The Gambia at the Olympics
| The Gambia at the Olympics |
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| IOC code | GAM | ||||||||
| NOC | Gambia National Olympic Committee | ||||||||
| Website | www |
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The Gambia has sent athletes to every Summer Olympic Games held since 1984, although the country has never won an Olympic medal. The Gambia is yet to compete at the Winter Olympic Games.
The Gambia National Olympic Committee (GNOC) was formed in 1972 and recognised by the International Olympic Committee (IOC) in 1976. The country boycotted the first two games for which it was eligible (1976 and 1980). Its first delegation consisted of ten athletes, all of whom were runners. Subsequent delegations have included wrestlers (in 1988), a long jumper (1996), a boxer (2008), a judoka (2016), and a swimmer (2016), but in all other years the Gambia has been represented solely by runners.
The Gambia National Olympic Committee (GNOC) was formed in 1972, but not recognised by the International Olympic Committee (IOC) until 1976. The GNOC is based at Olympic House, Bakau. In April 2014, on government orders, police seized the building and barred GNOC employees from entering. At the same time, the Ministry of Youth and Sports placed a travel ban on GNOC officials. The disruption meant that the Gambia did not send athletes to the 2014 African Youth Games in Botswana. Following condemnation from the IOC, Olympic House was reopened in August, but the government continued to control access to the building. A crisis meeting was held the following month, in which the GNOC was threatened with suspension if the government did not refrain from interference. Despite an initial deadline for the reopening of Olympic House not being met, the situation was eventually resolved without a suspension being issued.
The Gambia was first eligible to compete in the Olympics at the 1976 Summer Games in Montreal, but joined 28 countries in a boycott (most of which were also African). This boycott was to protest the IOC's decision to allow New Zealand to compete at the games, despite its rugby union team breaking the international sporting boycott of South Africa earlier in the year. The Gambia was also invited to the 1980 Summer Games in Moscow, but declined the invitation and joined the American-led boycott. The country finally made its debut at the 1984 Summer Games in Los Angeles, sending ten athletes (six men and four women) who all competed in running.Amie N'Dow was the only Gambian to progress past the first heats, reaching the quarter-finals of the women's 200 metres. At the 1988 Summer Games in Seoul, the Gambia sent six athletes – three athletes (two men and one woman) and three wrestlers (all male). Flagbearer Dawda Jallow made the quarter-finals of the men's 400 metres.
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