Tuvalu at the 2024 Summer Olympics

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Tuvalu at the
2024 Summer Olympics
Flag of Tuvalu (3-2).svg
IOC code TUV
NOC Tuvalu Association of Sports and National Olympic Committee
Website www.oceaniasport.com/tuvalu
in Paris, France
26 July 2024 (2024-07-26) – 11 August 2024 (2024-08-11)
Competitors2 in 1 sport
Flag bearers (opening) Karalo Maibuca
Temalini Manatoa
Flag bearer (closing) Karalo Maibuca
Medals
Gold
0
Silver
0
Bronze
0
Total
0
Summer Olympics appearances (overview)

Tuvalu competed at the 2024 Summer Olympics in Paris, France, which were held from 26 July to 11 August 2024. The country's participation in Paris marked its fifth appearance at the Summer Olympics since its debut in 2008. The athlete delegation of the country was composed of two people: Karalo Maibuca and Temalini Manatoa, both competing in athletics. The delegation was supported by a collaboration between the Australian Government and the Australian Olympic Committee, which was made for the development of sport in Pacific nations.

Contents

Maibuca and Manatoa qualified for the games after receiving universality slots in their events, which allows underrepresented nations to compete and permits for a National Olympic Committee (NOC) to send athletes despite not meeting the other qualification criteria. Manatoa competed in the women's 100 metres but ran in a time not fast enough to progress into further rounds, though she set a personal best in the event. Similarly, Maibuca ran in the men's 100 metres and also did not progress further after not finishing with a fast enough time, though set a new Tuvaluan national record in the event. Thus, Tuvalu has yet to win an Olympic medal.

Background

Traditional Tuvaluan clothing similar to the delegation's for the opening ceremony 11.01 Tu Wa Lu NautiXiao Xue Sheng Men ,Yi Chuan Tong Wu Dao Re Qing Ying Jie Zong Tong Qian Lai (24241325378).jpg
Traditional Tuvaluan clothing similar to the delegation's for the opening ceremony

The games were held from 26 July to 11 August 2024, in the city of Paris, France. [1] This edition of the games marked Tuvalu's fifth appearance at the Summer Olympics since its debut at the 2008 Summer Olympics in Beijing, China. No athlete from Tuvalu had ever won a medal at the Olympics; the best performance was the eleventh place of weightlifter Tuau Lapua Lapua in the men's 62 kg event at the 2012 Summer Olympics in London, England. [2]

In the lead-up to the games, the Australian Government announced a collaboration with the Australian Olympic Committee to assist over 230 athletes from 13 Pacific nations [a] for the 2024 Summer Olympics and 2024 Summer Paralympics, which included the Marshall Islands. The collaboration was made to create opportunities for said nations to compete in international competition, gain access to coaching, and to develop sports diplomacy. To announce the partnership, para table tennis player Ioane Hawaii hosted an exhibition game with High Commissioner of Australia to Tuvalu Brenton Garlick. [4] The delegation went to a training camp in Divonne-les-Bains with other Pacific athletes for their preparations for the games. [5]

Opening and closing ceremonies

The Tuvaluan delegation came in 192nd out of the 205 National Olympic Committees in the 2024 Summer Olympics Parade of Nations within the opening ceremony. Maibacua and Manatoa held the flag for the delegation in the parade. [6] They wore traditional Tuvaluan attire for the ceremony. [7] At the closing ceremony, Maibuca held the flag. [8]

Competitors

List of Tuvaluan competitors at the 2024 Summer Olympics [9]
SportMenWomenTotal
Athletics 112
Total112

Athletics

Qualification and lead-up to the games

The Stade de France, where Maibuca and Manatoa competed in their events Stade de France 5 August 2024.jpg
The Stade de France, where Maibuca and Manatoa competed in their events

Tuvalu was eligible for universality slots to send athletics competitors to the games, which allows a National Olympic Committee to send athletes despite not meeting the standard qualification criteria. [10] The nation selected sprinters Karalo Maibuca and Temalini Manatoa, who would compete in the men's 100 metres and women's 100 metres respectively. [11] [12] Maibuca was a returning Olympian, having competed previously at the 2020 Summer Olympics in Tokyo, Japan, in the same event, though he did not qualify for further rounds after the heats (preliminary rounds). [13]

Prior to the games, Maibuca left the nation to study and train at the University of the South Pacific in Suva, Fiji. [14] He trained abroad as Tuvalu does not have an athletics track, with the Funafuti International Airport's runway often being used as a replacement track. [15] He aimed to surpass his national record and personal best in the 100 metres of 11.42 seconds that he set at the previous Summer Games. [16] [17]

Event

The athletics events were held at the Stade de France. Manatoa competed in the preliminary rounds of the women's 100 meters on 2 August 2024 at 10:59 a.m., [b] where she raced in the fourth round. She ran in a time of 14.04 seconds for a new personal best in the event, placed eighth out of the nine people in her round, and did not advance further. [18] After her round, she was seen in tears with a team attaché pulling her aside. [19] She thanked her coach and parents after her performance, stating, "I'm doing my best." [20] The eventual winner of the event was Julien Alfred of Saint Lucia, who won with a time of 10.72 and earned Saint Lucia's first Olympic medal. [21]

Maibuca competed in his event on 2 August 2024 at 10:35 a.m., which was held at the Stade de France. He raced in the first heat of the preliminary round against seven other competitors. He finished with a time of 11.30 seconds, placed last in the heat, and did not progress further. Despite not progressing, he set a new personal best and a national record in the event. [22] Noah Lyles of the United States eventually won the gold in a time of 9.784 seconds. [23]

