Afghanistan at the 1996 Summer Olympics
| Afghanistan at the 1996 Summer Olympics | |
|---|---|
| IOC code | AFG |
| NOC | Afghanistan National Olympic Committee |
| in Atlanta | |
| Competitors | 3 in 2 sports |
| Flag bearer | Mohammad Aman |
| Medals |
|
| Summer Olympics appearances (overview) | |
Afghanistan was represented at the 1996 Summer Olympics in Atlanta, Georgia, United States by the Afghanistan National Olympic Committee.
In total, three athletes from Afghanistan went to the Games to compete in two sports including athletics and boxing. However, only two would compete after Mohammad Jawid Aman was disqualified for being too late for the weigh-in.
Competitors
In total, three athletes were due to represent Afghanistan at the 1996 Summer Olympics in Atlanta, Georgia, United States across two different sports.[1]
| Sport | Men | Women | Total |
|---|---|---|---|
| Athletic | 2 | 0 | 2 |
| Boxing | 1 | 0 | 1[note 1] |
| Total | 3 | 0 | 3 |
Athletics
In total, two Afghan athletes participated in the athletic events – Abdul Ghafoor in the men's 100 m and Abdul Baser Wasiqi in the men's marathon.[1]
The heats for the men's 100 m took place on 26 July 1996 at the Centennial Olympic Stadium. Ghafoor contested heat two which took place at 11:05 am. He finished eighth of the eight starters in a time of 12.2 seconds and failed to advance to the semi-finals.[3]
The men's marathon took place on 4 August 1996 at 7:05 am. The course began and ended at the Centennial Olympic Stadium and followed the general route of the Atlanta Marathon. Wasiqi had been forced to stop training shortly after arriving in Atlanta due to a hamstring injury. He was still able to compete in the event and limped most of the course. He finished the race in a time of four hours 24 minutes and 17 seconds to finish 111th overall – one hour and 24 minutes behind every other finisher.[2][4] When he arrived back, Wasiqi was aplauded across the finishing line by volunteers who had been preparing the stadium for the closing ceremony.[5][6]
| Athletes | Events | Heat Round 1 | Heat Round 2 | Semifinal | Final | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Time | Rank | Time | Rank | Time | Rank | Time | Rank | ||
| Abdul Ghafoor | 100 metres | 12.20 | 105 | did not advance | |||||
| Abdul Baser Wasiqi | Marathon | 4:24:17 | 111 | ||||||
Boxing
Mohammad Jawid Aman was due to compete in the light middleweight category. However, he was refused participation after arriving too late in Atlanta to make the mandatory weigh-in.[2]
Aftermath
Afghanistan's participation at the 1996 Summer Olympics was described as a "hard luck story" by Reuters after Aman wasn't allowed to compete and Wasiqi's injury hampered his marathon.[2] Wasiqi's performance, the slowest time to complete an Olympic marathon, is considered to represent the Olympic spirit.[5][6]
Afghanistan did not compete at the 2000 Summer Olympics after Abdul Shukoor Mutmaen, head of the Olympic committee run by the Taliban (who controlled most of the country at the time), rejected an offer from the International Olympic Committee to allow Afghan athletes to compete under a neutral flag.[2]
See also
Notes
References
- ^ a b "Afghanistan at the 1996 Summer Olympics". Olympedia. Retrieved 19 June 2025.
- ^ a b c d e McDonald, Scott (17 August 2000). "Taleban hope to get ban revoked". Islamabad: Reuters. Retrieved 19 June 2025 – via Rediff.
- ^ "1996 Summer Olympics, 100 meters, Men". Olympedia. Retrieved 19 June 2025.
- ^ "1996 Summer Olympics, Marathon, Men". Olympedia. Retrieved 19 June 2025.
- ^ a b "Abdul Baser Wasiqi". Olympedia. Retrieved 19 June 2025.
- ^ a b Hayward, Paul (5 August 1996). "Britain stuck in time warp as the world races further ahead". Atlanta: The Telegraph. Archived from the original on 26 November 2003. Retrieved 19 June 2025.