Ivory Coast, also known as Côte d'Ivoire and officially as the Republic of Côte d'Ivoire, competed at the 2016 Summer Olympics in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, from 5 to 21 August 2016. This was the nation's fourteenth appearance at the Summer Olympics.
The Ivory Coast National Olympic Committee () selected a team of 12 athletes, five men and seven women, to compete in six different sports at these Games, overhauling the roster size set in London 2012 by two athletes. For the fourth time in the nation's Olympic history, Ivory Coast was represented by more female than male athletes.
More than half of the Ivorian roster were rookies at the Games, with archer Philippe Kouassi, taekwondo fighter Ruth Gbagbi, and sprinters Ben Youssef Meïté and Murielle Ahouré, top eight finalist in both 100 and 200 metres, returning for their second appearance from London 2012. As the most experienced member of the team, Ahouré was selected by the committee to carry the Ivorian flag in the opening ceremony.
Ivory Coast left Rio de Janeiro with two Olympic medals, adding them to the silver won by sprinter Gabriel Tiacoh in the men's 400 metres at Los Angeles 1984. These medals were awarded to Gbagbi (women's 67 kg) and fellow taekwondo fighter Cheick Sallah Cissé (men's 80 kg), who emerged himself as the Ivory Coast's first ever Olympic champion.
Medallists
Medal Name Sport Event Date Taekwondo Men's 80 kg Taekwondo Women's 67 kg
Archery
Two Ivorian archers qualified each for both the men's and women's individual recurve by obtaining one of the three Olympic places available from the 2016 African Archery Championships in Windhoek, Namibia. However, the Ivorian National Committee revoked the entry of Carla Frangilli after the final deadline. According to reallocation procedures, the quota was assigned to Greece, and four-time Olympian Evangelia Psarra was selected.
AthleteEventRanking roundRound of 64Round of 32Round of 16QuarterfinalsSemifinalsFinal / ScoreSeedOppositionScoreOppositionScoreOppositionScoreOppositionScoreOppositionScoreOppositionScoreRankPhilippe KouassiMen's individual63457L 4–6Did not advance
Athletics (track and field)
Ivorian athletes have so far achieved qualifying standards in the following athletics events (up to a maximum of 3 athletes in each event):
Track & road events AthleteEventHeat QuarterfinalSemifinalFinalResultRankResultRankResultRankResultRankHua Wilfried KoffiMen's 100 mcolspan=2 10.377Did not advanceMen's 200 m20.484colspan=2 Did not advanceBen Youssef MeïtéMen's 100 mcolspan=2 10.031 Q9.97 NR2 Q9.96 NR6Murielle AhouréWomen's 100 mcolspan=2 11.172 Q11.014Did not advanceWomen's 200 m22.522 Qcolspan=2 22.594Did not advanceMarie-Josée Ta LouWomen's 100 mcolspan=2 11.012 Q10.943 q10.864Women's 200 m22.311 Qcolspan=2 22.28 PB1 Q22.214
Fencing
Ivory Coast has entered one fencer into the Olympic competition for the first time. Gbahi-Gwladys Sakoa had received a spare Olympic berth freed up by South Africa, as the next highest-ranked fencer, not yet qualified, in the women's épée at the African Zonal Qualifier in Algiers, Algeria.
AthleteEventRound of 64Round of 32Round of 16QuarterfinalSemifinalFinal / OppositionScoreOppositionScoreOppositionScoreOppositionScoreOppositionScoreOppositionScoreRankGbahi-Gwladys SakoaWomen's épéeL 11–15Did not advance
Judo
Ivory Coast has qualified one judoka for the women's lightweight category (57 kg) at the Games. Zouleiha Abzetta Dabonne earned a continental quota spot from the African region as highest-ranked Ivorian judoka outside of direct qualifying position in the IJF World Ranking List of May 30, 2016.
AthleteEventRound of 32Round of 16QuarterfinalsSemifinalsRepechageFinal / OppositionResultOppositionResultOppositionResultOppositionResultOppositionResultOppositionResultRankZouleiha Abzetta DabonneWomen's −57 kgL 000–101Did not advance
Swimming
Ivory Coast has received a Universality invitation from FINA to send two swimmers (one male and one female) to the Olympics.
AthleteEventHeatSemifinalFinalTimeRankTimeRankTimeRankThibaut DanhoMen's 100 m freestyle52.7854Did not advanceTalita Te FlanWomen's 800 m freestyle9:07.2127colspan=2 Did not advance
Taekwondo
Ivory Coast entered three athletes into the taekwondo competition at the Olympics. Cheick Sallah Cisse qualified automatically for the men's welterweight category (80 kg) by finishing in the top 6 WTF Olympic rankings. Meanwhile, 2012 Olympian Ruth Gbagbi and debutant Mamina Koné secured the remaining spots on the Ivory Coast team by virtue of their top two finish respectively in the women's welterweight (67 kg) and heavyweight category (+67 kg) at the 2016 African Qualification Tournament in Agadir, Morocco.
AthleteEventRound of 16QuarterfinalsSemifinalsRepechageFinal / OppositionResultOppositionResultOppositionResultOppositionResultOppositionResultRankCheick Sallah CisséMen's −80 kgW 8–2W 7–1W 7–6W 8–6Ruth GbagbiWomen's −67 kgW 4–3L 4–5Did not advanceW 7–2W 7–1Mamina KonéWomen's +67 kgL 1–3Did not advance
References
External links