Cook Islands at the 1992 Summer Olympics

The Cook Islands took part in the 1992 Summer Olympics held in Barcelona, Spain, from July 25 to August 9, 1992. This was the second time the Cook Islands had joined the Olympic Games, after first appearing in the 1988 Summer Olympics.

Two athletes represented the Cook Islands. Mark Sherwin competed in track and field, specifically in the men's 100 meters. Unfortunately, he did not move past the first round of races. The other athlete, Sam Nunuke Pera, was a weightlifter who competed in the men's 100 kilograms category. He did not finish his lifts in the competition.

Even though neither athlete won a medal, their participation showed the Cook Islands' commitment to the Olympic spirit and to taking part in this important international event.

Background

The Cook Islands Sports and National Olympic Committee became a member of the International Olympic Committee on January 1, 1986. The Cook Islands first joined the 1988 Summer Olympics and have sent athletes to every Summer Olympic Games since then. The 1992 Summer Olympics in Barcelona, Spain, were their second time joining the Summer Olympics. They have never joined a Winter Olympic Games. As of 2018, the Cook Islands have not won any Olympic medals.

The 1992 Summer Olympics happened from July 25 to August 9. Over 9,000 athletes from 169 countries took part. The Cook Islands sent two athletes to Barcelona: a track and field runner named Mark Sherwin and a weightlifter named Sam Nunuke Pera. Sam Nunuke Pera carried the flag for the Cook Islands during the opening ceremony.

Competitors

The Cook Islands sent two athletes to the 1992 Summer Olympics in Barcelona, Spain. One athlete competed in track and field, and the other in weightlifting.

Athletics

Main article: Athletics at the 1992 Summer Olympics

Mark Sherwin, a 22-year-old athlete, competed for the Cook Islands at the 1992 Summer Olympics in Barcelona, Spain. He ran in the men's 100 meters race on July 31. He finished eighth in his heat with a time of 11.53 seconds, which was not fast enough to move on to the next round. The winner of the race was Linford Christie from Great Britain, with Frankie Fredericks from Namibia taking silver and Dennis Mitchell from the United States winning bronze. Sherwin tried again four years later in Atlanta but did not advance past the first round.

• Note–Ranks given for track events are within the athlete's heat only

Weightlifting

Main article: Weightlifting at the 1992 Summer Olympics

Sam Nunuke Pera was 23 years old when he competed in the Barcelona Olympics. He participated in the 100 kg and under weight class on August 2. Pera weighed 92.6 kg. He tried to lift 105 kilograms in the first part of the competition but was not successful. Because of this, he could not continue in the next part of the event. The gold medal was won by Viktor Tregubov from the Unified Team, silver by Tymur Taimazov, also from the Unified Team, and bronze by Waldemar Malak from Poland.

Pera later competed again for the Cook Islands in the 1996 and 2004 Summer Olympics.