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.
Yagnelis Mestre is a Cuban judoka, who played for the half-middleweight category. She won a bronze medal for the 57 kg class at the 2007 Pan American Games in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.
Juan Carlos Jacinto Jiménez is a Dominican judoka, who played for the extra and half lightweight categories. He won the bronze medal for the 60 kg class at the 1999 Pan American Games in Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada.
Mirali Sharipov is an Uzbekistani judoka, who played for the half-lightweight category. He is a two-time World Cup champion and a bronze medalist at the 2008 Asian Judo Championships in Jeju City, South Korea.
Mounir Benamadi is an Algerian judoka, who played for the half-lightweight category. He won a gold medal for his division at the 2007 All-Africa Games in Algiers, and silver at the 2008 African Judo Championships in Agadir.
Mariano Daniel Bertolotti is an Argentine judoka, who played for the lightweight category. He finished only in seventh place for his division at the 2007 Pan American Games in Rio de Janeiro, losing out to Canada's Nicholas Tritton.
Albenis Antonio Rosales is a Venezuelan judoka, who played in the half-heavyweight category. He won a bronze medal for his division at the 2008 Pan American Judo Championships in Miami, Florida.
Richard Leon Vizcaya is a Venezuelan judoka, who played for the lightweight category. He won two bronze medals for the 73 and 81 kg classes at the 2006 Pan American Judo Championships in Buenos Aires, Argentina, and at the 2008 Pan American Judo Championships in Miami, Florida.
Abderramán Brenes la Roche is a Puerto Rican judoka, who played for the half-middleweight category. Brenes represented Puerto Rico at the 2008 Summer Olympics in Beijing, where he competed for the men's half-middleweight class (81 kg). He received a bye for the second preliminary round, before losing out by two yuko and a morote gari to Italy's Giuseppe Maddaloni.
Anna Igoryevna Kharitonova is a Russian judoka, who played for the half-lightweight category. She is a multiple-time Russian judo champion and a two-time gold medalist for her division at the European Junior Judo Championships.
Youssef Badra is a Tunisian judoka, who played for the half-middleweight category. He is a two-time African judo champion, and a gold medalist for his division at the 2007 All-Africa Games in Algiers, Algeria.
Nesria Al-Jelassi is a Tunisian judoka, who played for the lightweight category. She is a two-time Tunisian judo champion, and a four-time medalist for the 57 and 63 kg classes at the African Judo Championships. She also won a gold medal at the 2011 All-Africa Games in Maputo, Mozambique, and silver at the 2007 All-Africa Games in Algiers, Algeria.
Amin El-Hady is an Egyptian judoka, who played for the half-lightweight category. He is a two-time Olympian and a five-time medalist at the African Judo Championships. He also captured a silver medal for his division at the 2007 All-Africa Games in Algiers, Algeria, losing out to the host nation's Mounir Benamadi.
Sherali Bozorov is a Tajikistani judoka, who played for the half-middleweight category. He won a silver medal for his division at the 2007 Asian Judo Championships in Kuwait City, Kuwait, losing out to South Korea's Kwong Young-Woo.
Ana Cristina Teles Meneses Hormigo is a Portuguese judoka, who played for the extra-lightweight category. She won a bronze medal for her division at the 2008 European Judo Championships, and eventually defeated Italy's Valentina Moscatt for the gold at the 2011 IJF World Cup in Lisbon. Hormigo is also a member of Associação Judo Clube União Albicastrense, and is coached and trained by Abel Louro.
Pak Ok-Song is a North Korean judoka, who played for the extra-lightweight category. She won two medals, silver and bronze, for the 48 kg division at the Asian Judo Championships.
Kim Kyong-Jin is a North Korean judoka, who played for the extra-lightweight category. He won two medals, silver and bronze, for the 60 kg division at the Asian Judo Championships.
Gantömöriin Dashdavaa is a Mongolian judoka, who played for the lightweight category. He won a bronze medal for the 66 kg class at the 2002 Asian Games in Busan, South Korea. He also captured two silver medals in the same division at the 2003 Asian Judo Championships in Jeju City, and at the 2004 Asian Judo Championships in Almaty, losing out to South Korea's Jung Bu-Kyung and Kazakhstan's Muratbek Kipshakbayev, respectively.
Rachid Rguig is a Moroccan judoka, who played for the half-lightweight category. He won a silver medal for his division at the 2009 African Judo Championships in Port Louis, Mauritius, and bronze at the 2008 African Judo Championships in Agadir, Morocco.
Dennis Iverson is an Australian judoka, who played for the lightweight category. Started out his sporting career at age twelve, Iverson had earned a total of five titles in the same weight division at the Australian Judo Championships.
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