Dominica at the 2012 Summer Olympics

Background

Dominica participated in five Summer Olympic Games between its debut at the 1996 Summer Olympics in Atlanta, United States and the 2012 Summer Olympics in London, England. The highest number of athletes sent by Dominica to a Summer Games is six to the 1996 Olympics. No Dominician athlete has ever won a medal at the Olympic Games. Dominica participated in the London Summer Games from 27 July to 12 August 2012. The Dominician National Olympic Committee (NOC) 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 two athletes that were selected to compete in the London Games were Erison Hurtault in the men's 400 metres and Luan Gabriel in the women's 200 metres. Along with the two athletes the delegation was led by coach and chef de mission Joel Hamilton. The team trained at Surrey Sports Park at the University of Surrey in Guildford to prepare for the games. Hurtault was selected as the flag bearer for the opening ceremony while Gabriel held it at the closing ceremony.

Athletics

At the age of 27, Erison Hurtault was the sole male athlete representing Dominica at the Olympic Games. He previously participated in the 2008 Summer Olympics in Beijing. Hurtault qualified for the games because his fastest time of 45.59 seconds between 1 May 2011 and 8 July 2012, set at the 2011 Ninove Memorial Geert Rasschaert, was at the exact time "B" qualifying standard required for his event, the men's 400 metres. Before the Olympics, Joel Hamilton felt the runner would progress beyond the first round and Hurtault's personal trainer was confident he was in good fitness. He was drawn in the seventh heat on 4 August, finishing fifth out of seven athletes, with a time of 46.05 seconds. Hurtault ranked ahead of Poland's Marcin Marciniszyn (46.35 seconds) in a heat led by Kevin Borlée of Belgium (45.14 seconds). He placed 31st overall out of 47 runners, and did not advance to the semi-finals after finishing 0.59 seconds slower than the slowest athlete in his heat who made the later stages. After his event Hurtault felt he could have finished in a higher position but thanked the people of Dominica for giving him their support.

Luan Gabriel was the youngest person to participate for Dominica at the London Games at age 16. She was making her first appearance in the quadrennial event. Gabriel qualified for the games via a wildcard because her fastest time between 1 May 2011 and 8 July 2012 of 24.09 seconds, set in Hamilton, Bermuda, was 0.79 seconds slower than the "B" qualifying standard for her event, the women's 200 metres. She took part in the contest's sixth heat on 6 August, finishing eighth (and last) of all runners, with a time of 24.12 seconds. Gabriel placed behind Nelkis Casabona of Cuba (23.82 seconds) in a heat led by eventual silver medallist Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce from Jamaica (22.71 seconds). Overall she ranked 47th out of 52 athletes, and did not progress to the semi-finals because she was 1.02 seconds slower than the slowest runner in her heat who made the later stages. After the games Gabriel said she was concerned about her hamstring but felt "very proud" to be competing despite her preference of recording a faster time.