Nauru at the 2020 Summer Olympics

{{short description|Nauru at the Games of the XXXII Olympiad in Tokyo}}

{{infobox country at games

| NOC = NRU

| NOCname = Nauru Olympic Committee

| games = Summer Olympics

| year = 2020

| start_date = {{start date|2021|7|23|df=y}}

| end_date = {{end date|2021|8|8|df=y}}

| website = {{url|www.oceaniasport.com/nauru }}

| location = Tokyo

| competitors = 2

| sports = 2

| flagbearer_open = Nancy Genzel Abouke
Jonah Harris

| flagbearer_close = Nancy Genzel Abouke

| gold = 0

| silver = 0

| bronze = 0

| officials = 4

| appearances = auto

| app_begin_year = 1996

}}

Nauru competed at the 2020 Summer Olympics in Tokyo. Originally scheduled to take place from 24 July to 9 August 2020, the Games were postponed to 23 July to 8 August 2021, due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The country's participation in Tokyo marked its seventh appearance at the Summer Olympics since its debut in 1996.

The Nauruan delegation consisted of seven people, with two athletes: sprinter Jonah Harris and weightlifter Nancy Genzel Abouke, the smallest athlete delegation of a country at those Games.{{efn|Tied with Andorra, Bermuda, Brunei, Central African Republic, Dominica, Lesotho, Marshall Islands, Mauritania, Saint Kitts and Nevis, Somalia, South Sudan, and Tuvalu.{{cite web |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/sports/olympics/2021/07/23/olympics-athletes-by-the-numbers/ |title=How many athletes participate in the Olympics, and other key numbers from the Games |date=July 24, 2021 |access-date=May 25, 2024 |publisher=Washington Post |last1=Bonesteel |first1=Matt |archive-date=20 October 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211020182440/https://www.washingtonpost.com/sports/olympics/2021/07/23/olympics-athletes-by-the-numbers/ |url-status=live }} }} Harris qualified through a universality slot by World Athletics, while Abouke qualified through a tripartite invitation quota given by the International Weightlifting Federation. Harris and Abouke were the flagbearers for the opening ceremony, while Abouke solely held the flag at the closing ceremony. Neither athlete medaled, and as of these Games, Nauru had not earned an Olympic medal.

Background

Originally scheduled to take place from 24 July to 9 August 2020, the Games were postponed to 23 July to 8 August 2021, due to the COVID-19 pandemic.{{cite news|title=Joint Statement from the International Olympic Committee and the Tokyo 2020 Organising Committee|url=https://www.olympic.org/news/joint-statement-from-the-international-olympic-committee-and-the-tokyo-2020-organising-committee|access-date=25 May 2024|publisher=International Olympic Committee|date=24 March 2020|archive-date=24 March 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200324143837/https://www.olympic.org/news/joint-statement-from-the-international-olympic-committee-and-the-tokyo-2020-organising-committee|url-status=live}} This edition of the Games marked the nation's seventh appearance at the Summer Olympics since they debuted at the 1996 Summer Olympics held in Atlanta, Georgia, United States.{{cite web |url=https://www.olympedia.org/countries/NRU |title=Nauru Overview |access-date=25 May 2024 |publisher=Olympedia |archive-date=2 May 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240502013022/http://www.olympedia.org/countries/NRU |url-status=live }}

=Travel=

On 20 July 2021, members of the Nauruan delegation travelled to Tokyo, Japan, the site of the Games, through Nauru Airlines.{{cite web |url=https://www.loopnauru.com/nauru-news/team-nauru-departs-tokyo-olympics-102486 |title=Team Nauru departs for Tokyo Olympics |date=21 July 2021 |access-date=26 May 2024 |publisher=Loop Pacific |archive-date=26 May 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240526151110/https://www.loopnauru.com/nauru-news/team-nauru-departs-tokyo-olympics-102486 |url-status=live }} A coordination with the International Olympic Committee, the Oceania National Olympic Committees of Nauru, Kiribati, Solomon Islands, and Tuvalu, and Nauru Airlines, used the airline to charter two flights with four national delegations. The delegations that went on the flight were Nauru, Kiribati, Solomon Islands, and Tuvalu. The flight took a technical stop in Chuuk State of the Federated States of Micronesia, for travel to Tokyo due to precautions brought on by the COVID-19 pandemic. Delegations from the three other nations were brought to Nauru on 19 July 2021, and the following day saw their departure to Haneda Airport in Tokyo.{{cite web |url=https://www.oceanianoc.org/press/joint-ioc-and-nauru-effort-ensures-four-pacific-islands-athletes-passage-to-tokyo |title=Joint IOC and Nauru effort ensures four Pacific islands NOCs' passage to Tokyo |date=22 July 2021 |access-date=26 May 2024 |publisher=Oceania National Olympic Committees |archive-date=26 May 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240526151110/https://www.oceanianoc.org/press/joint-ioc-and-nauru-effort-ensures-four-pacific-islands-athletes-passage-to-tokyo |url-status=live }}

