking the smallest delegation in its history up to the Beijing Games. Its runners and swimmers advanced past the first rounds in their events in four of their nine events, although none advanced to their events' final rounds or medaled. The nation's flagbearer during the Beijing Games was swimmer Bradley Ally.
The Cayman Islands sent a delegation to compete at the 2008 Summer Olympics in Beijing, China. The delegation included fifteen people; of the delegation, four athletes participated under the Caymanian flag. In the track and field events was Ronald Forbes, who also served as the Cayman Islands' flag-bearer during the Opening Ceremony and reached quarterfinals in the 110m hurdles, and Cydonie Mothersille, who reached finals and ranked eighth in the 200m dash. Brothers Shaune and Brett Fraser, both swimmers, participated in the 100 and 200m freestyle and in the 200m backstroke, respectively. The Cayman Islands' appearance at the Beijing Olympics marked its ninth appearance since its debut at the 1976 Summer Olympics in Montreal. The Cayman Islands, up to and including Beijing, have yet to medal.
The Saint Kitts and Nevis National Olympic Committee sent four athletes to the 2008 Summer Olympics in Beijing, China. All four participated in the track and field competitions across four different events. Three women and one man comprised the Kittitian delegation. Williams and Ponteen did not advance past Qualifications in their events; Hodge reached quarterfinals in both the 100m and 200m sprints; and Collins, who participated in two events, reached the Semifinal round in the 100m sprint, and ranked sixth in the finals in the 200m sprint. Saint Kitts and Nevis did not win any medals during the Beijing Olympics. The flag bearer for the team at the opening ceremony was first-time Olympian Virgil Hodge.
Suriname sent a delegation of four people to compete at the 2008 Summer Olympics in Beijing, China: two athletes (Jurgen Themen and Kirsten Nieuwendam and two swimmers who participated in four distinct events. The appearance of Suriname at Beijing marked its tenth Olympic appearance, which included every Olympic games since the 1968 Summer Olympics in Mexico City and excluded the 1980 Summer Olympics in Moscow. Its four athletes did not advance past the first round in each of their events. The Surinamese flag bearer in Beijing was not an athlete, but Anthony Nesty, the only medalist in Surinamese history and the nation's Olympic swimming coach.
Trinidad and Tobago sent a delegation to compete at the 2008 Summer Olympics in Beijing, China. Its participation in the Beijing games marked its eighteenth Olympic appearance and fifteenth Summer Olympic appearance since its debut at the 1948 Summer Olympics in London, excluding its joint participation with Jamaica and Barbados in 1960 as the West Indies Federation. With 28 athletes, more Trinidadians had competed at the Olympics than in any other single Olympic Games in its history before Beijing. Athletes representing Trinidad and Tobago advanced past the preliminary or qualification rounds in twelve events and reached the final rounds in four of those events. Of those four events, silver medals were won in the men's 100 meters and in the men's 4x100 meters relay. The latter was upgraded to gold due to one member of the quartet that crossed the line first, Nesta Carter, testing positive for a banned substance, resulting in their disqualification. The nation's flag bearer at the opening ceremony that year was swimmer and Athens medalist George Bovell.
Niger sent five athletes, their second largest contingent ever, equalling the most sports in which they have participated. to compete at the 2008 Summer Olympics in Beijing, China. It was Niger's 10th Olympics; their only medalist has been Issaka Dabore, in boxing, at the 1972 games.
Belize competed at the 2012 Summer Olympics in London, which were held from 27 July to 12 August 2012. The country's participation in London was its eleventh appearance in the Summer Olympics since its debut at the 1968 Summer Olympics. The delegation included two short-distance runners and one judoka: Kenneth Medwood, Kaina Martinez and Eddermys Sanchez. Medwood qualified by recording a time that met qualification standards while the latter two entered through wildcard places. Medwood was selected as the flag bearer for both the opening and closing ceremonies. Medwood reached the semifinals of the men's 400 metres hurdles before he was eliminated from competition while Martinez did not progress farther than the quarterfinal stage of the women's 100 metres. Sanchez was defeated by his opponent Miklós Ungvári of Hungary in a 19-second match in the Round of 32 of the men's half-lightweight judo competition.
Belize competed at the 2016 Summer Olympics in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, from 5 to 21 August 2016. It was the nation's twelfth appearance at the Olympic Games, although it had previously appeared in two early editions under the name "British Honduras". Belize joined the United States-led boycott of the 1980 Summer Olympics hosted in Moscow, Russia. The delegation included two track and field athletes: Brandon Jones and Katy Sealy, as well as judoka Renick James. All three athletes made their Olympic debut. Belize Olympic and Commonwealth Games Association appointed 200 metres sprinter Brandon Jones to carry the nation's flag in the opening ceremony. Belize, however, has yet to win its first Olympic medal.