Namibia competed at the 2012 Summer Olympics in London, United Kingdom from July 27 to August 12, 2012. This was the nation's sixth consecutive appearance at the Olympics.
Namibian National Olympic Committee sent a total of 9 athletes to the Games, 5 men and 4 women, to compete in 5 sports. Three Namibian athletes had competed in Beijing, including marathon runner Beata Naigambo, the oldest member of the team, at age 32, and trap shooter Gaby Ahrens, who became the nation's first female flag bearer at the opening ceremony. Namibia also marked its Olympic return in freestyle wrestling after an eight-year absence.
Namibia, however, failed to win a single Olympic medal for the fourth consecutive time.
Background Namibia made its debut at the 1992 Summer Olympics in Barcelona and appeared at all subsequent Games before the 2012 Summer Olympics in London - the country's sixth Olympics. Namibia sent its greatest number of athletes - 11 - to the 2000 Summer Olympics in Sydney. The country's most successful athlete is 100 and 200 metres runner Frankie Fredericks who won silver in both disciplines at Namibia's inaugural Olympics in Barcelona in 1992, and at the Atlanta Olympics four years later. Fredericks, the only Namibian athlete to win an Olympic medal as of 2012, missed the Sydney Olympics in 2000 due to an Achilles injury and was unsuccessful in his attempts to win further medals at his final Olympics in Athens in 2004.
Nine athletes were selected by Namibia to participate at the 2012 Olympics. Trap shooter Gaby Ahrens bore the flag for the country at the opening ceremony of the Games. She was joined in the Namibian Olympic team by cyclists Marc Bassingthwaighte and Dan Craven; runners Tjipekapora Herunga, Helalia Johannes and Beata Naigambo; boxers Mujandjae Kasuto and Jonas Matheus; and wrestler Naatele Sem Shilimela.
Athletics
Namibian athletes have so far achieved qualifying standards in the following athletics events (up to a maximum of 3 athletes in each event at the 'A' Standard, and 1 at the 'B' Standard):
Women AthleteEventHeat SemifinalFinalResultRankResultRankResultRankTjipekapora Herunga400 m52.313 Q52.536Did not advanceHelalia JohannesMarathoncolspan=4 2:26:0912Beata Naigambocolspan=4 2:31:1638
Boxing
Namibia has qualified two boxers. Men AthleteEventRound of 32Round of 16QuarterfinalsSemifinalsFinalOppositionResultOppositionResultOppositionResultOppositionResultOppositionResultRankJonas MatheusBantamweightL 7–18Did not advanceMujandjae KasutoMiddleweightW 11–8L 7–16Did not advance
Cycling
Namibia has qualified the following cyclists for the Games.
Road AthleteEventTimeRankDan CravenMen's road raceDid not finish
Mountain biking
AthleteEventTimeRankMarc BassingthwaighteMen's cross-country1:37:1730
Shooting
Namibia has earned one quota place for shooting events;
Women AthleteEventQualificationFinalPointsRankPointsRankGaby AhrensTrap5922Did not advance
Wrestling
Sem Shilimela represented Namibia in London. Shilimela received a bye into the last 16, where he faced Dzhamal Otarsultanov of Russia, losing 0–3 on points. Shilimela received a bye through the first round of the repechage, then again lost 0–3 on points to North Korean Yang Kyong-il in the second round.
Men's freestyle AthleteEventQualificationRound of 16QuarterfinalSemifinalRepechage 1Repechage 2Final / OppositionResultOppositionResultOppositionResultOppositionResultOppositionResultOppositionResultOppositionResultRankSem Shilimela−55 kgL 0–3 Did not advanceL 0–3 Did not advance15
References