=Delegation=

The Nauruan delegation was composed of seven people. Officials present were Nauru Olympic Committee president and three-time Olympian Marcus Stephen,{{cite web |url=https://www.rnz.co.nz/international/programmes/champions-of-the-pacific/audio/2018799642/first-olympians-the-weight-of-a-nation |title=First Olympians: The weight of a nation |date=16 June 2021 |access-date=26 May 2024 |publisher=Radio New Zealand |archive-date=26 May 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240526151110/https://www.rnz.co.nz/international/programmes/champions-of-the-pacific/audio/2018799642/first-olympians-the-weight-of-a-nation |url-status=live }} chef de mission Gay Uera, and delegation secretaries general Reagan Moses and Sean Oppenheimer.{{cite web|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210726101103/https://olympics.com/tokyo-2020/olympic-games/en/results/all-sports/noc-profile-nauru.htm |url=https://olympics.com/tokyo-2020/olympic-games/en/results/all-sports/noc-profile-nauru.htm |archive-date=26 July 2021 |access-date=26 May 2024 |title=Team Nauru - Profile |publisher=TOCOG |url-status=dead}} Weightlifting coach and Olympian Quincy Detenamo was the only coach present.{{cite web|url=https://olympics.com/en/athletes/quincy-detenamo |title=Quincy DETENAMO |publisher=International Olympic Committee |access-date=26 May 2024 }} The athletes who competed were sprinter Jonah Harris, who competed in the men's 100 meter, and weightlifter Nancy Genzel Abouke, who competed in the women's 76 kg category.

Abouke was the last Nauruan athlete to compete at these Games. No Nauruan athlete has yet earned an Olympic medal.

=Opening and closing ceremonies=

The Nauruan delegation marched 124th out of 206 countries in the 2020 Summer Olympics Parade of Nations within the opening ceremony, due to the host's use of the local kana alphabetical system.{{efn|{{langx|ja|ナウル|Nauru}} }} Both athletes, Harris and Abouke, held the flag for the delegation in the ceremony.{{cite web |url=https://stillmed.olympics.com/media/Documents/News/2021/07/Tokyo-2020-Opening-Ceremony-Flag-bearers-Marching-order.pdf |title=Tokyo 2020 Opening Ceremony Flag Bearers Marching Order |publisher=NPR |date=23 July 2021 |access-date=24 May 2024 |archive-date=2 August 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210802220313/https://stillmed.olympics.com/media/Documents/News/2021/07/Tokyo-2020-Opening-Ceremony-Flag-bearers-Marching-order.pdf |url-status=live }} At the closing ceremony, Abouke was the designated flagbearer for the nation.{{cite web |url=https://stillmed.olympics.com/media/Documents/News/2021/08/Tokyo-2020-Closing-Ceremony-Flag-bearers.pdf |title=List of flagbearers for the 205 NOCs and the IOC Refugee Olympic Team |publisher=International Olympic Committee |date=8 August 2021 |access-date=26 May 2024 |archive-date=4 October 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211004201903/https://stillmed.olympics.com/media/Documents/News/2021/08/Tokyo-2020-Closing-Ceremony-Flag-bearers.pdf |url-status=live }}

Competitors

The following is the list of number of competitors in the Games.

width=180\|Sport ! width=55\|Men ! width=55\|Women ! width=55\|Total
class="wikitable sortable" style="text-align:center;"
align=left\|Athletics \| 1	0	1
align=left\|Weightlifting \| 0	1	1
Total \|\| 1 \|\| 1 \|\| 2

Athletics

{{main|Athletics at the 2020 Summer Olympics|Athletics at the 2020 Summer Olympics – Qualification}}

File:Jonah Harris.jpg about to depart for the Tokyo Olympics, boarding a special IOC chartered flight ]]

