Nauru at the 2012 Summer Olympics
{{good article}}
{{Use British English|date=March 2017}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=March 2017}}
{{infobox country at games
| NOC = NRU
| NOCname = Nauru Olympic Committee
| games = Summer Olympics
| year = 2012
| flagcaption =
| oldcode =
| website = {{url|www.oceaniasport.com/nauru }}
| location = London
| competitors = 2
| sports = 2
| flagbearer = Itte Detenamo
| rank =
| gold = 0
| silver = 0
| bronze = 0
| officials =
| appearances = auto
| app_begin_year = 1996
| app_end_year =
| summerappearances =
| winterappearances =
| seealso =
}}
Nauru 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 fifth appearance in the Summer Olympics since its debut at the 1996 Summer Olympics. The delegation consisted of two participants: Sled Dowabobo in the men's (73 kilogram) lightweight judo contest and Itte Detenamo in the men's (105 kilogram) super-heavyweight weightlifting competition. Dowabobo qualified as one of Oceania's highest ranked judo competitors while Detenamo made the Games based on his qualifying performance. Detenamo was the flag bearer for both the opening and closing ceremonies. Dowabobo was eliminated by his opponent Navruz Jurakobilov in the round of 64 and Detemano was 14th in his event.
Background
Nauru participated in five Summer Olympic Games between its debut in the 1996 Summer Olympics in Atlanta, United States and the 2012 Summer Olympics in London, United Kingdom.{{Cite web|url=https://www.sports-reference.com/olympics/countries/NRU/ |title=Sports Reference – Countries – Nauru |publisher=Sports Reference |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160908053441/http://www.sports-reference.com/olympics/countries/NRU/ |archive-date= 8 September 2016 |access-date=20 March 2017 |url-status=dead }} No Nauruan athlete has ever won a medal at the Olympic Games and the nation has not competed at the Winter Olympic Games. The nation participated in the London Summer Games from 27 July to 12 August 2012.{{Cite web|url=https://www.sports-reference.com/olympics/countries/NRU/summer/2012/ |title=Nauru at the 2012 London Summer Games |publisher=Sports Reference |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160707193630/http://www.sports-reference.com/olympics/countries/NRU/summer/2012/ |archive-date= 7 July 2016 |access-date=20 March 2017 |url-status=dead }}
The two athletes selected to represent Nauru at the Olympics were judoka Sled Dowabobo and weightlifter Itte Detenamo Nauru, along with Barbados and Saint Kitts and Nevis, was one of three countries to send only male athletes to the 2012 Games.{{cite news|url=https://www.telegraph.co.uk/sport/olympics/9468113/London-2012-Olympics-diary-three-countries-have-failed-to-send-any-female-athletes.html |title=London 2012 Olympics diary: three countries have failed to send any female athletes |date=11 August 2012 |work=The Daily Telegraph |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160111234444/http://www.telegraph.co.uk/sport/olympics/9468113/London-2012-Olympics-diary-three-countries-have-failed-to-send-any-female-athletes.html |archive-date=11 January 2016 |access-date=30 July 2016 |author=Magnay, Jacquelin |url-status=live }} Along with the two athletes, the delegation consisted of their coaches Paul Coffa and Patrick Mahon. Dowabobo trained at the University of Bath.{{Cite news|url=https://www.theguardian.com/sport/2012/aug/07/london-2012-nauru-itte-detenamo |title=London 2012: Nauru's Itte Detenamo craves home comforts as exit looms |last=Jackson |first=Jamie |date=7 August 2012 |work=The Guardian |access-date=20 March 2017 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140114173637/http://www.theguardian.com/sport/2012/aug/07/london-2012-nauru-itte-detenamo |archive-date=14 January 2014 |url-status=dead }}{{Cite web|url=https://www.teambath.com/2012/07/21/sled-honoured-to-make-history-for-nauru/ |title=Sled honoured to make history for Nauru |date=21 July 2012 |publisher=University of Bath |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20151206093318/http://www.teambath.com/2012/07/21/sled-honoured-to-make-history-for-nauru/ |archive-date= 6 December 2015 |access-date=20 March 2017 |url-status=live }} Detenamo was selected as the flag bearer for both the opening and closing ceremonies.{{Cite news|url=http://link.galegroup.com/apps/doc/A297793792/GPS?sid=wikipedia|title=Olympic flag bearers|date=27 July 2012|work=United Press International|access-date=22 October 2016|url-access=subscription |via=General OneFile}}{{cite web|url=http://www.olympic.org/Documents/Games_London_2012/London_2012_Closing_Ceremony-Flag_Bearers.pdf|title=London 2012 Closing Ceremony – Flag Bearers|publisher=Olympic.org.|access-date=7 March 2015|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160815055250/https://stillmed.olympic.org/Documents/Games_London_2012/London_2012_Closing_Ceremony-Flag_Bearers.pdf|archive-date=15 August 2016}}
Judo
{{Main|Judo at the 2012 Summer Olympics}}
File:Excel_London_Summer_2011.jpg where Dowabobo and Detenamo competed in their respective events.]]
