Mali competed at the

2016 Summer Olympics The 2016 Summer Olympics ( pt, Jogos Olímpicos de Verão de 2016), officially the Games of the XXXI Olympiad ( pt, Jogos da XXXI Olimpíada) and also known as Rio 2016, was an international multi-sport event held from 5 to 21 August 20 ...

in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, from 5 to 21 August 2016. Since the nation made its debut in

1964 Events January * January 1 – The Federation of Rhodesia and Nyasaland is dissolved. * January 5 - In the first meeting between leaders of the Roman Catholic and Orthodox churches since the fifteenth century, Pope Paul VI and Patriarch ...

, Malian athletes had appeared in every edition of the

Summer Olympic Games The Summer Olympic Games (french: link=no, Jeux olympiques d'été), also known as the Games of the Olympiad, and often referred to as the Summer Olympics, is a major international multi-sport event normally held once every four years. The inau ...

, with the exception of the

1976 Summer Olympics Events January * January 3 – The International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights enters into force. * January 5 – The Pol Pot regime proclaims a new constitution for Democratic Kampuchea. * January 11 – The 1976 Phi ...

in Montreal because of the African boycott. Mali National Olympic and Sports Committee (french: Comité National Olympique et Sportif du Mali) selected a team of six athletes, four men and two women, to compete only in athletics, judo, swimming, and taekwondo at the Games, matching the nation's roster size with London 2012. Among the Malian athletes were freestyle swimmer

Fatoumata Samassékou Fatoumata Samassékou (born 31 December 1987) is a swimmer who competed for Mali at the 2012 File:2012 Events Collage V3.png, From left, clockwise: The passenger cruise ship Costa Concordia lies capsized after the Costa Concordia disaster; D ...

, the lone returning Olympian from the previous Games, sprinter and opening ceremony flag bearer

Djénébou Danté Djénébou Danté (born 7 August 1989) is a Malian athlete specialising in the sprinting events. She represented her country in the 100 metres at the 2011 World Championships. She competed in the Women's 400 metres at the 2016 Summer Olympics ...

, and taekwondo fighter and 2015 world bronze medalist

Ismaël Coulibaly Ismaël Coulibaly (born 20 November 1992) is a Malian taekwondo practitioner who mainly fights in the lightweight division. Coulibaly represented Mali at the 2016 Summer Olympics in Rio de Janeiro, where he competed in the men's 80kg competiti ...

, who led the squad as the most successful member and the nation's flag bearer in the closing ceremony. Mali, however, has yet to win its first ever Olympic medal.

Athletics (track and field)

Mali has received universality slots from

IAAF World Athletics, formerly known as the International Amateur Athletic Federation (from 1912 to 2001) and International Association of Athletics Federations (from 2001 to 2019, both abbreviated as the IAAF) is the international governing body for ...

to send two athletes (one male and one female) to the Olympics. ;Track & road events ;Field events

Judo

Mali has qualified one judoka for the men's half-heavyweight category (100 kg) at the Games. Ayouba Traore earned a continental quota spot from the African region, as the highest-ranked Malian judoka outside of direct qualifying position in the IJF World Ranking List of May 30, 2016.

Swimming

Mali has received a Universality invitation from FINA to send two swimmers (one male and one female) to the Olympics.

Taekwondo

Mali entered one athlete into the taekwondo competition at the Olympics. 2015 Worlds bronze medalist

secured a spot in the men's welterweight category (80 kg) by virtue of his top two finish at the 2016 African Qualification Tournament in Agadir, Morocco.

References

External links

* * {{Country at games navbox, Mali, Summer Olympics Nations at the 2016 Summer 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 trial of Brazilian President Dilma Rousseff; Damaged houses during the 2016 Nagorno-Karabakh ...

Olympics The modern Olympic Games or Olympics (french: link=no, Jeux olympiques) are the leading international sporting events featuring summer and winter sports competitions in which thousands of athletes from around the world participate in a var ...