| Puerto Rico at the 2004 Summer Olympics | |
|---|---|
 | |
| IOC code | PUR |
| NOC | Puerto Rico Olympic Committee |
| Website | www |
| in Athens | |
| Competitors | 43 in 15 sports |
| Flag bearer | Carlos Arroyo[1] |
| Medals |
|
| Summer Olympics appearances (overview) | |
Puerto Rico competed at the 2004 Summer Olympics in Athens, Greece, from 13 to 29 August 2004. This was the nation's fifteenth consecutive appearance at the Olympics.
Puerto Rico Olympic Committee sent the nation's largest delegation to the Games since 1992 due to the presence of the men's basketball team. A total of 43 athletes, 32 men and 11 women, had competed in 15 sports, roughly larger by two thirds of the nation's team size from the previous Games. Five Puerto Rican athletes had previously competed in Sydney, including four-time Olympian and Tornado sailor Enrique Figueroa and freestyle swimmer and two-time Olympic finalist Ricardo Busquets. Men's basketball was the only team-based sport in which Puerto Rico had its representation at these Games. Because of the nation's emerging presence to the team sport, team captain and NBA's Utah Jazz player Carlos Arroyo was appointed by the committee to carry the Puerto Rican flag in the opening ceremony.[1] Puerto Rico also marked its Olympic debut in synchronized swimming and taekwondo.
Puerto Rico left Athens without receiving a single Olympic medal for the second consecutive time. Figueroa and his new partner Jorge Hernández achieved the nation's highest placement at these Games after finishing seventh in the Tornado class. Meanwhile, Mabel Fonseca originally claimed the fifth position in women's wrestling, but she committed an anti-doping violation, as she was tested positive for the steroid stanozolol.[2] Despite not winning a medal, the men’s basketball team secured a notable victory against the United States. The Puerto Ricans’ convincing 92-73 win against the three-time defending gold medalists was the United States team’s first Olympic loss since it began including NBA players in 1992, only its third Olympic loss overall, and as of 2021, its most lopsided Olympic loss ever.
- ^ a b "Jugador Carlos Arroyo será el abanderado en Juegos Olímpicos" [Player Carlos Arroyo will be the flag bearer at the Olympics] (in Spanish). Terra Networks. 1 July 2004. Retrieved 5 May 2014.
- ^ "IOC sanctions wrestler Mabel Fonseca and weightlifter Ferenc Gyurkovics". Olympics. 28 August 2004. Retrieved 5 May 2014.