Cuba first participated at the Olympic Games in 1900, and has sent athletes to compete in 22 out of 29 Summer Olympic Games overall, up to and including the 2024 Paris Olympics.
Cuban athletes have never participated in the Winter Olympic Games. Among those nations that have never participated at Winter Olympics, Cuba is the most successful Olympic team, in both gold and total medals won.
Cuba ranks second out of all American countries in terms of Summer Olympics gold medals, trailing only the United States, and has won more medals than any other nation in Latin America. Cuba, which never hosted the Olympics, has won the fourth highest total number of medals (after Hungary, Romania, and Poland) among nations that have never hosted the Games.
Cuba's Olympic debut in 1900 featured one fencer, Ramón Fonst, who won the men's amateur épée contest and finished second in the amateurs–masters event (behind a professional). Fonst would repeat as épée champion in 1904. The IOC credits Cuba with the other two medals in the 1904 épée event as well, despite Charles Tatham (silver) and Albertson Van Zo Post (bronze) being from the United States.
Despite having a population of just over 11 million, Cuba has won the second highest amount of Olympic medals in boxing, with a total of 41 gold medals and 78 medals in total. The country's boxing culture, strong grassroots program, specialized training and support, and investment in sports infrastructure have all contributed to the development of world-class boxers.
The Summer Olympic Games, also known as the Summer Olympics or the Games of the Olympiad, is a major international multi-sport event normally held once every four years. The inaugural Games took place in 1896 in Athens, Greece, and the most recent was held in 2024 in Paris, France. This was the first international multi-sport event of its kind, organized by the International Olympic Committee (IOC) founded by Pierre de Coubertin. The tradition of awarding medals began in 1904; in each Olympic event, gold medals are awarded for first place, silver medals for second place, and bronze medals for third place. The Winter Olympic Games were created out of the success of the Summer Olympic Games, which are regarded as the largest and most prestigious multi-sport international event in the world.
The 1900 Summer Olympics, today officially known as the Games of the II Olympiad and also known as Paris 1900, were an international multi-sport event that took place in Paris, France, from 14 May to 28 October 1900. No opening or closing ceremonies were held.
The 1904 Summer Olympics were an international multi-sport event held in St. Louis, Missouri, United States, from 1 July to 23 November 1904. Many events were conducted at what is now known as Francis Field on the campus of Washington University in St. Louis. This was the first time that the Olympic Games were held outside Europe.
At the 1900 Summer Olympics, seven fencing events were contested. 260 fencers from 19 nations competed. The events took place at the Tuileries Garden.
Australia has sent athletes to every Summer Olympic Games, as well as every Winter Olympics except 1924–32 and 1948. In 1908 and 1912 Australia competed with New Zealand under the name Australasia.
The United States of America has sent athletes to every celebration of the modern Olympic Games with the exception of the 1980 Summer Olympics, during which it led a boycott in protest of the Soviet Union's invasion of Afghanistan. The United States Olympic & Paralympic Committee (USOPC) is the National Olympic Committee for the United States.
The United States of America has sent athletes to every celebration of the modern Summer Olympic Games with the exception of the 1980 Summer Olympics, during which it led a boycott in protest of the Soviet invasion of Afghanistan. The United States Olympic & Paralympic Committee (USOPC) is the National Olympic Committee for the United States.
Switzerland has sent athletes to compete in every Games since it first participated at the Olympic Games at the inaugural 1896 Games. Switzerland boycotted the 1956 Summer Olympics events held in Melbourne in protests of the Soviet invasion of Hungary, but participated in the equestrian events for those Games held in Stockholm, Sweden earlier that year, where the Swiss dressage team won the bronze medal.
Hungary first participated at the Olympic Games at the inaugural 1896 Games, and has sent athletes to compete in most Summer Olympic Games and every Winter Olympic Games since then. The nation was not invited to the 1920 Games for its role in World War I, and was part of the Soviet-led boycott of the 1984 Summer Olympics.
The United Kingdom has been represented at every modern Olympic Games. By end of the 2024 Summer Olympics, it is third in the all-time Summer Olympic medal table by overall number of medals, and fourth in number of gold medals won. London hosted the Summer Olympic Games in 1908, 1948 and 2012.
Italy has sent athletes to most of the modern Olympic Games held since 1896, outside of not having officially participated in the 1904 Summer Olympics.
The modern Olympic Games were founded by French historian Pierre de Coubertin. France has competed in every edition, with the possible exception of the 1904 Games.
Norway first participated at the Summer Olympics in 1900, and has sent athletes to compete in every Games since then, except for the 1980 Summer Olympics in Moscow when they participated in the American-led boycott and, as previously thought, the 1904 Games in St. Louis, United States. However, at the beginning of the 21st century, it was discovered that wrestlers Charles Ericksen and Bernhoff Hansen, who were Norwegian expatriates in America whose medals at the 1904 Summer Olympics were previously attributed to United States, still held Norwegian citizenship at the time of the games. They won the gold medals in the wrestling welterweight and heavyweight events respectively.
The all-time medal table for all Olympic Games from 1896 to 2024, including Summer Olympic Games, Winter Olympic Games, and a combined total of both, is tabulated below. These Olympic medal counts do not include the 1906 Intercalated Games which are no longer recognized by the International Olympic Committee (IOC) as official Games. The IOC itself does not publish all-time tables, and publishes unofficial tables only per single Games. This table was thus compiled by adding up single entries from the IOC database.
Argentina participated at the Olympic Games for the first time in 1900. It has participated at all subsequent Summer Olympics except in 1904, 1912, and the nation boycotted the Moscow Olympics due to its support for the United States in 1980. It participated at the Winter Olympics in 1928, 1948, 1952 and continuously since 1960.
Ramón Fonst Segundo was a Cuban fencer who competed in the early 20th century. He was one of the greatest world fencers, individual and by team; he was born and died in Havana.
Cuba competed at the 1924 Summer Olympics in Paris, France. It was the first time in 20 years that Cuban athletes had competed at the Olympic Games.
The men's épée was a fencing event held as part of the fencing programme at the 1904 Summer Olympics. It was the second time the event was held at the Olympics. 5 fencers from 3 nations competed. The competition was held on September 7, 1904. The event was won by Ramón Fonst of Cuba, repeating as Olympic champion in the individual épée. The silver medal went to Charles Tatham and the bronze to Albertson Van Zo Post. Tatham and Van Zo Post were both Americans, but the International Olympic Committee's results page showed them as Cuban for more than a century until it was finally corrected in the early 2020s.
The amateurs-masters épée was an event at the 1900 Summer Olympics. It was held on 15 June at the Tuileries Garden. There were 8 competitors from two nations. The event was won by Albert Ayat of France. Ramón Fonst of Cuba took silver, while Léon Sée of France earned bronze.
The men's épée was one of ten fencing events on the fencing at the 1996 Summer Olympics programme. It was the twenty-second appearance of the event. The competition was held on 20 July 1996. 45 fencers from 21 nations competed, a sharply reduced number from prior Games which generally had 60 to 80 fencers. Each nation remained limited to 3 fencers in the event. The event was won by Aleksandr Beketov of Russia, the nation's first victory and first medal in the event in its debut. Iván Trevejo's silver was Cuba's first medal in the event since Ramón Fonst won the first two gold medals in 1900 and 1904. The bronze went to Géza Imre of Hungary, that nation's first medal in the men's individual épée since 1980. France's four-Games podium streak ended.
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