Zimbabwe at the Olympics

Sporting event delegation
Zimbabwe at the
Olympics
IOC codeZIM
NOCZimbabwe Olympic Committee
Websiteteamzim.org
Medals
Ranked 79th
Gold
3
Silver
4
Bronze
1
Total
8
Summer appearances
Winter appearances

Zimbabwe participated for the first time at the Olympic Games under its current name in 1980, and has sent athletes to compete in every Summer Olympic Games since then. Previously, it competed at the Games under the name Rhodesia in 1928, 1960 and 1964. The 2014 Winter Olympics in Sochi marked Zimbabwe's first participation at the Winter Olympic Games, with Luke Steyn, the Zimbabwean born athlete participating in alpine skiing.

Zimbabwean athletes have won a total of eight medals – three golds, four silvers and one bronze – in two sports. Seven medals were won by swimmer Kirsty Coventry in 2004 and 2008; the remaining medal was the result of a victory by the women's national field hockey team in 1980.[1]

The National Olympic Committee for Zimbabwe was created in 1934 and recognised by the International Olympic Committee in 1980.[2]

History

Southern Rhodesia (now Zimbabwe) first participated as Rhodesia in the Olympic Games in 1928. Rhodesia was then absent until 1960 when the Federation of Rhodesia and Nyasaland competed under the name of Rhodesia in Rome. Southern Rhodesia then competed alone under the banner of Rhodesia once again and for the last time in 1964.[3] The country thus always competed as a British territory. It was unable to take part in the 1968 Games in Mexico, due to the Mexican government's interpretation of regulations on passports. It never successfully competed following Ian Smith's declaration of an independent Rhodesian republic in 1970. Although it returned to the Games in 1972, Rhodesia was expelled by the International Olympic Committee four days before the opening ceremony, under pressure from other African countries, which did not recognise the legitimacy of the Rhodesian state and threatened a boycott. The invitation which had been extended to Rhodesia was withdrawn by the IOC, by 36 votes to 31 with three abstentions.[4][5] Rhodesia remained out of the 1976 Summer Olympics after the IOC inspected the country's sporting facilities and groups and found them underwhelming, voting for their expulsion from the committee.[6]

The country's successor state, Zimbabwe, made its Olympic début in 1980.

Medal tables

Medals by Summer Games

Games Athletes Gold Silver Bronze Total Rank
1928 Amsterdam 2 0 0 0 0
1932 Los Angeles did not participate
1936 Berlin
1948 London
1956 Melbourne
1960 Rome 14 0 0 0 0
1964 Tokyo 29 0 0 0 0
1968 Mexico City did not participate
1972 Munich
1976 Montreal
1980 Moscow 42 1 0 0 1 23
1984 Los Angeles 15 0 0 0 0
1988 Seoul 29 0 0 0 0
1992 Barcelona 19 0 0 0 0
1996 Atlanta 13 0 0 0 0
2000 Sydney 16 0 0 0 0
2004 Athens 12 1 1 1 3 49
2008 Beijing 13 1 3 0 4 38
2012 London 7 0 0 0 0
2016 Rio de Janeiro 31 0 0 0 0
2020 Tokyo 5 0 0 0 0
2024 Paris future event
2028 Los Angeles
2032 Brisbane
Total 3 4 1 8 79

Medals by Winter Games

Games Athletes Gold Silver Bronze Total Rank
2014 Sochi 1 0 0 0 0
2018 Pyeongchang did not participate
2022 Beijing
2026 Milan–Cortina future event
Total 0 0 0 0

Medals by sport

SportGoldSilverBronzeTotal
Swimming2417
Field hockey1001
Totals (2 entries)3418

List of medalists

Medal Name Games Sport Event
 Gold 1980 Moscow Field hockey Women's competition
 Gold Kirsty Coventry 2004 Athens Swimming Women's 200-metre backstroke
 Gold Kirsty Coventry 2008 Beijing Swimming Women's 200-metre backstroke
 Silver Kirsty Coventry 2004 Athens Swimming Women's 100-metre backstroke
 Silver Kirsty Coventry 2008 Beijing Swimming Women's 400-metre individual medley
 Silver Kirsty Coventry 2008 Beijing Swimming Women's 100-metre backstroke
 Silver Kirsty Coventry 2008 Beijing Swimming Women's 200-metre individual medley
 Bronze Kirsty Coventry 2004 Athens Swimming Women's 200-metre individual medley

See also

References

  1. ^ "A captain recalls: Zimbabwe's golden moment". Retrieved 13 August 2022.
  2. ^ "THE ZIMBABWE OLYMPIC COMMITTEE". Retrieved 13 August 2022.
  3. ^ Official Olympic reports Archived 22 June 2006 at the Wayback Machine
  4. ^ "1972: Rhodesia out of Olympics", BBC
  5. ^ "Rhodesia expelled", Montreal Gazette, 23 August 1972
  6. ^ Historical Dictionary of the Olympic Movement

External links

  • "Zimbabwe". International Olympic Committee. 27 July 2021.
  • "Zimbabwe". Olympedia.com.
  • "Olympic Analytics/ZIM". olympanalyt.com.
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