| Uzbekistan at the 2016 Summer Olympics | |
|---|---|
.svg) | |
| IOC code | UZB |
| NOC | National Olympic Committee of the Republic of Uzbekistan |
| Website | www |
| in Rio de Janeiro | |
| Competitors | 70 in 13 sports |
| Flag bearers | Bakhodir Jalolov (opening)[1] Bektemir Melikuziev (closing) |
| Medals Ranked 21st |
|
| Summer Olympics appearances (overview) | |
| Other related appearances | |
 Russian Empire (1900–1912) Soviet Union (1952–1988) Unified Team (1992) | |
Uzbekistan competed at the 2016 Summer Olympics in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, from 5 to 21 August 2016. This was the nation's sixth consecutive appearance at the Summer Olympics in the post-Soviet era.
The National Olympic Committee of the Republic of Uzbekistan fielded a team of 70 athletes, 47 men and 23 women, across 15 sports at the Games.[2] It was the nation's second-largest delegation sent to the Olympics, just a single athlete short of the record achieved in Sydney 2000 (71). Uzbekistan made its Olympic debut in women's boxing, men's table tennis, and the rhythmic gymnastics group all-around, as well as returning to artistic gymnastics, women's judo, and rowing after their absence from London 2012.
Leading the Uzbek roster lineup were Oksana Chusovitina, who created history as the oldest ever female gymnast (aged 41) and the first to participate in a record seventh Olympics, and Ekaterina Khilko, who became the only trampolinist to be featured in every Olympic competition since her sport was added to the program in Sydney 2000.[3][4] Chusovitina's fellow gymnast Anton Fokin, along with judo legends Rishod Sobirov and Abdullo Tangriev, also highlighted the Uzbek team for being the only medalists returning to these Games.
Other notable athletes on the Uzbek roster included world's top-ranked taekwondo fighter Dmitriy Shokin in the men's +80 kg division, American-based freestyle wrestler and Asian Games champion Bekzod Abdurakhmonov (men's 74 kg), tennis player Denis Istomin, Asia's top female high jumper Svetlana Radzivil, and super heavyweight boxer Bakhodir Jalolov, who was nominated by the committee as the nation's flag bearer in the opening ceremony.[1]
Uzbekistan left Rio de Janeiro with a total of 13 medals (4 gold, 2 silver, and 7 bronze), signifying the nation's most successful outcome in Olympic history.[5] Seven of these medals won by the Uzbeks came from boxing, including three golds. The remainder of the nation's overall tally were awarded to the team in weightlifting, wrestling, and judo. Among the medalists were Hasanboy Dusmatov, who became the nation's second boxer in history to claim an Olympic gold since Mahammatkodir Abdullaev topped the podium in 2000, Ruslan Nurudinov, who successfully set a new Olympic clean and jerk record to hand the Uzbeks its first ever weightlifting title, and Sobirov, who wrapped up his judo career by achieving a bronze-medal feat for the third straight time, before retiring from the sport.[6][7]
- ^ a b "Bahodir Jalolov Rio Olimpiadasida O'zbekiston bayrog'ini ko'tarib chiqadi" [Bakhodir Jalalov will carry the Uzbekistan flag at the Rio Olympic opening ceremony] (in Uzbek). Sports.uz. 17 July 2016. Archived from the original on 22 July 2016. Retrieved 21 July 2016.
- ^ "Рио-2016: Олимпийская сборная Узбекистана в цифрах и фактах" [Rio 2016: Facts and figures of the Uzbek delegation] (in Russian). Anons.uz. 5 August 2016. Retrieved 12 January 2017.
- ^ Maine, D'Arcy (5 August 2016). "41-year-old Oksana Chusovitina may be the most incredible athlete at the Olympics". ESPN. Retrieved 12 January 2017.
- ^ "Canada's Rosie MacLennan repeats as Olympic trampoline champion". NBC Olympics. 13 August 2016. Retrieved 12 January 2017.
- ^ "Uzbekistan Basks in Post-Olympics Glow". EurasiaNet. 23 August 2016. Retrieved 13 January 2017.
- ^ "Light-flyweight Dusmatov takes first boxing gold of Rio 2016". Olympics. 14 August 2016. Retrieved 13 January 2017.
- ^ Oliver, Brian (15 August 2016). "Weightlifting: Proud Uzbek Nurudinov eases to Rio gold". Reuters. Retrieved 13 January 2017.