The 1972 Olympics was the first and only time that the Republic of Upper Volta competed at the summer olympics. Only one athlete competed at the 1972 Games in Munich for the country[3], as André Bicaba competed in the 100m event where he placed 5th in his heat with a time of 10.71.[4]
At the 1988 Olympic Games in Seoul, South Korea, Burkina Faso competed under its current name and flag for the first time. Six athletes, two boxers and four track athletes, competed for Burkina Faso at the games. Harouna Pale was the most successful athlete at the games, as the only Burkinabé to make it out of their heat in the 200m.[5] All other athletes failed to advance beyond the heats.
These games also saw the first female Burkinabé athlete to compete at the Olympics. Mariama Ouiminga competed at both the 100m and 200m events, failing to qualify for the quarter final in either event.[6]
Burkina Faso sent five athletes to the 1996 Olympic Games. All athletes were knocked out of their heats. Franck Zio became the first Burkinabé athlete to compete at two different Olympic Games. He bore the Burkinabé flag at the opening ceremony.[8]
For the first time in 2000, Burkinabé athletes competed in three sports during one Olympic Games at the Sydney Olympics in 2000. Four athletes competed across these three sports, athletics, judo, and boxing. The flag was bore during the opening ceramony by Sarah Tondé[9] who competed in the 100 meters, failing to advance from her heat. Boxer Drissa Tou was the only Burkinabé to advance beyond the first round at these Olympics, as he beat Iran's Mohammad Rahim Rahimi in the flyweight category. In the quater finals he lost to eventual bronze medalist Jérôme Thomas of France.[10][11]
Mamadou Ouedraogo was the first Burkinabé swimmer to compete at an Olympic Games in 2004, and he bore the flag at the Games' opening ceramony.[12] He finished 81st out of 83 swimmers in the 50m freestyle event, failing to advance to the semi-finals.
The 2008 Olympic Team of Burkina Fasso was the largest Burkinabé contingent of athletes at an Olympic Games since 1988, with both years six athletes competing, although this year for the first team these six athletes were spread across four sports.[13] Burkina Fasso made its debut in Olympic Fencing in 2008, as Julien Ouedraogo competed in the individual sabre competition, losing his Round of 64 match to Frenchman Nicolas Lopez.[14]Hanatou Ouelogo, despite receiving a bye into the Round of 16 of the 48kg Judo competition, was eliminated in her first match by Kelbet Nurgazina of Khazakstan.
The Burkinabé flag was held during the opening ceremony by Aïssata Soulama, who in the womens 400m hurdles finished 5th in her semi final, achieving a season best time of 55.17.
The 2012 Sumer Olympic Games in London saw five athletes compete in three sports from Burkina Faso. In 2011, Séverine Nébié won gold at the 2011 All-Africa Games in the 63kg Judo competition. Despite this she lost her round of 16 match against bronze medalist from the 2008 Games Elisabeth Willeboordse.[15] Burkina Faso were allocated two "Universality places" from FINA, allowing Adama Ouedraogo and Angelika Ouedraogo to compete in the 50m freestyle competitions, where neither athlete advanced from the heats.
Four of Burkina Fasso's five athletes at these games earned their ticket to Rio De Janeiro in 2016 through universality slots. Two athletes (one for each gender) competed in both athletics and swimming in these games. No Burkinabé athlete made it out of their heats, including judoka Rachid Sidibé who bore the nation's flag at the opening ceramony.
The 2020 Summer Olympics in Tokyo, Japan saw Hugues Fabrice Zango win Burkina Faso's first, and to date only, olympic medal in the triple jump.[16] Fabrice Zango had competed in the 2016 Games in Rio De Janeiro after Burkina Faso received a universiality place allowing him to participate in the games.[17] Other notable athletes at these games included the first Burkinabé cyclist to compete in the Olympics, Paul Daumont, and Faysal Sawadogo who competed in the Taekwondo competition, losing both his first match to eventual gold medalist Maksim Khramtsov, and his repecharge match against Croatian Toni Kanaet.
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