Belize at the 2012 Summer Olympics

Background

Belize participated in eleven Summer Olympic Games between its debut at the 1968 Summer Olympics in Mexico City and the 2012 Summer Olympics in London, England, with the exception of the 1980 Summer Olympics in the Soviet Union because the country joined the United States-led boycott over the 1979 invasion of Afghanistan during the Soviet–Afghan War. The highest number of athletes sent by Belize to a Summer Games is eleven to the 1984 Olympics in Los Angeles. No Belizean athlete has ever won a medal at the Olympic Games. Belize participated in the London Summer Olympics from 27 July to 12 August 2012.

The Belize National Olympic Committee (NOC) selected selected two athletes via qualification standards. An NOC would be able to enter up to three qualified athletes in each individual event as long as each athlete met the "A" standard, or one athlete per event if they met the "B" standard. The Belizean team at the London Summer Games featured two track and field athletes and one judoka: Kenneth Medwood in the men's 400 metres hurdles, Kaina Martinez in the women's 100 metres and Eddermys Sanchez in the men's half-lightweight judo (66 kg) competition. The trio were announced by the Belize Olympic & Commonwealth Games Association on 21 February 2012, and were selected from athletes in ten sports. Along with the three athletes, the delegation consisted of chef de mission Owen Sonny Meighan, attaché Andrew Wingmore, delegate Josephine Flowers, coaches Colin Thurton and Wellington Chee, and Thomas Searle, the team's doctor. Medwood was selected as the flag bearer for both the opening and closing ceremonies.

Athletics

Kenneth Medwood was the youngest person to represent Belize at the London Games at age 24. He had not participated in any previous Olympic Games. Medwood qualified for the games because his fastest time of 49.54 seconds, recorded at the Mt. San Antonio College in April 2012, was 0.26 seconds quicker the "B" qualifying standard for his event, the men's 400 metres. He competed in the event's first heat on 3 August, finishing fourth out of eight athletes, with a time of 49.78 seconds. Medwood's performance ensured qualification into the contest's semi-final stage as the fastest losing runner. In the semi-finals the following day, he placed fifth out of eight runners, with a time of 49.87 seconds. Medwood ranked ahead of Ukraine's Stanislav Melnykov (50.19 seconds) but behind Emir Bekrić from Serbia (49.62 seconds) in a heat led by eventual bronze medallist Javier Culson of Puerto Rico (47.93 seconds). Overall he finished 17th out of 46 runners, and did not advance to the final after finishing 1.92 seconds slower than the slowest participant who made the last stage. After his event, Medwood said to Great Belize Television that the games were "a great experience. It’s something I expected but nonetheless, it was an experience in itself because I’ve never been to the games.”

At the age of 26, Kaina Martinez was the sole female athlete on the Belize Olympic team. She was making her first appearance in the Olympic Games. Martinez qualified for the London Games because her quickest time of 11.74 seconds, set at the 2011 Central American Championships in Athletics, was 0.36 seconds slower than the "B" qualifying standard for her contest, the women's 100 metres. Before the games she stated that she was feeling "good" and was attempting not to get excessive anxiety by relaxing and mediating. Martinez was drawn in the second heat in the event's preliminary stage, finishing second out of eight runners, with a time of 11.81 seconds. Her time allowed her to qualify for the first round. She placed eighth (and last) in the contest's seventh heat with a time of 11.89 seconds. Martinez finished behind Delphine Atangana of Cameroon (11.82 seconds) in a heat led by the Ivory Coast's Murielle Ahouré (10.99 seconds). Overall Martinez ranked 51st out of 78 athletes and was unable to progress to the semi-final after finishing 0.81 seconds slower than the slowest runner who progressed to the later stages. After the Olympics she said: "It’s an awesome experience. I mean words can really describe honestly how I feel being here and being a part of the competition. I just think it’s an awesome experience."

Judo

Eddermys Sanchez represented Belize in men's judo. He qualified by being awarded an invitational place by the Tripartite Commission in June 2012. Sanchez took part in the men's half-lightweight class, which included athletes under 66 kilograms in weight. He was the oldest person to participate Belize at the London Games at the age of 31 and was making his first appearance in the quadrennial event. Sanchez faced Miklós Ungvári of Hungary in the Round of 32 after receiving a bye and was defeated by his opponment after 19 seconds and therefore was eliminated from the competition.