Puerto Rico competed at the 2012 Summer Olympics in London, United Kingdom from July 27 to August 12, 2012. This was the nation's seventeenth consecutive appearance at the Olympics.
Comité Olímpico de Puerto Rico sent a total of 25 athletes to the Games, 19 men and 6 women, to compete in 8 sports. The nation's team size was roughly larger by three athletes from Beijing. This was also the youngest delegation in Puerto Rico's Olympic history, with half the team under the age of 25, and many of them were expected to reach their peak in time for the 2016 Olympics in Rio de Janeiro. Four Puerto Rican athletes had competed in Beijing, including track star and pre-Olympic favorite Javier Culson, who held the record as the "world's fastest man" in the hurdles, and later became the nation's flag bearer at the opening ceremony. Canterbury Christ Church University had been selected as the team's preparation base for these Olympic games.
These Games tied as Puerto Rico's most successful Olympics, winning a total of two medals, and tying the record for the most medals with Los Angeles at a single games. Javier Culson won the nation's first ever medal in the men's hurdles and their first bronze in 16 years. Meanwhile, Dominican born Jaime Espinal became the first Puerto Rican athlete to claim an Olympic silver medal in men's freestyle wrestling, and set a historic Olympic record as the nation's second silver medalist, 28 years after Luis Ortiz had become the first.
Medalists Medal Name Sport Event Date Wrestling Men's freestyle 84 kg Athletics Men's 400 m hurdles
Athletics
Puerto Rican 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):
Men AthleteEventHeat QuarterfinalSemifinalFinalResultRankResultRankResultRankResultRankEric Alejandro400 m hurdles49.39 4 qcolspan=2 49.157Did not advanceHéctor Cotto110 m hurdles 14.088colspan=2 Did not advanceJavier Culson400 m hurdles 48.33 1 Qcolspan=2 47.93 1 Q48.10Enrique Llanos110 m hurdlescolspan=2 Did not advanceMiguel López100 mcolspan=2 10.315Did not advanceJamele Mason Vegas400 m hurdles49.895colspan=2 Did not advanceSamuel Vázquez1500 m3:49.1914colspan=2 Did not advanceWesley Vázquez800 m1:46.454colspan=2 Did not advance
Women AthleteEventHeat SemifinalFinalResultRankResultRankResultRankBeverly Ramos3000 m steeplechase9:55.2612colspan=2 Did not advanceCarol Rodríguez400 m52.192 Q52.086Did not advance
Boxing
Men AthleteEventRound of 32Round of 16QuarterfinalsSemifinalsFinalOppositionResultOppositionResultOppositionResultOppositionResultOppositionResultRankJantony OrtizLight flyweightW 20–6L 13–15Did not advanceJeyvier CintrónFlyweightW 14–12W 18–13L 13–23Did not advanceFélix VerdejoLightweightW 11–5W 16–7L 9–14Did not advanceFrancisco Vargas RamirezLight welterweightL 9–13Did not advanceEnrique CollazoMiddleweightL 10–18Did not advance
Gymnastics
Artistic Men AthleteEventQualificationFinalApparatusTotalRankApparatusTotalRankTommy RamosRingscolspan=2 15.500colspan=3 15.5006 Qcolspan=2 15.600colspan=3 15.6006
Women AthleteEventQualificationFinalApparatusTotalRankApparatusTotalRankLorena QuiñonesAll-around11.36613.80010.76613.13349.06554Did not advance
Judo
AthleteEventRound of 32Round of 16QuarterfinalsSemifinalsRepechageFinal / OppositionResultOppositionResultOppositionResultOppositionResultOppositionResultOppositionResultRankMelissa MojicaWomen's +78 kgW 0100–0000L 0000–0101Did not advance
Shooting
Men AthleteEventQualificationFinalPointsRankPointsRankJosé Torres LaboyDouble trap12721Did not advance
Swimming
Puerto Rican swimmers have so far achieved qualifying standards in the 200 m freestyle and 50 m freestyle events (up to a maximum of 2 swimmers in each event at the Olympic Qualifying Time (OQT), and potentially 1 at the Olympic Selection Time (OST)) Vanessa García and Raúl Martínez, were invited directly by FINA, to participate in the 50 m freestyle and 200 m freestyle respectively.
Men AthleteEventHeatSemifinalFinalTimeRankTimeRankTimeRankRaúl Martínez Colomer200 m freestyle1:54.2338Did not advance
Women AthleteEventHeatSemifinalFinalTimeRankTimeRankTimeRankVanessa García50 m freestyle 25.5829Did not advance
Weightlifting
Lely Burgos, did not obtain the qualification for the 2012 Summer Olympics directly in the Americas Olympic Qualifying, but for her effort, she was invited directly by the International Weightlifting Federation.
AthleteEventSnatchClean & JerkTotalRankResultRankResultRankLely BurgosWomen's −48 kg6511921015711
Wrestling
Puerto Rico has qualified three quota places.
Men's freestyle AthleteEventQualificationRound of 16QuarterfinalSemifinalRepechage 1Repechage 2Final / OppositionResultOppositionResultOppositionResultOppositionResultOppositionResultOppositionResultOppositionResultRankFranklin Gómez−60 kgL 1–3 Did not advanceL 0–3 Did not advance15Francisco Soler−74 kgL 0–3 Did not advance L 0–3 Did not advance19Jaime Espinal−84 kgW 3–1 W 3–1 W 3–1 colspan=2 L 0–3
See also Puerto Rico at the 2011 Pan American Games
References