Equatorial Guinea at the 2012 Summer Olympics

Equatorial Guinea at the
2012 Summer Olympics
IOC code GEQ
NOC Equatoguinean Olympic Committee
in London
Competitors 2 in 1 sport
Flag bearer Bibiana Olama
Medals
Gold Silver Bronze Total
0 0 0 0
Summer Olympics appearances (overview)

Equatorial Guinea competed at the 2012 Summer Olympics in London, which was held from 27 July to 12 August 2012. The country's participation at London marked its eighth appearance in the Summer Olympics since its début at the 1984 Summer Olympics. The delegation included two track and field athletes, Benjamín Enzema and Bibiana Olama who both qualified for the games via wildcards because their fastest times did not meet the required qualification standards. Olama was selected as the flag bearer for both the opening and closing ceremonies. Both athletes did not advance beyond the first round of their respective events.

Background

Equatorial Guinea participated in eight Summer Olympic games between its début at the 1984 Summer Olympics in Los Angeles, United States and the 2012 Summer Olympics in London, England.[1] The highest number of athletes sent by Equatorial Guinea to a summer games is seven to the 1992 Olympics.[1] No Equatoguinean athlete has ever won a medal at the Olympic Games.[1] Equatorial Guinea would participate in the London Summer Olympics from 27 July to 12 August 2012.[2] The Equatoguinean National Olympic Committee (NOC) selected two athletes via wildcards. Usually, an NOC would be able to enter up to three qualified athletes in each individual event as long as each athlete met the "A" standard, or one athlete per event if they met the "B" standard. However, since Equatorial Guinea had no athletes that met either standard, they were allowed to select two athletes, one of each gender, as wildcards.[3]

The two athletes that were selected to compete at the London Games were Benjamín Enzema in the men's 800 metres and Bibiana Olama in the women's 100 metres hurdles.[2] Olama was the flag bearer for both the opening and closing ceremonies.[4][5] The country's Olympic women's football team was disqualified from the event's qualification stage after it was discovered that they were fielding an ineligible player.[6] The Equatorial Guinea delegation was led by the NOC president Manuel Sabino Asumu Kawan and the country's Ambassador in London, Mari-Cruz Evuna Andeme.[7] The athletes were coached by Jose Moises Bodipo Minter, and the competitors said that despite training being difficult in Equatorial Guinea, they wanted to establish a good reputation for their country.[8]

Athletics

Benjamin Enzema was the only male athlete representing Equatorial Guinea at the London Olympics. He had not previously competed in any previous Olympic Games.[2] Enzema qualified for the games via a wildcard because his best time of one minute and 56.23 seconds, set at the 2012 African Championships in Athletics, was 9.93 seconds slower than the "B" standard entry time for his event, the 800 metres.[3][9] He was drawn in the event's seventh heat on 6 August, finishing seventh out of eight competitors, with a time of one minute and 57.47 seconds. Enzema ranked behind Moise Joseph of Haiti (1 minute and 48.46 seconds) and finished ahead of Brazil's Kléberson Davide who was unable to start in a heat led by Duane Solomon from the United States (one minute and 46.05 seconds).[10] Overall he finished 49th out of 52 athletes,[lower-alpha 1] and did not make the semi-finals after being 11.05 seconds slower than the slowest competitor who advanced to the later stages.[10]

The London Olympic Stadium, where Enzema and Olama competed in track and field events

Competing at her first Olympic Games, Bibiana Olama was the oldest athlete to represent Equatorial Guinea in London at the age of 29.[2] She qualified for the London Olympics because her fastest time of 15.95 seconds, set at the 2010 African Championships in Athletics, was 2.85 seconds slower than the "B" qualifying standard for her event, the 100 metres hurdles.[3][11] Olama competed in the event's sixth (and final) heat on 6 August, finishing ninth (and last) out of all runners, with a time of 16.18 seconds.[12] Her time was her fastest of the 2012 athletic season.[11] Olama ranked behind Jamaica's Brigitte Foster-Hylton (13.98 seconds) and Odile Ahouanwanou of Benin (14.76 seconds) in a heat led by Lolo Jones of the United States (12.68 seconds). She finished 46th (and last) out of all athletes,[lower-alpha 2] and did not advance to the semi-finals because her time was 3.18 seconds slower than the slowest runner in her heat who progressed to the later rounds.[12]

Key
  • Note–Ranks given for track events are within the athlete's heat only
Men
Athlete Event Heat Semifinal Final
Result Rank Result Rank Result Rank
Benjamín Enzema 800 m 1:57.47 7 Did not advance
Women
Athlete Event Heat Semifinal Final
Result Rank Result Rank Result Rank
Bibiana Olama 100 m hurdles 16.18 SB 9 Did not advance

Notes

  1. ↑ Two other athletes were disqualified, and one did not start.[10]
  2. ↑ Two competitors did not start, and two more were disqualified.[12]

References

  1. 1 2 3 "Countries – Equatorial Guinea". Sports Reference. Retrieved 28 October 2016.
  2. 1 2 3 4 "Equatorial Guinea at the 2012 London Summer Games". Sports Reference. Retrieved 28 October 2016.
  3. 1 2 3 "London 2012 Olympics: Athletics qualification". The Daily Telegraph. 15 April 2011. Retrieved 5 March 2015.
  4. ↑ "Olympic flag bearers". United Press International. 27 July 2012. Retrieved 22 October 2016 – via General OneFile. (subscription required (help)).
  5. ↑ "London 2012 Closing Ceremony – Flag Bearers" (PDF). Olympic.org. Retrieved 7 March 2015.
  6. ↑ "Eq Guinea thrown out of women's Olympic qualifiers". BBC Sport. 1 July 2011. Retrieved 28 October 2016.
  7. ↑ Monsuy Senior, David (27 July 2012). "Presentation of the Equatorial Guinean team at the London Olympic Games". Guinea Equatorial Press. Retrieved 28 October 2016.
  8. ↑ Monsuy Senior, David (4 August 2012). "Interview with the Equatorial Guinean athletes in London". Guinea Equatorial Press. Retrieved 28 October 2016.
  9. ↑ "Benjamin Enzema – Athlete Profile – Progression". IAAF. Retrieved 28 October 2016.
  10. 1 2 3 "Track and Field / Menʼs 800m". The New York Times. Retrieved 28 October 2016.
  11. 1 2 "Bibiana Martina Olama – Athlete Profile – Progression". IAAF. Retrieved 28 October 2016.
  12. 1 2 3 "2012 Summer Olympics – Results – Athletics – Women's 100 metres hurdles". ESPN. Retrieved 28 October 2016.
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