Afghanistan at the 2008 Summer Olympics

Afghanistan at the
2008 Summer Olympics
IOC codeAFG
NOCAfghanistan National Olympic Committee
in Beijing
Competitors4 in 2 sports
Flag bearer Nesar Ahmad Bahave[1]
Medals
Ranked 80th
Gold
0
Silver
0
Bronze
1
Total
1
Summer Olympics appearances (overview)

Afghanistan sent a team to compete at the 2008 Summer Olympics in Beijing, China. The team consisted of three men and one woman.[2][3][4] Initially, Mehboba Ahdyar prepared to run the 800 metres and 1500 metres,[2][5] but left her training camp on June 4 to seek political asylum in Norway.[6][7] The country was represented by two competitors in athletics, and two in taekwondo.[2] Afghanistan won its first ever Olympic medal at these games, with Rohullah Nikpai taking bronze in men's 58 kg taekwondo.

  1. ^ "List of Flagbearers Beijing 2008" (PDF). www.olympic.org. Archived from the original (PDF) on 15 August 2008. Retrieved 2008-08-16.
  2. ^ a b c "Afghan Athletes Train for Beijing Olympic " Archived 2008-05-13 at the Wayback Machine, Afghan embassy to the United States, April 29, 2008
  3. ^ Chalmers, John (2008-08-09). "Against all odds, Afghans try their luck in Beijing". Beijing, China: Reuters. Archived from the original on 2022-06-06. Retrieved 2008-08-16. But Muqimyar, the only woman among four athletes representing Afghanistan at the Games...
  4. ^ "Afghan Tae Kwon Do Champ Aims for Olympic Glory", NPR, June 10, 2008
  5. ^ "Afghan Woman Runs Toward Olympics Despite Jeers, Potential Danger", Associated Press, March 16, 2008
  6. ^ Female Afghan athlete likely still on the run, USA Today, July 21
  7. ^ Fears ease after missing Afghan athlete found, Times of London, July 10