Papua New Guinea at the 2016 Summer Olympics

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Papua New Guinea at the
2016 Summer Olympics
Flag of Papua New Guinea.svg
IOC code PNG
NOC Papua New Guinea Olympic Committee
Website www.pngolympic.org
in Rio de Janeiro
Competitors8 in 6 sports
Flag bearer Ryan Pini [1]
Medals
Gold
0
Silver
0
Bronze
0
Total
0
Summer Olympics appearances (overview)

Papua New Guinea competed at the 2016 Summer Olympics in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, from 5 to 21 August 2016. This was the nation's tenth appearance at the Summer Olympics.

Contents

Papua New Guinea Olympic Committee (PNGOC) sent a team of eight athletes, six men and two women, to compete in six sports at the Games, matching the nation's roster size with London 2012. [2] Attending his fourth and final Olympics as the oldest (aged 34) and most experienced competitor, butterfly swimmer and former top 8 finalist Ryan Pini reprised his role of leading the delegation for the second time as Papua New Guinea's flag bearer in the opening ceremony, the first having done so eight years earlier in Beijing. [1] [3] Apart from Pini, the Papua New Guinean roster also featured 18-year-old taekwondo fighter Maxemillion Kassman, along with his aunt Samantha, and two returning Olympians from London 2012: sprinter Toea Wisil (women's 100 metres) and judoka Raymond Ovinou (men's 66 kg). [2]

Papua New Guinea, however, has yet to win its first-ever Olympic medal.

Background

From the late 1950s to early 1970s, Papua New Guinea made multiple attempts to join the International Olympic Committee. [4] After the creation of the Papua New Guinea British Empire and Commonwealth Games Association in 1961, the organization was renmaed multiple times before becoming the Papua New Guinea Olympic Committee. [5] [6] After becoming part of the IOC in 1974, Papua New Guinea debuted at the 1976 Summer Olympics and boycotted the 1980 Summer Olympics. [7] [8] Upon their Olympic return at the 1984 Summer Olympics, the country competed in eight consecutive Summer Olympics leading up to the 2016 Summer Olympics. [4]

Of the eight person team, Ryan Pini appeared in his fourth back to back Olympics and was the country's flag bearer at the opening ceremony. [9] Returning two-time Olympians from the 2012 Summer Olympics for Papua New Guinea were runner Toea Wisil and judoist Raymond Ovinou. [10] [11] The remaining competitor in athletics, Theo Piniau, appeared in his first Olympics during 2016. [12] In her Olympic debut, taekwondoist Samantha Kassman was the flag bearer for the nation during the closing ceremony. [13] Her nephew, Maxemillion Kassman also competed in taekwondo at his first Olympics. [14] [15] The remaining first time Olympic competitors for Papua New Guinea were boxer Thadius Katua and weightlifter Morea Baru. [16] [17]

Athletics (track and field)

Papua New Guinean athletes have so far achieved qualifying standards in the following athletics events (up to a maximum of 3 athletes in each event): [18] [19]

Key
Track & road events
AthleteEventHeatQuarterfinalSemifinalFinal
ResultRankResultRankResultRankResultRank
Theo Piniau Men's 200 m 22.148N/ADid not advance
Toea Wisil Women's 100 m Bye11.484Did not advance

Boxing

Papua New Guinea has received an invitation from the Tripartite Commission to send a male boxer competing in the lightweight division to the Games, signifying the nation's return to the sport after an eight-year hiatus. [20] [21]

AthleteEventRound of 32Round of 16QuarterfinalsSemifinalsFinal
Opposition
Result
Opposition
Result
Opposition
Result
Opposition
Result
Opposition
Result
Rank
Thadius Katua Men's lightweight Flag of Russia.svg  Abdurashidov  (RUS)
L 0–3
Did not advance

Judo

Papua New Guinea has qualified one judoka for the men's half-lightweight category (66 kg) at the Games. London 2012 Olympian Raymond Ovinou earned a continental quota spot from the Oceania region, as Papua New Guinea's top-ranked judoka outside of direct qualifying position in the IJF World Ranking List of May 30, 2016. [22]

AthleteEventRound of 64Round of 32Round of 16QuarterfinalsSemifinalsRepechageFinal / BM
Opposition
Result
Opposition
Result
Opposition
Result
Opposition
Result
Opposition
Result
Opposition
Result
Opposition
Result
Rank
Raymond Ovinou Men's −66 kg Flag of Canada (Pantone).svg  Bouchard  (CAN)
L 000–100
Did not advance

Swimming

Papua New Guinea has received a Universality invitation from FINA to send a male swimmer to the Olympics. [23] [24]

AthleteEventHeatSemifinalFinal
TimeRankTimeRankTimeRank
Ryan Pini Men's 100 m butterfly 53.24=30Did not advance

Taekwondo

Papua New Guinea entered two athletes into the taekwondo competition. Maxemillion Kassman and his aunt Samantha secured spots each in the men's lightweight (68 kg) and women's heavyweight category (+67 kg) respectively by virtue of their top finish at the 2016 Oceania Qualification Tournament in Port Moresby. [25]

AthleteEventRound of 16QuarterfinalsSemifinalsRepechageFinal / BM
Opposition
Result
Opposition
Result
Opposition
Result
Opposition
Result
Opposition
Result
Rank
Maxemillion Kassman Men's −68 kg Flag of Belgium (civil).svg  Achab  (BEL)
L 1–15 PTG
Did not advance
Samantha Kassman Women's +67 kg Flag of the United Kingdom.svg  Walkden  (GBR)
L 1–14 PTG
Did not advance

Weightlifting

Papua New Guinea has received an invitation from the Tripartite Commission to send Morea Baru in the men's featherweight category (62 kg) to the Olympics. [21]

AthleteEventSnatchClean & JerkTotalRank
ResultRankResultRank
Morea Baru Men's −62 kg 126616462906

Related Research Articles

Ryan John Pini MBE is a 4-time Olympic swimmer from Papua New Guinea. He swam for PNG at the 2004, 2008, 2012, and 2016 Olympics; also serving as the PNG flagbearer in 2008 and 2016. He is the first PNG swimmer ever to reach an Olympic final.

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References

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