Who are the Independent Participants?

As the name implies, the independent participants of the Olympic Games are those athletes who for some reason or another, don't represent their country of origin.

Last update: 03 July, 2020

Independent participants is a term used to define athletes of different nationalities whose countries aren’t recognized or they’re sanctioned for some reason. Read along to learn more.

Independent participants of the Olympics Games

The independent athlete system was established for the first time during the Barcelona Games in 1992. However, it’s important to state that there was a historic precedent from the 1906 Olympic games. Here, there were a few mixed nationality athletes participating.

Just before the 1940 Games (postponed due to WWII), the Germans didn’t recognize Czechoslovakia as a country. Czechoslovakian athletes, however, were allowed to participate under the Olympic flag.

During the Cold War, athletes who’d emigrated from communist countries weren’t allowed to compete in the Olympic Games. This was because their country of origin didn’t allow them to participate.

In 1976 a sprinter from Guyana – a country which had joined the boycott of the Montreal Games asked the International Olympic Committee to allow him to compete as an independent athlete. His request was ultimately rejected.

During the 1980 Moscow Games, there were over 14 athletes from different countries who decided to compete under the Olympic flag.

Shooting competition

Independent athletes Barcelona 1992

The 1992 Games in Barcelona became the first time that athletes were officially allowed to participate without representing their country. These athletes were called Independent Olympic Participants (IOPs) and they were mainly from Yugoslavia (a country that was sanctioned by the United Nations due to the Yugoslavian war) and Macedonia.

Of the 58 IOP athletes, three of them won medals (all in shooting events). A silver medal was awarded in the 10-meter female air gun shooting event. A bronze in the 10-meter female rifle event and another bronze in the 50-meter male rifle event.

Independent athletes Sydney 2000

During the first games in the new millennium, the individual Olympic participants were composed of four athletes from East Timor, a country that was in transition to independence. During these Games, the IOPs didn’t win any medals.

Independent participants London Games 2012

There were no independent participants during the games in Athens in 2004 and Beijing in 2008. However, during the London Games in 2012, there was a representation of independent participants. There were athletes from Antilla, a country whose Olympic Committee was dissolved a year earlier.

2016 Rio Games

During these Olympic Games, there were independent participates from Kuwait. The Middle Eastern country was suspended by the IOC for government interference. The independent athletes participated in shooting, swimming, and fencing.

During this edition in Rio, the IOPs won two medals. A gold medal was won by Fehaid Al -Deehani in men’s double shot put and a bronze medal was awarded to Abdullah Al – Rashidi in men’s skeet.

Olympic games logo

Pyeongchang 2018

After the doping scandal, the Russian Olympic Committee was suspended in 2017. As a result, Russia was barred from competing in the 2018 Pyeongchang Winter Olympics.  Many Russian athletes were able to participate in the independent category.

The athletes won medals in acrobatic skiing (two bronze), cross-country skiing (three silver, five bronze), ice hockey (one gold), and skeleton (one silver). In total, the independent athletes won 17 medals.


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