Laos, officially the Lao People's Democratic Republic, competed at the
2016 Summer Olympics in
Rio de Janeiro
Rio de Janeiro ( , , ; literally 'River of January'), or simply Rio, is the capital of the state of the same name, Brazil's third-most populous state, and the second-most populous city in Brazil, after São Paulo. Listed by the GaWC as a ...
, Brazil, from 5 to 21 August 2016. This was the nation's ninth appearance at the Summer Olympics, having attended all games since 1980 with the exception of the
1984 Summer Olympics
The 1984 Summer Olympics (officially the Games of the XXIII Olympiad and also known as Los Angeles 1984) were an international multi-sport event held from July 28 to August 12, 1984, in Los Angeles, California, United States. It marked the sec ...
in Los Angeles, because of the
Soviet boycott.
Six athletes, four men and two women, were selected to the Laotian team through universality places and Tripartite Commission invitations across four sports, without having qualified. Apart from athletics and swimming, Laos marked its Olympic debut in road cycling and judo. Among the Laotian athletes were London 2012 Olympians
Laenly Phoutthavong (women's 100 m) in track and field and
Santisouk Inthavong (men's 50 m freestyle) in swimming, professional road cyclist
Ariya Phounsavath
Ariya Phounsavath (born 1 March 1991) is a Laotian cyclist, who currently rides for UCI Continental team . He rode in the road race at the 2016 Summer Olympics.
Major results
;2013
: 1st Road race, Southeast Asian Games
;2014
: 2nd Melaka Chi ...
, and hurdler
Xaysa Anousone, who led the delegation as the nation's flag bearer in the opening ceremony.
[ Laos has yet to win its first Olympic medal.
]
Athletics
Laos has received universality slots from IAAF to send two athletes (one male and one female) to the Olympics.
;Track & road events
Cycling
Road
Laos has received an invitation from the Tripartite Commission to send a rider competing in the men's road race for the first time to the Olympics.
Judo
Laos has received an invitation from the Tripartite Commission to send a judoka competing in the men's extra-lightweight category (60 kg) to the Olympics, signifying the nation's Olympic debut in the sport.
Swimming
Laos has received a Universality invitation from FINA
FINA (french: Fédération internationale de natation, en, International Swimming Federation, link=yes) (to be renamed as World Aquatics by ) is the international federation recognised by the International Olympic Committee (IOC) for administer ...
to send two swimmers (one male and one female) to the Olympics.
References
External links
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{{Country at games navbox, Laos, Summer Olympics
Olympics
2016
File:2016 Events Collage.png, From top left, clockwise: Bombed-out buildings in Ankara following the 2016 Turkish coup d'état attempt; the Impeachment of Dilma Rousseff, impeachment trial of Brazilian President Dilma Rousseff; Damaged houses duri ...
Nations at the 2016 Summer Olympics