Tunisia ) , image_map = Tunisia location (orthographic projection).svg , map_caption = Location of Tunisia in northern Africa , image_map2 = , capital = Tunis , largest_city = capital , ...

first participated at the

Olympic Games 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 vari ...

in 1960, and has sent athletes to compete in every Summer Olympic Games except when they participated in the

American-led boycott of the 1980 Summer Olympics The 1980 Summer Olympics boycott was one part of a number of actions initiated by the United States to protest against the Soviet invasion of Afghanistan. The Soviet Union, which hosted the 1980 Summer Olympics in Moscow, and its allies late ...

and has never participated in the

Winter Olympic Games The Winter Olympic Games (french: link=no, Jeux olympiques d'hiver) is a major international multi-sport event held once every four years for sports practiced on snow and ice. The first Winter Olympic Games, the 1924 Winter Olympics, were h ...

. Tunisian athletes have won a total of 15 medals, including four by the great long-distance runner

Mohammed Gammoudi Mohammed Tlili ben Abdallah ( ar, محمد التليلي بن عبدالله), also known as Moham(m)ed Gammoudi, (born February 11, 1938) is a Tunisian athlete who competed as a long distance runner in international track and field competitions ...

in men's

athletics Athletics may refer to: Sports * Sport of athletics, a collection of sporting events that involve competitive running, jumping, throwing, and walking ** Track and field, a sub-category of the above sport * Athletics (physical culture), competi ...

, four in men's

swimming Swimming is the self-propulsion of a person through water, or other liquid, usually for recreation, sport, exercise, or survival. Locomotion is achieved through coordinated movement of the limbs and the body to achieve hydrodynamic thrust that r ...

three by long-distance swimmer

Oussama Mellouli Oussama "Ous" Mellouli ( ar, أسامة الملولي; born 16 February 1984) is a Tunisian swimmer who competes in the freestyle and medley events. He is a three-time Olympic medalist, is an African record holder, and trains with the USC Tr ...

and one by Ahmed Ayoub Hafnaoui, two in men's

boxing Boxing (also known as "Western boxing" or "pugilism") is a combat sport in which two people, usually wearing protective gloves and other protective equipment such as hand wraps and mouthguards, throw punches at each other for a predetermine ...

, one in women's athletics, one in women's

fencing Fencing is a group of three related combat sports. The three disciplines in modern fencing are the foil, the épée, and the sabre (also ''saber''); winning points are made through the weapon's contact with an opponent. A fourth discipline, ...

and two in men's

taekwondo ''Taekwondo'', ''Tae Kwon Do'' or ''Taekwon-Do'' (; ko, 태권도/跆拳道 ) is a Korean martial arts, Korean form of martial arts involving punching and kicking techniques, with emphasis on head-height kicks, spinning jump kicks, and fast k ...

. The National Olympic Committee for Tunisia was created in 1957.

History

1960 to 1980

Tunisia first took part in the

1960 Summer Olympics The 1960 Summer Olympics ( it, Giochi Olimpici estivi del 1960), officially known as the Games of the XVII Olympiad ( it, Giochi della XVII Olimpiade) and commonly known as Rome 1960 ( it, Roma 1960), were an international multi-sport event held ...

in Rome. The 45 men competed in athletics, Boxing at the 1960 Summer Olympics, Boxing, Fencing at the 1960 Summer Olympics, Fencing, Cycling at the 1960 Summer Olympics, Cycling, Modern pentathlon at the 1960 Summer Olympics, Modern pentathlon, Shooting at the 1960 Summer Olympics, Shooting and Football at the 1960 Summer Olympics, Football. The first Olympians came from the boxing relay. On 25 August 1960, the bantamweight Tahar Ben Hassen, Tahar Ben Hassan, the lightweight Noureddine Dziri, the light welterweight Azouz Bechir and the welterweight Omrane Sadok came to their first-round bouts. The first medals were won in 1964 Summer Olympics in Tokyo. Tunisia's first medalist was

on 14 October 1964, who won silver in the Athletics at the 1964 Summer Olympics – Men's 10,000 metres, 10,000 meter. Boxer Habib Galhia won the light welterweight bronze a week later. A Tunisian judoka took part in Tokyo for the first time. In 1968 Summer Olympics, Mexico City 1968 Gammoudi was able to triple his medal haul. In addition to winning a bronze medal in the Athletics at the 1968 Summer Olympics – Men's 10,000 metres, 10,000 meters, he became Tunisia's first Olympic champion in the Athletics at the 1968 Summer Olympics – Men's 5000 metres, 5,000 meters on 15October 1968. At 1972 Summer Olympics in Munich, handball players, volleyball players and a wrestler competed for the first time. Mohammed Gammoudi won his fourth Olympic medal with silver in the Athletics at the 1972 Summer Olympics – Men's 5000 metres, 5000 meters. So far (2020) he is the Tunisian with the most medals at the Olympic Games. Tunisia was one of the few African countries to take part in the 1976 Summer Olympics in Montreal. The athletes were not used, but swimmers took part for the first time. In addition, a Tunisian woman started in Montreal for the first time. Myriam Mizouni became the country's first Olympian on 18 July 1976 in the Swimming at the 1976 Summer Olympics – Women's 100 metre freestyle, 100-meter freestyle heats. The country immediately joined the 1980 Summer Olympics boycott, US-led boycott of the 1980 Summer Olympics in Moscow.