Nauru received a universality slot from World Athletics to send a male track and field athlete to the Olympics, which allows a National Olympic Committee to send athletes despite not meeting the standard qualification criteria.{{cite web|url=https://olympics.com/en/news/what-are-universality-places-and-who-can-obtain-one |archive-url=https://archive.today/20240619064135/https://olympics.com/en/news/what-are-universality-places-and-who-can-obtain-one |archive-date=19 June 2024 |date=10 May 2024 |access-date=19 June 2024 |title=What Are Universality Places And Who Can Obtain One? |publisher=International Olympic Committee |last1=Nelsen |first1=Matthew }}{{cite web |title=Road to Olympic Games 2020 |url=https://www.worldathletics.org/stats-zone/road-to/7132391?eventId=10229630&qualificationType=q5 |publisher=World Athletics |access-date=11 June 2021 |archive-date=10 June 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210610230823/https://www.worldathletics.org/stats-zone/road-to/7132391?eventId=10229630&qualificationType=q5 |url-status=live }} The nation selected sprinter and national record holder Jonah Harris, who would be the first athletics competitor for Nauru to participate at the Games.{{cite web |url=https://athletics-oceania.com/28/07/15907/ |title=Jonah Harris On Track To Create Nauru History |date=28 July 2021 |access-date=25 May 2024 |publisher=Oceania Athletics Association |archive-date=26 May 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240526151111/https://athletics-oceania.com/28/07/15907/ |url-status=live }} He competed in the men's 100 m.{{cite web |url=https://www.oceanianoc.org/press/nauru-and-tuvalu-athletes-appear-on-bbc-live-interview-from-tokyo |title=Nauru and Tuvalu athletes appear on BBC live interview from Tokyo |date=4 August 2021 |access-date=25 May 2024 |publisher=Oceania National Olympic Committees |last1=Komai |first1=Makereta |archive-date=26 May 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240526151111/https://www.oceanianoc.org/press/nauru-and-tuvalu-athletes-appear-on-bbc-live-interview-from-tokyo |url-status=live }}

Harris competed in his event on 31 July 2021,{{cite web |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210416071032/https://tokyo2020.org/en/schedule/athletics-schedule |title=Athletics Competition Schedule |archive-date=April 16, 2021 |url=https://tokyo2020.org/en/schedule/athletics-schedule |url-status=dead |publisher=International Olympic Committee }} running in the third preliminary heat in the fifth lane. He finished with a time of 11.01 seconds, setting a season's best{{efn|Information taken from World Athletics profile.{{cite web |url=https://worldathletics.org/athletes/rep-of-nauru-pacific/jonah-harris-14768384 |title=Jonah Harris |access-date=25 May 2024 |publisher=World Athletics |archive-date=26 May 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240526154116/https://worldathletics.org/athletes/rep-of-nauru-pacific/jonah-harris-14768384 |url-status=live }} }} and finishing fifth, but not advancing to the heats.{{cite web |url=http://www.olympedia.org/results/19000360 |title=100 metres, Men |access-date=May 23, 2024 |publisher=Olympedia |archive-date=10 August 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210810144957/http://www.olympedia.org/results/19000360 |url-status=live }}

After he competed in his event, he was interviewed by the BBC, alongside fellow sprinter Karalo Maibuca of Tuvalu, stating that the live television interview would be "good to get small countries like Nauru on the global map and hopefully get recognized."

{{smalldiv|1=

;Key

Note–Ranks given for track events are within the athlete's heat only
Q = Qualified for the next round
q = Qualified for the next round as a fastest loser or, in field events, by position without achieving the qualifying target
NR = National record
N/A = Round not applicable for the event
Bye = Athlete not required to compete in round}}

;Track & road events

class="wikitable" style="font-size:90%"
rowspan="2"\|Athlete !rowspan="2"\|Event !colspan="2"\|Preliminaries !colspan="2"\|Round 1 !colspan="2"\|Semifinal !colspan="2"\|Final
style="font-size:95%" !Result !Rank !Result !Rank !Result !Rank !Result !Rank
align=center \|align=left\|Jonah Harris \|align=left\|Men's 100 m \|11.01 {{AthAbbr\|SB}} \|5 \| colspan="6" \|Did not advance

class="wikitable" style="font-size:90%"

rowspan="2"|Athlete

!rowspan="2"|Event

!colspan="2"|Preliminaries

!colspan="2"|Round 1

!colspan="2"|Semifinal

!colspan="2"|Final

style="font-size:95%"

!Result

!Rank

!Result

!Rank

!Result

!Rank

!Result

!Rank

align=center

|align=left|Jonah Harris

|align=left|Men's 100 m

|11.01 {{AthAbbr|SB}}

| colspan="6" |Did not advance

Weightlifting

File:Tokyo international forum01s3200.jpg, where Abouke competed in her event]]

{{main|Weightlifting at the 2020 Summer Olympics|Weightlifting at the 2020 Summer Olympics – Qualification}}

