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Fiji at the Olympics

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IOC code
  
FIJ

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Fiji at the Olympics

NOC
  
Fiji Association of Sports and National Olympic Committee

Website
  
www.fijiolympiccommittee.com

Medals
  
Gold Silver Bronze Total 1 0 0 1

Fiji, having made its Olympic debut at the 1956 Summer Games, has competed at fourteen Summer Games and three Winter Games. Its athletes have taken part in archery, athletics, boxing, judo, sailing, shooting, swimming, weightlifting and rugby sevens.

Contents

In the 2016 Summer Olympics, the Fiji rugby team won a gold medal, the country's first ever Olympic Medal.

Qualifications

Prior to the introduction of rugby sevens, Fiji's national sport, at the 2016 Summer Olympics, only two athletes had taken part in Olympic Games through reaching the required standards to qualify, rather than by receiving a wild card invitation. They are Makelesi Bulikiobo, who qualified for the women's 400 metre sprint at the 2008 Games in Beijing, and Leslie Copeland, who with a throw of 80.45 metres qualified for the men's javelin event at the 2012 Games in London.

Invitations

Fiji's Winter Olympians were Rusiate Rogoyawa in cross-country skiing (1988, 1994) and Laurence Thoms in alpine skiing (2002), both participating by invite.

Notable Participants

Fiji have had two competitors appear at five separate Summer Olympic Games. Windsurfer Tony Philp competed in five consecutive Games from Los Angeles in 1984 (when he was just 15 years of age) to Sydney 2000, finishing 10th on two occasions. Swimmer Carl Probert matched the feat in Beijing 2008, having first appeared at the 1992 Summer Olympics at Barcelona.

Medalling

Fiji earned its first ever Olympic medal at the 2016 Summer Olympics in Rio, a gold in Men's Rugby Sevens.

As a result, the winning team broke out in a victory song that drew considerable online attention and Fiji declared a national holiday for the win.

References

Fiji at the Olympics Wikipedia