Namibia at the
2012 Summer Olympics
IOC codeNAM
NOCNamibian National Olympic Committee
in London
Competitors9 in 5 sports
Flag bearers Gaby Ahrens (opening)[1]
Sem Shilimela (closing)
Medals
Gold
0
Silver
0
Bronze
0
Total
0
Summer Olympics appearances (overview)

Namibia competed at the 2012 Summer Olympics in London, United Kingdom from July 27 to August 12, 2012. This was the nation's sixth consecutive appearance at the Olympics.

Namibian National Olympic Committee sent a total of 9 athletes to the Games, 5 men and 4 women, to compete in 5 sports. Three Namibian athletes had competed in Beijing, including marathon runner Beata Naigambo, the oldest member of the team, at age 32, and trap shooter Gaby Ahrens, who became the nation's first female flag bearer at the opening ceremony. Namibia also marked its Olympic return in freestyle wrestling after an eight-year absence.

Namibia, however, failed to win a single Olympic medal for the fourth consecutive time.

Background

Namibia made its debut at the 1992 Summer Olympics in Barcelona and appeared at all subsequent Games before the 2012 Summer Olympics in London - the country's sixth Olympics.[2] Namibia sent its greatest number of athletes - 11 - to the 2000 Summer Olympics in Sydney.[2] The country's most successful athlete is 100 and 200 metres runner Frankie Fredericks who won silver in both disciplines at Namibia's inaugural Olympics in Barcelona in 1992, and at the Atlanta Olympics four years later.[2] Fredericks, the only Namibian athlete to win an Olympic medal as of 2012, missed the Sydney Olympics in 2000 due to an Achilles injury and was unsuccessful in his attempts to win further medals at his final Olympics in Athens in 2004.[3][4]

Nine athletes were selected by Namibia to participate at the 2012 Olympics.[5] Trap shooter Gaby Ahrens bore the flag for the country at the opening ceremony of the Games.[6] She was joined in the Namibian Olympic team by cyclists Marc Bassingthwaighte and Dan Craven; runners Tjipekapora Herunga, Helalia Johannes and Beata Naigambo; boxers Mujandjae Kasuto and Jonas Matheus; and wrestler Naatele Sem Shilimela.[5]

Athletics

Main article: Athletics at the 2012 Summer Olympics

Namibian athletes have so far achieved qualifying standards in the following athletics events (up to a maximum of 3 athletes in each event at the 'A' Standard, and 1 at the 'B' Standard):[7][8]

Key
The London Olympic Stadium, where athletics events took place.
Women
Athlete Event Heat Semifinal Final
Result Rank Result Rank Result Rank
Tjipekapora Herunga 400 m 52.31 3 Q 52.53 6 Did not advance
Helalia Johannes Marathon — 2:26:09 12
Beata Naigambo — 2:31:16 38

Boxing

Main article: Boxing at the 2012 Summer Olympics

Namibia has qualified two boxers.[9]

Men
Athlete Event Round of 32 Round of 16 Quarterfinals Semifinals Final
Opposition
Result 		Opposition
Result 		Opposition
Result 		Opposition
Result 		Opposition
Result 		Rank
Jonas Matheus Bantamweight  Parrinello (ITA)
L 7–18 		Did not advance
Mujandjae Kasuto Middleweight  Nazarov (TJK)
W 11–8 		 Harcsa (HUN)
L 7–16 		Did not advance

Cycling

Main article: Cycling at the 2012 Summer Olympics

Namibia has qualified the following cyclists for the Games.

Road

Athlete Event Time Rank
Dan Craven Men's road race Did not finish

Mountain biking

[10]

Athlete Event Time Rank
Marc Bassingthwaighte Men's cross-country 1:37:17 30

Shooting

Main article: Shooting at the 2012 Summer Olympics

Namibia has earned one quota place for shooting events;[11]

Women
Athlete Event Qualification Final
Points Rank Points Rank
Gaby Ahrens Trap 59 22 Did not advance

Wrestling

Main article: Wrestling at the 2012 Summer Olympics

Sem Shilimela represented Namibia in London. Shilimela received a bye into the last 16, where he faced Dzhamal Otarsultanov of Russia, losing 0–3 on points. Shilimela received a bye through the first round of the repechage, then again lost 0–3 on points to North Korean Yang Kyong-il in the second round.[12]

Key:

Men's freestyle
Athlete Event Qualification Round of 16 Quarterfinal Semifinal Repechage 1 Repechage 2 Final / BM
Opposition
Result 		Opposition
Result 		Opposition
Result 		Opposition
Result 		Opposition
Result 		Opposition
Result 		Opposition
Result 		Rank
Sem Shilimela −55 kg Bye  Otarsultanov (RUS)
L 0–3 PO 		Did not advance Bye  Yang K-I (PRK)
L 0–3 PO 		Did not advance 15

References

  1. ^ Staff (19 July 2012). "Namibia: Pohamba Bid Olympians Farewell". All Africa. Retrieved 19 July 2012.
  2. ^ a b c "Sports Reference – Namibia". Sports Reference. Archived from the original on 17 April 2020. Retrieved 15 October 2016.
  3. ^ Duncan Mackay. "A gentleman and a scholar". Guardian Media Group. Retrieved 15 October 2016.
  4. ^ "Sports Reference – Frankie Fredericks". Sports Reference. Archived from the original on 17 April 2020. Retrieved 15 October 2016.
  5. ^ a b "Sports Reference – Namibia". Sports Reference. Archived from the original on 17 April 2020. Retrieved 15 October 2016.
  6. ^ "Sports Reference – Gaby Ahrens". Sports Reference. Archived from the original on 18 April 2020. Retrieved 15 October 2016.
  7. ^ "iaaf.org – Top Lists". IAAF. Retrieved 4 June 2011.
  8. ^ IAAF Games of the XXX Olympiad – London 2012 ENTRY STANDARDS (PDF), IAAF, archived from the original (PDF) on 21 July 2012, retrieved 4 June 2011
  9. ^ "Final African Olympic Quota Places revealed". AIBA. 5 May 2012. Archived from the original on 22 March 2015. Retrieved 8 May 2012.
  10. ^ "Men Elite African Championships (RSA/CC) Cross Country 2011". UCI. 12 Feb 2011. Archived from the original on 7 October 2011. Retrieved 26 May 2011.
  11. ^ "Quota places by NATION and Name". ISSF. 8 March 2011. Retrieved 16 June 2011.
  12. ^ "Sports Reference – Naatele Shilimela". Sports Reference. Archived from the original on 18 April 2020. Retrieved 30 October 2016.
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