Palestine at the 2024 Summer Olympics

Palestine at the
2024 Summer Olympics
Flag of Palestine
IOC codePLE
NOCPalestine Olympic Committee
Websitewww.poc.ps (in Arabic)
in Paris, France
26 July 2024 (2024-07-26) – 11 August 2024 (2024-08-11)
Competitors8 in 6 sports
Flag bearer (opening)Wasim Abusal & Valerie Tarazi
Flag bearer (closing)Omar Yaser Ismail & Valerie Tarazi
Medals
Gold
0
Silver
0
Bronze
0
Total
0
Summer Olympics appearances (overview)

Palestine competed at the 2024 Summer Olympics in Paris, France, from 26 July to 11 August 2024. It was the nation's eighth appearance at the Summer Olympics since its official debut in 1996.

In the lead-up to the event, concerns were raised about the ability of Palestinian athletes to participate due to the destruction of sporting facilities and the exposure to potential harm amid the Israel–Hamas war.[1] The Palestinian Campaign for the Academic and Cultural Boycott of Israel reported that, according to the Palestine Football Association, 69 Palestinian athletes of Olympic sports were killed in Israeli attacks or as a result of the intensification of the Israeli blockade between October 2023 and July 2024,[2][3][third-party source needed][4][5] including Nagham Abu Samra, a karateka who was expected to compete in the event,[6] and several members of the national volleyball team,[7][8] as well as Majed Abu Maraheel, Palestine's first Olympic flagbearer,[9] Hani Al-Masdar, assistant coach of the Palestinian Olympic football team,[10] and Bilal Abu Samaan, coach of the country's athletics team.[7][8] Gazan weightlifter Mohammed Hamada, who had competed in the 2020 Olympics, lost 20 kg (44 lb) in the famine and injured his knee while transporting water, thus failing to qualify for the 2024 event.[11][12]

Several members of the Palestinian delegation additionally stressed on the importance they felt Palestinian representation would have in the context of the war, as well as their intention to bring a "message of peace".[13][14][15][16][17] This included the shirt worn by flagbearer Wasim Abusal during the opening flag parade, which depicted two children playing under warplanes dropping bombs, accompanied by the Olympic rings, olive branches and the Arabic word for 'freedom' (حرية, ḥurriyya).[18]

Competitors

The following is the list of number of competitors in the Games. A total of eight athletes competed, the highest number in Palestinian Olympic history.[15]

Sport Men Women Total
Athletics 1 1 2
Boxing 1 0 1
Judo 1 0 1
Shooting 1 0 1
Swimming 1 1 2
Taekwondo 1 0 1
Total 6 2 8

Athletics

Main articles: Athletics at the 2024 Summer Olympics and Athletics at the 2024 Summer Olympics – Qualification

Palestine sent two middle-distance runners to compete at the 2024 Summer Olympics.[19]

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
Track events
Athlete Event Heat Repechage Semifinal Final
Result Rank Result Rank Result Rank Result Rank
Mohammed Dwedar Men's 800 m 1:54.83 54 1:54.83 32 Did not advance
Layla Almasri Women's 800 m 2:12.21 NR 48 2:16.72 30 Did not advance

Boxing

Main articles: Boxing at the 2024 Summer Olympics and Boxing at the 2024 Summer Olympics – Qualification

For the first time, Palestine entered one boxer into the Olympic tournament. Wasim Abusal (men's featherweight) qualified for the games through the allocation of a universality spot.[20]

Athlete Event Round of 32 Round of 16 Quarterfinals Semifinals Final
Opposition
Result 		Opposition
Result 		Opposition
Result 		Opposition
Result 		Opposition
Result 		Rank
Wasim Abusal Men's featherweight  Ibrahim (SWE)
L 0–5 		Did not advance 17

Judo

Main articles: Judo at the 2024 Summer Olympics and Judo at the 2024 Summer Olympics – Qualification

Palestine qualified one judoka for the following weight class at the Games. Fares Badawi qualified for the games through the allocation of a universality spot.[21]

Athlete Event Round of 32 Round of 16 Quarterfinals Semifinals Repechage Final / BM
Opposition
Result 		Opposition
Result 		Opposition
Result 		Opposition
Result 		Opposition
Result 		Opposition
Result 		Rank
Fares Badawi Men's −81 kg  Makhmadbekov (TJK)
L 00–10 		Did not advance 17

Shooting

Main articles: Shooting at the 2024 Summer Olympics and Shooting at the 2024 Summer Olympics – Qualification

For the first time, Palestinian shooters achieved one quota place for Paris 2024 based on the allocations of universality spots.[22]

Athlete Event Qualification Final
Points Rank Points Rank
Jorge Antonio Salhe Men's skeet 100 30 Did not advance

Swimming

Main articles: Swimming at the 2024 Summer Olympics and Swimming at the 2024 Summer Olympics – Qualification

Palestine sent two swimmers to compete at the 2024 Paris Olympics.

