Kiribati competed in the Summer Olympic Games for the first time at the 2004 Summer Olympics in Athens, Greece, from August 13–29, 2004. The country sent three representatives to the Games: two in athletics and one in weightlifting. As of 2012, Meamea Thomas has the best finish of any I-Kiribati athlete in Olympic history. Kiribati did not win medals at these Games.
Marc Burns is an athlete from Trinidad and Tobago specializing in the 100 metres and the 4 x 100 metres relay.
The 100 metres, or 100-meter dash, is a sprint race in track and field competitions. The shortest common outdoor running distance, the 100-meter (109.36 yd) dash is one of the most popular and prestigious events in the sport of athletics. It has been contested at the Summer Olympics since 1896 for men and since 1928 for women. The inaugural World Championships were in 1983.
Kaitinano Mwemweata is an I-Kiribati athlete. She was the first person ever to compete for Kiribati at the Olympic Games, when she represented her country at the 100 metre sprint in Athens in 2004.
At the 2010 Summer Youth Olympics, 36 athletics events were contested – 18 for boys and 18 for girls – on 17–19 and 21–23 August 2010. The events took place in Bishan Stadium, Singapore. Athletes born between January 1, 1993, and December 31, 1994, were eligible to compete. Continents selected their athletes through Youth Continental Championships.
Barakat Mubarak Al-Harthi is an Omani sprinter who specializes in the 100 metres.
Nooa Takooa is a sprinter who is internationally representing Kiribati. He participated in 2009 World Championships in Athletics and 2010 Summer Youth Olympics. He represented Kiribati at 2012 Summer Olympics in London in the Men's 100m event. Takooa was eliminated in the preliminary round but finished with a personal best time of 11.53. Takooa is a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.
The Oceanic island nation of Kiribati competed at the 2012 Summer Olympics in London, held from July 27 – August 12, 2012. This was the nation's third appearance at the Olympics.
Chijindu "CJ" Ujah is a British athlete, specializing as a sprinter. The lead-off runner of the Great Britain 4 × 100 metres relay team that won both the World title in 2017 and the European title in 2016 and 2018, he also won the title in the 100 metres at the 2017 Diamond League final.
Zharnel Hughes is an Anguilla-born British sprinter who specialises in the 100 metres and 200 metres. Born and raised in the British Overseas Territory of Anguilla, he has competed internationally for Great Britain in the Olympic Games, World Athletics and European Athletics events, and for England at the Commonwealth Games, since 2015. A double Commonwealth Games, double European Championships gold medalist as part of the 4 x 100 metres relay, Hughes has twice been European champion individually; over 100 metres in 2018, and 200 metres in 2022. In 2023, he broke both British sprint records, before winning his first global individual medal, a bronze in the 100 metres at the 2023 World championships.
Giordan Kariara Harris is a former competitive swimmer, and current swim coach, from Ebeye Island, Kwajalein Atoll, of the Marshall Islands. Harris is a two-time Olympic swimmer, multiple national record holder, NJCAA All American, and NJCAA & NCAA school record holder. Harris participated in numerous international competitions representing his home country, including the inaugural 2010 Summer Youth Olympics in Singapore, FINA World Long Course Championships, FINA World Short Course Championships, and most notably the 2012 Summer Olympics in London, and the 2016 Summer Olympics in Rio.
The Kiribati Athletics Association (KAA) is the governing body for the sport of athletics in the Kiribati. It is suspended by Kiribati National Olympic Committee and OAA since 2020.
Joshua Kiprui Cheptegei is a Ugandan long-distance runner. He is the current world record holder for the 5000 metres and the 10,000 metres, and holds the world best time over the 15 kilometres distance.
Eseosa Fostine "Fausto" Desalu is an Italian sprinter who specialises in the 200 metres winning a silver medal in that event at the 2018 Mediterranean Games and a gold medal in the 4×100 m relay at the 2020 Summer Olympics.
Kiribati competed at the 2016 Summer Olympics in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, from August 5 to 21, 2016. This was the nation's fourth consecutive appearance at the Summer Olympics.
Noah Lyles is an American professional track and field sprinter who competes in the 60 meters, 100 meters and 200 meters. His personal best of 19.31 seconds in the 200 m is the American record, and makes him the third fastest of all-time in the event. He is a one-time Olympic champion and six-time world champion.
Filippo Tortu is an Italian sprinter with a personal best in the 100 meters of 9.99, the first Italian in history to break the 10 seconds barrier, and the second fastest Italian in history following Marcell Jacobs. He won the gold medal in 100 metres at the 2017 European U20 Championships and the silver medal at the 2016 World U20 Championships. He ran the anchor leg in the 4×100m relay of the Italian team that won the gold medal at the 2020 Summer Olympics and at the 2024 European Championships, and the silver medal at the 2023 World Athletics Championships.
Cheick Aboubacar Camara is a Guinean sprinter. In 2019, he competed in the men's 100 metres event at the 2019 World Athletics Championships in Doha, Qatar. He competed in the preliminary round and he did not advance to compete in the heats.
Kiribati competed at the 2020 Summer Olympics in Tokyo. Originally scheduled to take place from 24 July to 9 August 2020, it was postponed to 23 July to 8 August 2021, due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The country's participation in Tokyo marked its fifth appearance at the Summer Olympics since its debut in 2004.
Nathan Maguire is a British wheelchair racer. He won multiple medals at both the 2018 and 2021 World Para Athletics European Championships, and also won the 400 metres mixed class race at multiple British Athletics Championships. Maguire competed in the 4 × 400 metres relay T53/T54 at the 2016 Summer Paralympics, and competed in the 400 metres T54, 800 metres T54 and mixed 4 × 100 metres relay events at the delayed 2020 Summer Paralympics. He was part of the British team that won a silver medal in the 2020 Paralympic mixed 4 × 100 metres relay. He also competed for England at the 2018 Commonwealth Games, and won the 1500 metres T54 event at the 2022 Commonwealth Games.
Kiribati 