1984 to 2000

At 1984 Summer Olympics in Los Angeles, Tunisian weightlifters took part for the first time. In Boxing at the 1984 Summer Olympics, Boxing, Lotfi Belkhir reached the quarterfinals at Boxing at the 1984 Summer Olympics – Light welterweight, light welterweight. In 1988 Summer Olympics, Seoul 1988, Tunisian table tennis players made their Olympic debut. The Tunisia national football team, football selection met in the preliminary round the team from Germany national football team, West Germany, which later won bronze, and lost 1–4. At 1992 Summer Olympics in Barcelona, in which a sports sailor competed for the first time, were unsuccessful for the Tunisian team. It was not until 1996 in Atlanta that a medal could be celebrated again. Boxer Fethi Missaoui won bronze at Boxing at the 1996 Summer Olympics – Light welterweight, light welterweight. In athletics, Ali Hakimi reached the 1500m final and finished eighth. In Atlanta, a Tunisian tennis player took part for the first time. Tunisian rowers made their Olympic debut in Sydney in 2000. The team was also unsuccessful in 2000 Summer Olympics, 2000 Sydney.

2004 to present

At 2004 Summer Olympics in Athens, Tunisian Taekwondoin and a gymnast competed for the first time. Swimmer

reached the final in the Swimming at the 2004 Summer Olympics – Men's 400 metre individual medley, 400m individual medley and finished 5th. In women's Weightlifting at the 2004 Summer Olympics, weightlifting, Hayet Sassi finished 4th in the Weightlifting at the 2004 Summer Olympics – Women's 63 kg, middleweight division. The taekwondoin Hichem Hamdouni was able to reach the quarterfinals in the Taekwondo at the 2004 Summer Olympics – Men's 80 kg, welterweight division. Saber fencer Azza Besbes also reached the quarterfinals. After 40 years, a Tunisian Olympic victory was celebrated again at 2008 Summer Olympics in Beijing.

won the Swimming at the 2008 Summer Olympics – Men's 1500 metre freestyle, 1500m freestyle final after finishing fifth in the Swimming at the 2008 Summer Olympics – Men's 400 metre freestyle, 400m freestyle. Boxer Walid Cherif reached the Boxing at the 2008 Summer Olympics – Flyweight, flyweight quarterfinals. In 2012 Summer Olympics, London 2012, basketball players and canoeists competed for the first time.

won bronze in the Swimming at the 2012 Summer Olympics – Men's 1500 metre freestyle, 1500 meter freestyle and became Olympic champion in the Swimming at the 2012 Summer Olympics – Men's marathon 10 kilometre, 10 km open water swim. This makes Mellouli Tunisia's first double Olympic champion. He is also the first swimmer to win both indoor (Swimming at the 2008 Summer Olympics – Men's 1500 metre freestyle, 1500m freestyle in 2008 Summer Olympics, Beijing 2008) and outdoor (10 km open water 2012 in London) olympic gold medals. Track and field athlete Habiba Ghribi took second place in the Athletics at the 2012 Summer Olympics – Women's 3000 metres steeplechase, 3,000 meter steeplechase race. The winner, the Russian Yuliya Zaripova, was found guilty of Doping in sport, doping in 2015 and disqualified. Ghribi moved up accordingly and was subsequently declared Olympic champion on 4 June 2016. Boxer Maroua Rahali reached the quarterfinals in the Boxing at the 2012 Summer Olympics – Women's flyweight, flyweight division. The Tunisian fencer also achieved top placements. Inès Boubakri was sixth in the foil, epee fencer Sarra Besbes eighth, her sister Azza Besbes, Azza Bebes ninth with the sabre. At 2016 Summer Olympics in Rio de Janeiro, the Tunisian team won three bronze medals. Inès Boubakri won her medal in Fencing at the 2016 Summer Olympics – Women's foil, foil fencing, Marwa Amri in freestyle wrestling in the Wrestling at the 2016 Summer Olympics – Women's freestyle 58 kg, 58 kg class and Oussama Oueslati in Taekwondo at the 2016 Summer Olympics – Men's 80 kg, welterweight taekwondo. Beach volleyball players from Tunisia competed in Rio de Janeiro for the first time.

Medal tables

Medals by Summer Games

Medals by sport

List of medalists

External links

* * * {{Olympic medalists for Tunisia Tunisia at the Olympics, Sport in Tunisia, Olympics