Athlete Event Heat Semifinal Final
Time Rank Time Rank Time Rank
Yazan Al-Bawwab Men's 100 m backstroke 58.26 43 Did not advance
Valerie Tarazi Women's 200 m medley 2:20.56 32 Did not advance

Taekwondo

Main articles: Taekwondo at the 2024 Summer Olympics and Taekwondo at the 2024 Summer Olympics – Qualification

For the first time, Palestine qualified one athlete to compete at the games. Omar Yaser Ismail qualified for the games after winning the semifinal rounds in his class at the 2024 Asian Qualification Tournament in Tai'an, China, marking the nations debut in this sport.[23]

Athlete Event Qualification Round of 16 Quarterfinals Semifinals Repechage Final / BM
Opposition
Result 		Opposition
Result 		Opposition
Result 		Opposition
Result 		Opposition
Result 		Opposition
Result 		Rank
Omar Yaser Ismail Men's −58 kg  Tiranvalipour (EOR)
W 2–0 		 Vicente Yunta (ESP)
L 0–2 		Did not advance 11

See also

References

  1. ^ Achache, Farid (5 January 2024). "Palestine's presence at the Paris 2024 Olympic Games is in question". Euro ES Euro. Archived from the original on 6 January 2024.
  2. ^ "Israel at the Olympics. The Genocide Games". Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions. 24 July 2024. Retrieved 28 July 2024.
  3. ^ Palestinian Campaign for the Academic and Cultural Boycott of Israel [@pacbi] (24 July 2024). "Israel has killed 39k Palestinians in Gaza, including 69 Olympians, Palestine's first Olympian Majed Abu Maraheel & Olympic football coach Hani Al-Mossader" (Tweet). Retrieved 28 July 2024 – via Twitter.
  4. ^ Kent, David (3 August 2024). "Palestine solidarity march in Cork sees 800 people remember Olympians that have been killed". Irish Examiner. Retrieved 4 August 2024.
  5. ^ Mohamed, Rachel (30 July 2024). "Olympic Games 2024 Hosts Contentious Opening Ceremony". Voice of the Cape. Retrieved 5 August 2024.
  6. ^ Abed, Abubaker (27 February 2024). "Nagham Abu Samra: Palestine karate champion, victim of Israel's war on Gaza". Al Jazeera. Retrieved 28 July 2024.
  7. ^ a b Simpara, Mahamadou (20 July 2024). "Palestinian Athletes Defy War to Compete in Paris 2024 Olympics". Morocco World News. Retrieved 10 August 2024.
  8. ^ a b Bouchez, Yann; Cebron, Valentin (22 June 2024). "Palestinian athletes' Olympic dreams". Le Monde. Retrieved 10 August 2024.
  9. ^ Abu Zaher, Khaled (12 June 2024). "استشهاد أول من رفع علم فلسطين في دورات الألعاب الأولمبية" [Martyrdom of the first person to raise the Palestinian flag in the Olympic Games]. Felesteen (in Arabic). Archived from the original on 13 June 2024. Retrieved 12 June 2024.
  10. ^ Whitehead, Jacob (14 January 2024). "Hani Al-Masdar – The life and death of a football coach in Gaza". The New York Times. Retrieved 28 July 2024. By this point, Hani Al-Masdar — one of the greatest Palestinian footballers, and an assistant coach of the Olympic team — is already dead. He was 42.
  11. ^ Uras, Umut; Stepansky, Joseph (23 July 2024). "Israel war on Gaza updates: Israel forces Palestinians into 20% of Gaza: UN". Al Jazeera. Retrieved 27 July 2024.
  12. ^ Ibrahim, Niza (23 July 2024). "Heavy toll on Palestinian athletes in Gaza: Six are set to feature at the games in Paris". Al Jazeera. Retrieved 27 July 2024 – via YouTube.
  13. ^ Dodman, Benjamin (4 April 2024). "Palestinian athletes will 'represent a country, a history, a cause' at the Paris Olympics". France 24. Retrieved 29 July 2024.
  14. ^ Jouvet, Frédéric (24 July 2024). "JO 2024. De la Palestine à la Sarthe, le boxeur Wasim Abusal est « prêt » pour les Jeux olympiques". Actu.fr (in French). Retrieved 29 July 2024.
  15. ^ a b Saifi, Zeena (26 July 2024). "Gaza war weighs heavy on the minds of Palestinian Olympians: 'I want to be an inspiration'". CNN. Retrieved 29 July 2024.
  16. ^ "Parigi:Nuotatore Palestina,parenti e amici uccisi ma io sono qui" (in Italian). ANSA. 28 July 2024. Retrieved 29 July 2024.
  17. ^ Diab, Door Omar; Voortman, Matthijs (30 July 2024). "'Ik wil de mensen in Gaza blij maken', Fares is op de Spelen voor Palestina". RTL Nieuws (in Dutch). RTL Nederland. Retrieved 30 July 2024.
  18. ^ "'طائرة تقصف طفلين'.. قصة قميص فلسطين في افتتاح الأولمبياد". Sky News Arabia (in Arabic). Sky. 27 July 2024. Retrieved 29 July 2024.
  19. ^ "Athletics Paris 2024 Final Entries". World Athletics. Retrieved 12 July 2024.
  20. ^ "QUOTAS DISTRIBUTION PER NOC" (PDF). Athlete365. Retrieved 4 July 2024.
  21. ^ "OLYMPIC GAMES PARIS 2024 (NATIONS)". International Judo Federation. Retrieved 9 July 2024.
  22. ^ "Quota Places by Nation and Number". issf-sports.org/. ISSF. 14 June 2024. Retrieved 14 June 2024.
  23. ^ "China wins sixth Olympic licence for taekwondo". Inside The Games. 16 March 2024. Retrieved 11 April 2024.