Virgin Islands at the 2016 Summer Olympics

Virgin Islands, also known as the United States Virgin Islands and officially as the Virgin Islands of the United States, competed at the 2016 Summer Olympics in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, from 5 to 21 August 2016. This was the territory's twelfth appearance at the Summer Olympics.

Virgin Islands at the
2016 Summer Olympics
IOC codeISV
NOCVirgin Islands Olympic Committee
Websitewww.virginislandsolympics.com
in Rio de Janeiro
Competitors7 in 4 sports
Flag bearer Cy Thompson[1]
Medals
Gold
0
Silver
0
Bronze
0
Total
0
Summer Olympics appearances (overview)

The Virgin Islands Olympic Committee selected a team of seven athletes, five men and two women, to compete in four different sports at the Games.[2] This was the same number of athletes and one more sport than at London in 2012.

Three of the athletes had also competed four years earlier, including triple jumper Muhammad Halim and sprinter LaVerne Jones-Ferrette, who headed to her fourth straight Games as the oldest and most experienced member (aged 35) of the team. Laser sailor and Pan American Games finalist Cy Thompson led his delegation as the flag bearer for the Virgin Islands in the opening ceremony.[1]

The US Virgin Islands, however, failed to win a single Olympic medal in Rio de Janeiro. The nation's previous medal feat happened at the 1988 Summer Olympics in Seoul, where sailor Peter Holmberg bagged the silver in the Finn class.

Athletics (track and field)

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Athletes from the Virgin Islands achieved qualifying standards in the following athletics events (up to a maximum of 3 athletes in each event):[3][4]

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
  • NM = No mark
Track & road events
Athlete Event Heat Semifinal Final
Result Rank Result Rank Result Rank
Eddie Lovett Men's 110 m hurdles 13.77 7 Did not advance
LaVerne Jones-Ferrette Women's 200 m 23.35 6 Did not advance
Field events
Athlete Event Qualification Final
Distance Position Distance Position
Muhammad Halim Men's triple jump NM Did not advance

Boxing

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Virgin Islands entered one boxer to compete in the Olympic boxing tournament in the men's super heavyweight division. Clayton Laurent claimed his Olympic spot with a box-off victory at the 2016 American Qualification Tournament in Buenos Aires, Argentina.[5]

Athlete Event Round of 32 Round of 16 Quarterfinals Semifinals Final
Opposition
Result
Opposition
Result
Opposition
Result
Opposition
Result
Opposition
Result
Rank
Clayton Laurent Men's super heavyweight   Pfeifer (GER)
W 2–1
  Yoka (FRA)
0L 0–3
Did not advance

Sailing

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Sailors from the Virgin Islands qualified one boat in each of the following classes through the 2014 ISAF Sailing World Championships, the individual fleet Worlds, and North American qualifying regattas.[6]

Athlete Event Race Net points Final rank
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 M*
Cy Thompson Men's Laser 13 4 11 35 32 33 6 20 17 16 EL 152 19

M = Medal race; EL = Eliminated – did not advance into the medal race

Swimming

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Virgin Islands received a Universality invitation from FINA to send two swimmers (one male and one female) to the Olympics.[7][8]

Athlete Event Heat Semifinal Final
Time Rank Time Rank Time Rank
Rexford Tullius Men's 200 m backstroke 1:59.14 20 Did not advance
Caylee Watson Women's 100 m backstroke 1:07.19 30 Did not advance

See also

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References

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  1. ^ a b "RWU Sailing alum Cy Thompson competing in his second Olympic Games". Roger Williams University. 4 August 2016. Retrieved 4 August 2016.
  2. ^ "Virgin Islands Olympic Committee (VIOC) Announces Rio Olympic Team". Virgin Islands Olympic Committee. 12 July 2016. Retrieved 5 October 2016.
  3. ^ "iaaf.org – Top Lists". IAAF. Retrieved 18 April 2015.
  4. ^ "IAAF Games of the XXX Olympiad – Rio 2016 Entry Standards" (PDF). IAAF. Retrieved 18 April 2015.
  5. ^ "Reigning Champions Claressa Shields and Roniel Iglesias secure Olympic qualification in Buenos Aires". AIBA. 18 March 2016. Retrieved 19 March 2016.
  6. ^ "Rio 2016 Olympic Laser Spots Snapped Up At Santander 2014 ISAF Worlds". ISAF. Retrieved 14 September 2014.
  7. ^ "Swimming World Rankings". FINA. Retrieved 14 March 2015.
  8. ^ "Rio 2016 – FINA Swimming Qualification System" (PDF). Rio 2016. FINA. Retrieved 23 January 2015.
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