Dominican Republic at the 2016 Summer Olympics | |
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IOC code | DOM |
NOC | Dominican Republic Olympic Committee |
Website | www |
in Rio de Janeiro | |
Competitors | 29 in 11 sports |
Flag bearer | Luguelín Santos[1] |
Medals Ranked 78th |
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Summer Olympics appearances (overview) | |
Dominican Republic competed at the 2016 Summer Olympics in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, from 5 to 21 August 2016. This was the nation's fourteenth consecutive appearance at the Summer Olympics.
The Dominican Republic Olympic Committee (Spanish: Comité Olímpico Dominicano, COD) sent a team of 29 athletes, 21 men and 8 women, to compete in eleven different sports at the Games.[2] The nation's full roster was smaller by six athletes than in London 2012, and also featured its highest number of male participants in Olympic history since 1992. Among the sports represented by the nation's athletes, Dominican Republic made its Olympic debut in archery, road cycling, equestrian, and tennis.
Seven athletes from the Dominican Republic previously competed in London at the 2012 Olympics, including weightlifters Beatriz Pirón and Yuderqui Contreras, American-based freestyle swimmer Dorian McMenemy, and sprinter and former Youth Olympian Luguelín Santos, who earned a silver in the men's 400 metres. The lone returning medalist from the previous Games, Santos was selected to lead the Dominican Republic delegation as the flag bearer in the opening ceremony.[1][3]
Dominican Republic left Rio de Janeiro with only a bronze medal, won by taekwondo fighter Luisito Pie in the men's flyweight category (58 kg).[4][5] Several of the nation's athletes narrowly missed out of the podium in their respective sporting events, including Pirón (fourth, women's 48 kg), Contreras (sixth, women's 58 kg), fellow weightlifter Luis García (eighth, men's 56 kg), and half-lightweight judoka Wander Mateo (seventh, men's 66 kg).