Key
  • Note–Ranks given for track events are within the athlete's heat only
  • PB = Personal best
  • NR = National record

Track & road events

Athletics summary
AthleteEventPreliminaryHeatsSemifinalsFinal
ResultRankResultRankResultRankResultRank
Karalo Maibuca Men's 100 m 11.30 NR 7Did not advance
Temalini Manatoa Women's 100 m 14.04 PB 8Did not advance

See also

Notes

  1. ↑ Among the nations that were supported for the games included the Cook Islands, the Federated States of Micronesia, Kiribati, the Marshall Islands, Palau, Papua New Guinea, Samoa, Tonga, Tuvalu, and Vanuatu. [3] [4]
  2. ↑ All times are Central European Summer Time (UTC+2)

References

  1. ↑ Jenkins, Keith (25 July 2024). "2024 Summer Olympics FAQ: Dates, locations, new sports, more". ESPN . Archived from the original on 31 July 2024. Retrieved 1 August 2024.
  2. ↑ "Tuvalu Overview". Olympedia . Archived from the original on 6 February 2025. Retrieved 2 March 2025.
  3. ↑ Sánchez, Jesus Lopez (2 March 2024). "Australia supports Pacific athletes for Paris 2024". Inside the Games . Archived from the original on 19 April 2024. Retrieved 4 March 2025.
  4. 1 2 "Getting set for success: 100 days to the Paris 2024 Olympic Games". PacificAus Sports. Archived from the original on 15 October 2024. Retrieved 4 March 2024.
  5. ↑ "A homebase for Pacific athletes in Divonne-les-Bains". PacificAus Sports. Archived from the original on 21 January 2025.
  6. ↑ "Paris 2024 Opening ceremony flagbearers information" (PDF). International Olympic Committee . Archived (PDF) from the original on 26 July 2024. Retrieved 1 August 2024.
  7. ↑ Momoisea, Penina (29 July 2024). "Paris Olympics: Pacific Island athletes break new ground on the first weekend of the games". Australian Broadcasting Corporation . Archived from the original on 30 September 2024. Retrieved 29 May 2025.
  8. ↑ Braidwood, James. "Every Olympic flagbearer for Paris 2024 closing ceremony including Alex Yee and Katie Ledecky". The Independent . Archived from the original on 11 August 2024.
  9. ↑ "Athletes at the 2024 Summer Olympics". International Olympic Committee . Archived from the original on 7 October 2024. Retrieved 20 May 2025.
  10. ↑ Nelsen, Matthew (10 May 2024). "What Are Universality Places And Who Can Obtain One?". International Olympic Committee . Archived from the original on 19 June 2024. Retrieved 19 June 2024.
  11. ↑ "Maibuca Karalo Hepoiteloto". International Olympic Committee . Archived from the original on 30 July 2024. Retrieved 3 August 2024.
  12. ↑ "Manatoa Temalini". International Olympic Committee . Retrieved 3 August 2024.
  13. ↑ "100 metres, Men". Olympedia . Archived from the original on 9 August 2021. Retrieved 29 May 2025.
  14. ↑ "Paris Olympics: Tuvalu, a nation where athletes train on airport runway, send one-man team" . South China Morning Post . Agence France-Press. 20 June 2024. Archived from the original on 27 June 2024. Retrieved 29 May 2025.
  15. ↑ "Track-less Tuvalu sends one-man team to Paris Olympics". France 24 . Agence France-Press. 19 June 2024. Archived from the original on 11 January 2025. Retrieved 29 May 2025.
  16. ↑ May, Sam (19 June 2024). "Paris 2024: Tuvalu sends a solitary athlete to the Olympics". Inside the Games . Archived from the original on 6 July 2024. Retrieved 29 May 2025.
  17. ↑ Craddock, Robert (24 May 2024). "Rising sea levels threaten Tuvalu as a nation, but that won't stop the Paris dream". Herald Sun . Archived from the original on 24 May 2024. Retrieved 29 May 2025.
  18. ↑ "Athletics Women's 100 m Preliminary Round Heat 4/4" (PDF). Paris Organising Committee for the 2024 Olympic and Paralympic Games . 2 August 2024. Archived from the original (PDF) on 27 August 2024. Retrieved 20 May 2025.
  19. ↑ Liew, Jonathan (2 August 2024). "These are the slowest fastest women on Earth. And they have a story to tell". The Guardian . Archived from the original on 18 February 2025. Retrieved 7 March 2025.
  20. ↑ Abrahamson, Alan (2 August 2024). "The Games as a short play - on the track, the women's 100 prelims, four rounds: 'I'm doing my best'". 3 Wire Sports. Archived from the original on 29 November 2024. Retrieved 29 May 2025.
  21. ↑ Grief, Andrew (3 August 2024). "Sha'Carri Richardson takes second in women's 100-meter as Julien Alfred wins first-ever gold for Saint Lucia". NBC Sports . Archived from the original on 29 December 2024. Retrieved 7 March 2025.
  22. ↑ "Men's 100m Preliminary Round - Heat 1/6" (PDF). Paris Organising Committee for the 2024 Olympic and Paralympic Games . 2 August 2024. Archived from the original (PDF) on 17 August 2024. Retrieved 11 March 2025.
  23. ↑ Burga, Solcyré (4 August 2024). "This Image of Noah Lyles Winning the 100 m is the Definition of a Photo Finish". Time . Archived from the original on 22 August 2024. Retrieved 21 December 2024.
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