Saudi Arabia at the 2016 Summer Olympics

Saudi Arabia took part in the 2016 Summer Olympics held in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, from August 5 to August 21, 2016. This was the eleventh time the country joined the Olympic Games. The Saudi Arabian Olympic Committee chose eleven athletes to compete—seven men and four women—across five sports. This was a big step because it doubled the number of women athletes compared to four years earlier in London.

Among the team were discus thrower Sultan Mubarak Al-Dawoodi and distance runners Moukhled Al-Outaibi and Sarah Attar, who had also competed in past Olympics. The rest of the athletes were making their Olympic debut in Rio de Janeiro. Judoka Sulaiman Hamad led the team as the flag bearer during the opening ceremony.

Even though the athletes worked hard, Saudi Arabia did not win any medals at these Games. This was different from previous Olympics because the country’s equestrian jumping team, which had helped earn medals before, was not there this time.

Athletics

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

Saudi Arabia had athletes who met the qualifying standards for several running and field events at the 2016 Summer Olympics. Up to three athletes could compete in each event.

Fencing

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

Saudi Arabia had one fencer compete in the 2016 Olympics, returning to the sport for the first time since the 1992 Games. Lubna Al-Omair received a special spot to help make the Olympics more equal for everyone.

Athlete	Event	Round of 64	Round of 32	Round of 16	Quarterfinal	Semifinal	Final / BM
		Opposition Score	Opposition Score	Opposition Score	Opposition Score	Opposition Score	Opposition Score	Rank
Lubna Al-Omair	Women's foil	Rochel (BRA) L 0–15	Did not advance

Judo

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

Saudi Arabia had two athletes in judo at the 2016 Olympics. Sulaiman Hamad competed in the men’s 66 kg class. He got his spot because he was one of the best-ranked judokas from Asia. Wujud Fahmi competed in the women’s 52 kg class. She got an extra spot allowed by the International Olympic Committee.

Some reports said Fahmi did not fight because she did not want to face an opponent from Israel. But she, Saudi news, and the Saudi Olympic team said she could not fight because she was hurt during training. Others said she was not actually hurt. Her coach thought it was strange she was hurt right before her fight.

Athlete	Event	Round of 64	Round of 32	Round of 16	Quarterfinals	Semifinals	Repechage	Final / BM
		Opposition Result	Opposition Result	Opposition Result	Opposition Result	Opposition Result	Opposition Result	Opposition Result	Rank
Sulaiman Hamad	Men's −66 kg	Bye	Davaadorj (MGL) L 000–100	Did not advance
Joud Fahmy	Women's −52 kg	—N/a	Legentil (MRI) L 000–100	Did not advance

Shooting

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

Saudi Arabia had one shooter in the men's pistol events. He earned his spot by doing well at the 2016 Asian Olympic Qualifying Tournament in New Delhi, India. He also needed to meet a certain score by March 31, 2016.

Qualification Legend: Q = Qualify for the next round; q = Qualify for the bronze medal (shotgun)

Weightlifting

Main article: Weightlifting at the 2016 Summer Olympics

Saudi Arabia had one male weightlifter qualify for the Rio Olympics because he finished in the top seven at the 2016 Asian Championships. The team needed to choose who would take this spot by June 20, 2016.