Sled Dowabobo represented Nauru in men's judo and was the oldest person to represent the country at the London Games at age 29. He had not taken part in any previous Olympic Games,{{Cite web|url=https://www.sports-reference.com/olympics/athletes/do/sled-dowabobo-1.html |title=Sled Dowabobo |publisher=Sports Reference |access-date=20 March 2017 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20161203032232/http://www.sports-reference.com/olympics/athletes/do/sled-dowabobo-1.html |archive-date= 3 December 2016 }} but his participation at London marked the country's official Olympic debut in the sport at these Games. Dowabobo qualified for the Games after being chosen as one of the highest ranked Oceania athletes in any sporting discipline by the International Judo Federation, without having qualified.{{cite web |url=http://judo-zveza.si/datoteke/novice/ijf-otkrio-popis-olimpijaca/qualified-athletes-by-category.pdf |title=IJF Olympic Qualification List |year=2012 |publisher=International Judo Federation |access-date=20 October 2016 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140801204619/http://judo-zveza.si/datoteke/novice/ijf-otkrio-popis-olimpijaca/qualified-athletes-by-category.pdf |archive-date=1 August 2014 |df=dmy-all }} Before the Games, he said: "It will be awesome to be the first Olympic judo player from Nauru. I'm really excited about the Games." Dowabobo faced Navruz Jurakobilov of Uzbekistan in the round of 64 of the men's lightweight (73 kilogram) judo competition on 30 July. He was defeated by his opponent with a scoreline of 0001–0100 and the result meant he was eliminated from contention.{{Cite web|url=http://www.london2012.com/judo/event/men-less-than-73kg/phase=jum073500/index.html |title=Results – Judo – Men's 73kg – Mon 30-Jul |website=London 2012 |archive-url=https://archive.today/20130103202820/http://www.london2012.com/judo/event/men-less-than-73kg/phase=jum073500/index.html |archive-date= 3 January 2013 |access-date=20 March 2017 |url-status=dead }} Afterwards the president of Nauru's National Olympic Committee Marcus Stephen noted that Dowabobo was competing against a strong opponent and revealed that he encouraged his fellow countryman not to be antipathetic over the result and progress farther.{{Cite web|url=http://websites.sportstg.com/assoc_page.cgi?client=2-3847-0-0-0&sID=255446&&news_task=DETAIL&articleID=20206110 |title=Country Profile |last=Pontanes |first=Chrizzel |website=SportsTG |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170507163849/http://websites.sportstg.com/assoc_page.cgi?client=2-3847-0-0-0&sID=255446&&news_task=DETAIL&articleID=20206110 |archive-date= 7 May 2017 |url-status=live |access-date=20 March 2017 }}
| class="wikitable" style="font-size:90%"
! rowspan="2" |Athlete ! rowspan="2" |Event !Round of 64 !Round of 32 !Round of 16 !Quarterfinals !Semifinals !Repechage ! colspan="2" |Final / {{abbr|BM|Bronze medal match}} |
| style="font-size:95%"
!Opposition Result !Opposition Result !Opposition Result !Opposition Result !Opposition Result !Opposition Result !Opposition Result !Rank |
| align="center"
| align="left" |Sled Dowabobo | align="left" |Men's −73 kg |{{flagIOCathlete|Jurakobilov|UZB|2012 Summer}} |
Weightlifting
{{Main|Weightlifting at the 2012 Summer Olympics}}