Nauru's participation in the sport is the ninth consecutive participation ever since its debut in 1996.{{cite web |url=https://www.olympedia.org/countries/NRU/sports/WLF.1 |title=Nauru in Weightlifting |access-date=26 May 2024 |publisher=Olympedia |archive-date=26 May 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240526151110/https://www.olympedia.org/countries/NRU/sports/WLF.1 |url-status=live }} The nation received one tripartite invitation quota from the International Weightlifting Federation, which allows a National Olympic Committee to send athletes despite not meeting the standard qualification criteria. The nation picked Nancy Genzel Abouke, who would compete in the women's 76 kg category.{{cite web|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210625210743/https://www.iwf.net/wp-content/uploads/downloads/2021/06/Tokyo-2020_Absolute-Ranking-Lists_25062021.pdf|url=https://www.iwf.net/wp-content/uploads/downloads/2021/06/Tokyo-2020_Absolute-Ranking-Lists_25062021.pdf |title=IWF Absolute Ranking List |archive-date=June 25, 2021 |date=June 25, 2021 |access-date=May 20, 2024 |publisher=International Weightlifting Federation }}{{cite web|url=https://www.insidethegames.biz/articles/1109528/weightlifting-germany-pakistan-tokyo|title=Weightlifting doping bans and Olympic invitation bring good news for Germany and Pakistan|publisher=Inside the Games|date=27 June 2021|access-date=4 July 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210627180622/https://www.insidethegames.biz/articles/1109528/weightlifting-germany-pakistan-tokyo|archive-date=27 June 2021}} The lead-up to the Games saw her compete at the 2019 Pacific Games held in Apia, Samoa, and the 2019 Junior World Weightlifting Championships held in Suva, Fiji, when she was aged 15 years old.{{cite web|url=https://pina.com.fj/2021/08/05/worlds-best-female-weightlifters-at-the-tokyo-olympics-inspire-nancy-abouke-of-nauru-2/ |title=World’s best female weightlifters at the Tokyo Olympics inspire Nancy Abouke of Nauru |date=5 August 2021 |access-date=25 May 2024 |publisher=Pacnews |last1=Komai |first1=Makereta }} Aged 18 years old, she was the youngest female lifter and lifter in general to compete at these Games.{{cite web |url=https://www.olympedia.org/editions/61/sports/WLF |title=Weightlifting at the 2020 Summer Olympics |publisher=Olympedia |access-date=25 May 2024 |archive-date=2 May 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240502105824/http://www.olympedia.org/editions/61/sports/WLF |url-status=live }}

Abouke competed in her event on 1 August 2021 at 4:50 p.m., in the B Group.{{cite web |url=https://www.rnz.co.nz/international/pacific-news/448152/tokyo-2020-day-8-pacific-athletes-who-to-watch-this-weekend |title=Tokyo 2020 Day 8: Pacific Athletes - Who to watch this weekend |date=31 July 2021 |access-date=25 May 2024 |publisher=Radio New Zealand |archive-date=26 May 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240526151110/https://www.rnz.co.nz/international/pacific-news/448152/tokyo-2020-day-8-pacific-athletes-who-to-watch-this-weekend |url-status=live }} She failed to lift her opening attempt of 88 kilograms, then snatched the same declared weight on her second attempt successfully, and snatched 90 kilograms for her third. She then clean and jerked 108 kilograms for her opening attempt, 113 kilograms for her second, and failed at 117 kilograms on her third and final attempt. She ended up with a 203-kilogram total, placing tenth out of twelve competitors.{{cite web|url=https://olympics.com/tokyo-2020/olympic-games/resOG2020-/pdf/OG2020-/WLF/OG2020-_WLF_C73_WLFW76KG--------------FNL---------.pdf|title=Weightlifting {{!}} Women's 76kg {{!}} Results|publisher=TOCOG|date=1 August 2021|access-date=25 May 2024 |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20210801145113/https://olympics.com/tokyo-2020/olympic-games/resOG2020-/pdf/OG2020-/WLF/OG2020-_WLF_C73_WLFW76KG--------------FNL---------.pdf|archivedate=1 August 2021|url-status=dead}} Abouke commented that she was trying to aim for a 95 kilogram snatch and a 120 kilogram clean and jerk but fell short, citing nervousness, but stated that she would beat the other competitors in future competition.

Another Nauruan weightlifter was also present at the Games, lifter Charisma Amoe-Tarrant who competed for Australia. She represented Nauru in former competitions, most notably getting bronze at the 2018 Junior World Weightlifting Championships in Tashkent, Uzbekistan, the first medal of Nauru at these championships in any edition. She competed in the women's +87 kg category, placing sixth out of fourteen competitors.{{cite web|url=https://olympics.com/tokyo-2020/olympic-games/resOG2020-/pdf/OG2020-/WLF/OG2020-_WLF_C73_WLFWO87KG-------------FNL---------.pdf|title=Weightlifting {{!}} Women's +87kg {{!}} Results|publisher=TOCOG|date=2 August 2021|access-date=25 May 2024|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20210802125134/https://olympics.com/tokyo-2020/olympic-games/resOG2020-/pdf/OG2020-/WLF/OG2020-_WLF_C73_WLFWO87KG-------------FNL---------.pdf|archivedate=2 August 2021|url-status=dead}}

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\|Nancy Genzel Abouke \|align=left\|Women's 76 kg \|90 \|13 \|113 \|10 \|203 \|10

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