Zimbabwe first participated at the Olympic Games under its current name in 1980 and has sent athletes to compete in every edition of the Summer Olympic Games since then. Previously, Zimbabwean athletes attended the Games under the name Rhodesia in 1928, 1960 and 1964. The 2014 Winter Olympics in Sochi marked Zimbabwe's official debut at the Winter Olympic Games, with Luke Steyn participating in alpine skiing.
Zimbabwean athletes have won a total of eight medals – three golds, four silvers and one bronze – across two different sports. Seven medals, including two golds, were awarded to swimmer Kirsty Coventry in 2004 and 2008, with the remainder solidifying a gold-medal triumph for the women's national field hockey team in Moscow 1980.[1]
The Zimbabwe Olympic Committee was established in 1934 and duly recognized by the International Olympic Committee in April 1980.
History[]
Southern Rhodesia (now Zimbabwe) first participated as Rhodesia at the Olympic Games in 1928. Shortly after its Olympic debut, the country remained absent until the Federation of Rhodesia and Nyasaland attended the Games in Rome 1960 under the same name. Southern Rhodesia repeated its legacy from the Amsterdam 1928 to compete alone for the second and the last time in Tokyo 1964.
Once ruled under the British territory, Rhodesian Prime Minister Ian Smith announced his nation’s unilateral declaration of independence from Great Britain in 1965. Three years later, the United Nations Security Council condemned the white-dominated Rhodesian government, asking that Rhodesian passports should be denied for international travel, thereby withdrawing the country's participation from Mexico City 1968. Furthermore, the International Olympic Committee (IOC) did not recognize the country's independent status.
Following Smith's declaration of an independent Rhodesian republic in 1970, the Rhodesians never successfully competed at the Games. Although the Rhodesian athletes favored their return to the Olympic scene in Munich 1972, the IOC withdrew their invitation to the Games four days before the opening ceremony. African countries threatened a mass boycott unless the Rhodesians barred from competing, demanding their expulsion on the grounds of the country's illegal regime. The country's expulsion from Munich 1972 intensified upon the IOC's decision in a 36–31 voting with three abstentions.[2] Rhodesia remained ineligible for Montreal 1976 after the IOC inspected the country's sporting facilities and groups and found them underwhelming, voting for another phase of their expulsion at 41–26.
After a civil war and eventual free elections, Rhodesia was renamed Zimbabwe on 18 April 1980 and the country marked its official debut under a brand new banner three months later in Moscow.
Medal table[]
Medals by Summer Games[]
| Games | Athletes | Gold | Silver | Bronze | Total | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Amsterdam 1928 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — |
| Los Angeles 1932 | Did not participate | |||||
| Berlin 1936 | ||||||
| London 1948 | ||||||
| Helsinki 1952 | ||||||
| Melbourne 1956 | ||||||
| Rome 1960 | 14 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — |
| Tokyo 1964 | 29 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — |
| Mexico City 1968 | Did not participate | |||||
| Munich 1972 | ||||||
| Montreal 1976 | ||||||
| Moscow 1980 | 42 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 23 |
| Los Angeles 1984 | 15 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — |
| Seoul 1988 | 29 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — |
| Barcelona 1992 | 19 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — |
| Atlanta 1996 | 13 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — |
| Sydney 2000 | 16 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — |
| Athens 2004 | 12 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 3 | 49 |
| Beijing 2008 | 13 | 1 | 3 | 0 | 4 | 38 |
| London 2012 | 7 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — |
| Rio de Janeiro 2016 | 31 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — |
| Tokyo 2020 | 5 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — |
| Total | 3 | 4 | 1 | 8 | ||
Medals by Winter Games[]
| Games | Athletes | Gold | Silver | Bronze | Total | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sochi 2014 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | – |
| Total | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Medals by Summer Sport[]
| Sports | 
|
|
|
Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Field hockey | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| Swimming | 2 | 4 | 1 | 7 |
| Total | 3 | 4 | 1 | 8 |
Medal winners[]
| Games | Medal | Athlete | Sport | Discipline |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Moscow 1980 |
|
Arlene Nadine Boxhall Elizabeth Muriel Chase Sandra Chick Gillian Margaret Cowley Patricia Joan Davies Sarah English Maureen Jean George Ann Mary Gwynne Grant Susan Huggett Patricia Jean McKillop Brenda Joan Phillips Christine Prinsloo Sonia Robertson Anthea Doreen Stewart Helen Volk Linda Margaret Watson |
Field hockey | Women's tournament |
| Athens 2004 |
|
Kirsty Coventry | Swimming | Women's 200m backstroke |
|
|
Women's 100m backstroke | |||
|
|
Women's 200m individual medley | |||
| Beijing 2008 |
|
Swimming | Women's 200m backstroke | |
|
|
Women's 100m backstroke | |||
|
|
Women's 200m individual medley | |||
|
|
Women's 400m individual medley |
References[]
- ↑ "A captain recalls: Zimbabwe’s golden moment", FIH, 31 July 2020. Retrieved on 13 August 2022.
- ↑ "1972: Rhodesia out of Olympics", BBC News, 22 August 2005. Retrieved on 29 June 2023.