Itte Detenamo participated on Nauru's behalf in the men's (105 kilogram) super-heavyweight weightlifting contest. He was the youngest person to represent Nauru at the London Games at the age of 25 and had participated for his country in the 2004 Summer Olympics in Athens and the 2008 Summer Olympics in Beijing.{{Cite web|url=https://www.sports-reference.com/olympics/athletes/de/itte-detenamo-1.html |title=Itte Detenamo |publisher=Sports Reference |access-date=20 March 2017 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160703145731/http://www.sports-reference.com/olympics/athletes/de/itte-detenamo-1.html |archive-date= 3 July 2016 }} Detenamo qualified for the Games based on his performance at the 2012 Oceania Weightlifting Championships in Apia, Samoa.{{cite web|url=http://www.iwf.net/wp-content/uploads/downloads/2012/06/5MQTEAM.pdf |title=Oceania Qualification Team Classification for London Olympic Games – Men |date=9 June 2012 |publisher=International Weightlifting Federation |access-date=9 June 2012 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160303223318/http://www.iwf.net/wp-content/uploads/downloads/2012/06/5MQTEAM.pdf |archive-date= 3 March 2016 |url-status=dead }}{{cite web|url=http://www.iwf.net/wp-content/uploads/downloads/2012/03/2012-03-London-2012-Qualification-System-Weightlifting-EN.pdf |title=Qualification System – International Weightlifting Federation |date=4 January 2012 |publisher=International Weightlifting Federation |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160823204043/http://www.iwf.net/wp-content/uploads/downloads/2012/03/2012-03-London-2012-Qualification-System-Weightlifting-EN.pdf |archive-date=23 August 2016 |access-date=1 April 2012 |url-status=dead }} His event took place on 7 August, and included 19 athletes in total.{{Cite web|url=http://proxy.espn.com/olympics/summer/2012/results?sport=48&event=246 |title=2012 Summer Olympics Results – Weightlifting Results for Men's +105kg |website=ESPN |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170507163943/http://proxy.espn.com/olympics/summer/2012/results?sport=48&event=246 |archive-date= 7 May 2017 |url-status=live |access-date=20 March 2017 }} During the event's snatch phase, Detenamo was given three attempts. He successfully attempted to lift over 90 kilograms of weight in all three of his attempts. He then attempted 205 kilograms during the clean and jerk phase of the event, successfully lifting it on his first attempt. He did not succeed in lifting 215 kilograms on his second attempt, but was successful with 225 on his third. Overall the combination of Detenamo's highest scores in snatch (175) and clean and jerk (215) yielded a score of 390 points for 14th place.{{#tag:ref|Three weightlifters did not finish.|group="n"}} Afterwards, his coach Paul Coffa revealed Detenamo was carrying a minor shoulder injury and had been keen to perform well because of the athlete being away from Nauru for a long period of time.
| class="wikitable" style="font-size:90%"
! rowspan="2" |Athlete ! rowspan="2" |Event ! colspan="2" |Snatch ! colspan="2" |Clean & Jerk ! rowspan="2" |Total ! rowspan="2" |Rank |
| style="font-size:95%"
!Result !Rank !Result !Rank |
| align="center"
| align="left" |Itte Detenamo | align="left" |Men's +105 kg |175 |15 |215 |16 |390 |
Notes
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References
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{{Nations at the 2012 Summer Olympics}}
{{Country at games navbox|Nauru|Summer Olympics}}
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