Turkmenistan at the 2016 Summer Olympics

Turkmenistan at the 2016 Summer Olympics
IOC code	TKM
NOC	National Olympic Committee of Turkmenistan
in Rio de Janeiro
Competitors	9 in 5 sports
Flag bearer	Merdan Ataýew[1]
Medals	Gold Silver Bronze Total 0 0 0 0
Summer Olympics appearances (overview)
1996 2000 2004 2008 2012 2016
Other related appearances
Russian Empire (1900–1912) Soviet Union (1952–1988) Unified Team (1992)

Turkmenistan 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 Turkmenistan sent a team of nine athletes, four men and five women, to compete in five different sports at the Games.^[2] This was also the youngest delegation in Turkmenistan's Olympic history, with more than half of the team under the age of 25, and many of them were expected to reach their peak in time for the 2020 Summer Olympics in Tokyo.

Eight Turkmen athletes made their debut in Rio de Janeiro, with hammer thrower Amanmurad Hommadov headed to his second Games as the oldest and most experienced competitor (aged 29). Meanwhile, breaststroke swimmer Darya Semyonova established history for the Turkmens as the youngest ever Olympian (aged 14), beating the record previously held by Yelena Rojkova twelve years earlier in Athens. Other notable athletes featured world's top-ranked judoka Gulbadam Babamuratova in the women's 52 kg category, and backstroke swimmer Merdan Ataýew, the tallest of the team (standing at 6 ft 5 in), who was selected to become Turkmenistan's flag bearer in the opening ceremony.^[3]

Turkmenistan, however, has yet to win its first ever Olympic medal.

Athletics

Turkmenistan has received universality slots from IAAF to send two athletes (one male and one female) to the Olympics.^[2][4][5]

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

Men

Field events

Athlete	Event	Qualification		Final
		Distance	Position	Distance	Position
Amanmurad Hommadov	Hammer throw	61.99	30	Did not advance

Women

Track & road events

Athlete	Event	Heat		Semifinal		Final
		Time	Rank	Time	Rank	Time	Rank
Yelena Ryabova	200 m	25.45	8	Did not advance

Boxing

Turkmenistan has entered one boxer to compete in the men's middleweight division into the Olympic boxing tournament. Arslanbek Achilov had claimed an Olympic spot with a quarterfinal victory at the 2016 AIBA World Qualifying Tournament in Baku, Azerbaijan.^[6]

Athlete	Event	Round of 32	Round of 16	Quarterfinals	Semifinals	Final
		Opposition Result	Opposition Result	Opposition Result	Opposition Result	Opposition Result	Rank
Arslanbek Achilov	Men's middleweight	Harcsa (HUN) L 1–2	Did not advance

Judo

Turkmenistan has qualified two judokas for each of the following weight classes at the Games. Gulbadam Babamuratova was ranked among the top 14 eligible judokas for women in the IJF World Ranking List of May 30, 2016, while Rushana Nurjavova at women's lightweight (57 kg) earned a continental quota spot from the Asian region as Turkmenistan's top-ranked judoka outside of direct qualifying position.^[7]

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
Gulbadam Babamuratova	Women's −52 kg	Gómez (ESP) L 000–101	Did not advance
Rushana Nurjavova	Women's −57 kg	Karakas (HUN) L 000–101	Did not advance

Swimming

Turkmenistan has received a Universality invitation from FINA to send two swimmers (one male and one female) to the Olympics.^[8][9][10]

Athlete	Event	Heat		Semifinal		Final
		Time	Rank	Time	Rank	Time	Rank
Merdan Ataýew	Men's 100 m backstroke	56.34 NR	33	Did not advance
Darya Semyonova	Women's 100 m breaststroke	1:19.84	41	Did not advance

Weightlifting

Turkmenistan has qualified one male and one female weightlifter for the Rio Olympics by virtue of a top seven national finish (for men) and top six (for women), at the 2016 Asian Championships.^[11] The team must allocate these places to individual athletes by June 20, 2016.^[12]

Athlete	Event	Snatch		Clean & Jerk		Total	Rank
		Result	Rank	Result	Rank
Hojamuhammet Toychyyev	Men's +105 kg	193	DNF	—	—	—	DNF
Gulnabat Kadyrova	Women's −69 kg	90	14	105	13	195	13

References

1. "The Flagbearers for the Rio 2016 Opening Ceremony". International Olympic Committee. Retrieved 5 August 2016.
2. "Сборная команда Туркменистана отбыла на Олимпиаду в Бразилию" [Turkmenistan national team left for the Olympics in Brazil]. Turkmenistan.ru. 28 July 2016. Retrieved 29 July 2016.
3. "Знаменосцем команды Туркменистана на открытии Олимпийских игр в Рио-де-Жанейро стал пловец Мердан Атаев" [Swimmer Merdan Atayev became the flag bearer for Turkmenistan team at the Olympic opening in Rio de Janeiro] (in Russian). Turkmen Portal. 7 August 2016. Retrieved 4 October 2016.
4. "iaaf.org – Top Lists". IAAF. Retrieved 18 April 2015.
5. "IAAF Games of the XXX Olympiad – Rio 2016 Entry Standards" (PDF). IAAF. Retrieved 18 April 2015.
6. "World Olympic Qualifier Quarter-Finals see Haiti, Iraq, Tajikistan and Turkmenistan among 23 nations to confirm quota places at Rio 2016". AIBA. 24 June 2016. Retrieved 24 June 2016.
7. "IJF Officially Announces Qualified Athletes for Rio 2016 Olympic Games". International Judo Federation. 23 June 2016. Retrieved 24 June 2016.
8. "Swimming World Rankings". FINA. Retrieved 14 March 2015.
9. "Men's Final Entry List" (PDF). FINA. Retrieved 20 July 2016.
10. "Women's Final Entry List" (PDF). FINA. Retrieved 20 July 2016.
11. "Continental Qualification current standing". International Weightlifting Federation. Retrieved 2 May 2016.
12. "Rio 2016 Weightlifting – List of Athletes by Bodyweight Category" (pdf). International Weightlifting Federation. Retrieved 21 July 2016.