Independent Olympian
The term independent Olympian (English Independent Olympic Athletes or Independent Olympic Participants ) at Olympics used to refer to a team or individual athletes or athletes who compete to represent without a nation. In theory, this can happen if your country of origin is unknown or if it is excluded from participating in the Olympic Games. The team abbreviation for these participants is "IOP" ( Independent Olympic Participants ) or "IOA" ( Independent Olympic Athletes or, in the case of the 2000 Games, Individual Olympic Athletes ).
1992 Summer Olympics (IOP)
At the 1992 Summer Olympics in Barcelona , Yugoslavia , which only consisted of the republics of Serbia and Montenegro, was subject to sanctions by the United Nations . These banned the participation of "persons [...] who [...] represent Yugoslavia" in sports competitions. Nevertheless, the IOC and the NOK agreed that individual Yugoslav athletes could compete as "independent participants". This was accepted by the UN. Athletes from Macedonia, whose NOK was only recognized in 1993, were also able to start as independent Olympic participants. A total of 58 independent participants (39 men and 19 women) from the former Yugoslavia started.
Three independent athletes won medals in shooting competitions :
- Jasna Šekarić , silver, women's air pistol
- Aranka Binder , bronze, women's air rifle
- Stevan Pletikosić , bronze, small bore, men lying
2000 Summer Olympics (IOA)
Four athletes (three men and one woman) from East Timor took part in the 2000 Summer Olympics in Sydney . Since the area was still under UN administration and the state was only recognized in 2002, they marched in as the penultimate team under the flag of the IOC , which was carried by boxer Victor Ramos .
Olympic Summer Games 2012 (IOA)
At the 2012 Summer Olympics in London , a situation arose in two cases that led to the status of independent participant. The incorporation of the archipelago into the Netherlands removed the legal basis for the NOK of the Netherlands Antilles . However, a total of three athletes who had qualified for the Olympic Games were able to take part.
In the state of South Sudan , which became independent in 2011 , there was still no sports infrastructure and no National Olympic Committee. However, the US-based marathon runner Guor Marial had qualified for the competitions in London and started as an independent participant.
Olympic Winter Games 2014 (IOP)
At the 2014 Winter Olympics in Sochi , the three Indian participants started as independent participants. This situation arose because the National Olympic Committee there was suspended by the IOC in order to punish political interference. On February 11, 2014, the suspension was lifted with immediate effect, so that the athletes could start in the other competitions under the flag of India. This was the first time the IOC has lifted the suspension of a National Olympic Committee during the Olympic Games.
2016 Summer Olympics (IOA)
At the 2016 Summer Olympic Games in Rio, athletes from Kuwait took part as independent participants due to the closure of the NOK Kuwait .
In this case, nine athletes (including one woman) were affected by the regulation. Two independent athletes won medals in shooting competitions with the clay target :
- Fehaid Al-Deehani , gold, double trap
- Abdullah Al-Rashidi , bronze, skeet
The IOC created a team for refugees who could start under a neutral flag.
Olympic Winter Games 2018
Russia was banned from the IOC for the 2018 Winter Olympics in Pyeongchang, but unencumbered athletes from Russia were allowed to start under a neutral flag . They started under the abbreviation OAR (Olympic Athletes from Russia).
See also
Web links
- IOC to the Summer Games in 1992 (Engl.)
- Official reports to the games (Engl.)
Remarks
- ↑ http://zeenews.india.com/sports/others/sochi-games-four-indian-skiers-to-go-as-independent-athletes_777046.html
- ↑ India part of the Olympic family again. In: sueddeutsche.de =. February 11, 2014, accessed August 10, 2020 .
