Kiribati at the 2016 Summer Olympics

Kiribati competed at the 2016 Summer Olympics in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, from August 5 to 21, 2016. This was the nation's fourth time in a row to take part in the Summer Olympics.

The team from Kiribati had three athletes. There were two track sprinters, John Ruuka and Karitaake Tewaaki, and one weightlifter named David Katoatau. David Katoatau was also the person to carry the flag for Kiribati during the opening ceremony for the third time. So far, Kiribati has not yet won an Olympic medal.

Background

Kiribati wanted to join the Olympics in the 1980s and created their National Olympic Committee in 2002, which was recognized by the International Olympic Committee in 2003. Their first Olympics was in 2004, and the 2016 Olympics were their fourth. In these Games, athletes from Kiribati took part in weightlifting and athletics.

So far, Kiribati has not won an Olympic medal. David Katoatau carried the flag for Kiribati in the opening ceremony for the third time in a row. He got attention for how hard he worked at this task. Kiribati did not choose a flag carrier for the closing ceremony, so a volunteer did it instead.

Athletics

Main articles: Athletics at the 2016 Summer Olympics and Athletics at the 2016 Summer Olympics – Qualification

Kiribati sent two athletes to the 2016 Summer Olympics because of special rules that let them join. Both ran in the 100 meter dash but didn’t get to practice much because their main stadium is made of sand and often floods.

Karitaake Tewaaki, who was eighteen, ran the race in 14.70 seconds and finished last in her group. John Ruuka turned twenty-one during the Olympics and ran in 11.65 seconds, finishing sixth in his group.

Track & road events

Weightlifting

Main articles: Weightlifting at the 2016 Summer Olympics and Weightlifting at the 2016 Summer Olympics – Qualification

Kiribati had one weightlifter at the 2016 Summer Olympics in Rio de Janeiro. His name was David Katoatau, and it was his third time competing in the Olympics. He trained at a special place in Nouméa, New Caledonia.

Katoatau lifted heavy weights in two different ways: first, he lifted 145 kg, and then he lifted 204 kg in another style. Altogether, he lifted 349 kg. He finished in 14th place.

After each lift, Katoatau would dance. He did this to help people notice the problem of climate change. Kiribati is a small island country that could be in danger from rising sea levels. Before the Olympics, Katoatau wrote a letter asking the world for help, saying that his country needs support because it doesn’t have the resources to protect itself.