Niger competed at the 2016 Summer Olympics in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, from 5 to 21 August 2016. Since the nation made its debut in 1964, Nigerien athletes had participated in every edition of the Summer Olympic Games, except for two rare occasions, the 1976 Summer Olympics in Montreal, and the 1980 Summer Olympics in Moscow because of the African and the US-led boycotts, respectively.
Nigerien Olympic and National Sports Committee () sent a team of six athletes, four men and two women, to compete in four different sports at the Olympics, matching the nation's roster size with London 2012. This was also the youngest delegation in Niger's Olympic history, with about half the team under the age of 25, and many of the team members were expected to reach their peak in time for the 2020 Summer Olympics in Tokyo. All of the Nigerien athletes made their Olympic debut in Rio de Janeiro, with six-foot-nine taekwondo fighter Abdoul Razak Issoufou leading the team as the nation's flag bearer in the opening ceremony.
Niger left Rio de Janeiro with its first ever Olympic medal of any color since the 1972 Summer Olympics in Munich. It was awarded to Issoufou in the men's heavyweight category (+80 kg).
Medalists
Medal Name Sport Event Date Taekwondo Men's +80 kg
Athletics
Niger has received universality slots from IAAF to send two athletes (one male and one female) to the Olympics.
Track & road events AthleteEventHeatSemifinalFinalResultRankResultRankResultRankOusseini DjiboMen's 400 m50.068Did not advanceMariama Mahamatou ItatouWomen's 400 m54.326Did not advance
Judo
Niger has qualified one judoka for the men's lightweight category (73 kg) at the Games. Ahmed Goumar earned a continental quota spot from the African region as Niger's top-ranked judoka outside of direct qualifying position in the IJF World Ranking List of May 30, 2016.
AthleteEventRound of 64Round of 32Round of 16QuarterfinalsSemifinalsRepechageFinal / OppositionResultOppositionResultOppositionResultOppositionResultOppositionResultOppositionResultOppositionResultRankAhmed GoumarMen's −73 kgL 000–100Did not advance
Swimming
Niger has received a Universality invitation from FINA to send two swimmers (one male and one female) to the Olympics.
AthleteEventHeatSemifinalFinalTimeRankTimeRankTimeRankAlbachir MouctarMen's 50 m freestyle26.56 NR70Did not advanceRoukaya MahamaneWomen's 50 m freestyle35.60 NR83Did not advance
Taekwondo
Niger entered one athlete into the taekwondo competition at the Olympics. Abdoul Razak Issoufou secured a spot in the men's heavyweight category (+80 kg) by virtue of his top two finish at the 2016 African Qualification Tournament in Agadir, Morocco.
AthleteEventRound of 16QuarterfinalsSemifinalsRepechageFinal / OppositionResultOppositionResultOppositionResultOppositionResultOppositionResultRankAbdoul Razak IssoufouMen's +80 kgW 6–0W 6–1W 8–2L 2–6
References
External links