Iraq at the 2008 Summer Olympics
Encyclopedia
Iraq
competed in the 2008 Summer Olympics
, held in Beijing
, China
, from August 8 to August 24, 2008. As of late July, seven Iraqis—two rowers, a weightlifter, a sprinter, a discus thrower, a judoka and an archer—had qualified to compete in seven events in five sports at the Beijing Olympics, and twenty have qualified to take part in the Beijing Paralympics
(see Iraq at the 2008 Summer Paralympics
).
On July 24, 2008, it was announced that Iraq would be banned from the 2008 Olympics. After five days of negotiations, the International Olympic Committee
lifted the ban. Five of Iraq's seven athletes missed the deadlines for their competitions, though the men's rowing team was allowed to compete by the International Rowing Federation
, after North Korea
declined the offer of places in rowing and they were re-allocated to Iraq.
Thus, Iraq has four representatives: Haidar Nasir
in the discus throw
, Dana Hussein in sprinting, and Haidar Nozad and Hamzah Hussein Jebur in men's double scull.
On July 24, the International Olympic Committee
announced that it was banning Iraq from the Olympics due to political influence within Iraq's national Olympic committee. The decision follows the Iraqi government's suspension of the National Olympic Committee of Iraq
in May 2008, citing the lack of sufficient members for quorum and the consequent risk of corruption as concerns. The government appointed an acting panel led by Jasem Muhammad Jaafar, the Minister of Sports, in its place. The former chairman, Ahmad al-Samarra'i, the secretary-general and several other members of the committee have been missing after being kidnapped when attending a public meeting in July 2006.
Seven members of Iraq's team had qualified for the Olympics, and received sympathy from the United States
after the ban was upheld. White House Press Secretary
Dana Perino
said, "I'm sure that the Iraqi athletes -- who have trained so hard, and were finally going to represent a country that is free, and sovereign, and working to establish its democracy -- they have to be terribly disappointed and I'm disappointed for the athletes as well." However, if the original committee were to be reinstated, Iraq's track and field team might still be able to compete. Iraq missed the July 23 entry deadlines for archery, judo, rowing and weightlifting, but the deadline for athletics is at the end of July.
On July 29, the IOC reversed their previous decision, ruling that Iraq could now participate in the Olympics, but only the two track and field athletes would be allowed to compete, as the others missed the deadlines for their respective sports. However, the International Rowing Federation
allowed the qualified rowers to compete at the Games
, a sprinter who had qualified for the 100
and 200 metres
. In the wake of the initial ban, despite being consoled by her coach, Abdul Rahman, who assured her that she could compete in the 2012 Olympics, Hussain noted "In this horrible situation, who can say I'll even be alive in 2012?" Dana Hussain is the only athlete on the 2008 Olympic team to train within the war-torn country. In the end she only ran the 100m. Haidar Nasir
represented Iraq in the discus throw.
and Hamza Hussein
participated in the men's double sculls
and finished last of all competitors.
Men
The country had planned to send an archer
to the Olympics for the first time. The nation was awarded a spot in the men's individual competition via Tripartite Commission invitation; Ali Adnan
would have become Iraq's first Olympic archer, whereas Ali Mohamed Fakher was to participate as a wild card
in the judo
competition.
In addition to the NOC's suspension, weightlifter Mohammed Jassim was faced with a potential suspension from Olympic participation after news of his failure of a drug test at the Asian Weightlifting Championship were received.
Iraq
Iraq ; officially the Republic of Iraq is a country in Western Asia spanning most of the northwestern end of the Zagros mountain range, the eastern part of the Syrian Desert and the northern part of the Arabian Desert....
competed in the 2008 Summer Olympics
2008 Summer Olympics
The 2008 Summer Olympics, officially known as the Games of the XXIX Olympiad, was a major international multi-sport event that took place in Beijing, China, from August 8 to August 24, 2008. A total of 11,028 athletes from 204 National Olympic Committees competed in 28 sports and 302 events...
, held in Beijing
Beijing
Beijing , also known as Peking , is the capital of the People's Republic of China and one of the most populous cities in the world, with a population of 19,612,368 as of 2010. The city is the country's political, cultural, and educational center, and home to the headquarters for most of China's...
, China
People's Republic of China
China , officially the People's Republic of China , is the most populous country in the world, with over 1.3 billion citizens. Located in East Asia, the country covers approximately 9.6 million square kilometres...
, from August 8 to August 24, 2008. As of late July, seven Iraqis—two rowers, a weightlifter, a sprinter, a discus thrower, a judoka and an archer—had qualified to compete in seven events in five sports at the Beijing Olympics, and twenty have qualified to take part in the Beijing Paralympics
2008 Summer Paralympics
The 2008 Summer Paralympic Games, the thirteenth Paralympics, took place in Beijing, China from September 6 to September 17, 2008. As with the 2008 Summer Olympics, equestrian events were held in Hong Kong and sailing events in Qingdao....
(see Iraq at the 2008 Summer Paralympics
Iraq at the 2008 Summer Paralympics
Iraq sent a delegation to compete at the 2008 Summer Paralympics in Beijing. Twenty Iraqis qualified to compete in the Games, in fields including weightlifting, athletics, swimming and fencing.-Medalists:...
).
On July 24, 2008, it was announced that Iraq would be banned from the 2008 Olympics. After five days of negotiations, the International Olympic Committee
International Olympic Committee
The International Olympic Committee is an international corporation based in Lausanne, Switzerland, created by Pierre de Coubertin on 23 June 1894 with Demetrios Vikelas as its first president...
lifted the ban. Five of Iraq's seven athletes missed the deadlines for their competitions, though the men's rowing team was allowed to compete by the International Rowing Federation
International Rowing Federation
The Fédération Internationale des Sociétés d'Aviron, or FISA for short, is the International Rowing Federation which is the governing body for international Rowing. Its current president is Denis Oswald...
, after North Korea
North Korea at the 2008 Summer Olympics
North Korea competed in the 2008 Summer Olympics, held in Beijing, People's Republic of China from August 8 to August 24, 2008. The country sent 63 athletes, competing in 11 sports....
declined the offer of places in rowing and they were re-allocated to Iraq.
Thus, Iraq has four representatives: Haidar Nasir
Haidar Nasir
Haidar Nasir Abdulshaheed, also known as Haider Jabreen, is an Iraqi discus thrower. He competed for Iraq at the 2008 Summer Olympics in Beijing...
in the discus throw
Discus throw
The discus throw is an event in track and field athletics competition, in which an athlete throws a heavy disc—called a discus—in an attempt to mark a farther distance than his or her competitors. It is an ancient sport, as evidenced by the 5th century BC Myron statue, Discobolus...
, Dana Hussein in sprinting, and Haidar Nozad and Hamzah Hussein Jebur in men's double scull.
IOC ban
International Olympic Committee
The International Olympic Committee is an international corporation based in Lausanne, Switzerland, created by Pierre de Coubertin on 23 June 1894 with Demetrios Vikelas as its first president...
announced that it was banning Iraq from the Olympics due to political influence within Iraq's national Olympic committee. The decision follows the Iraqi government's suspension of the National Olympic Committee of Iraq
National Olympic Committee of Iraq
The National Olympic Committee of Iraq is the National Olympic Committee for Iraq. It was established in 1948 and recognized by the International Olympic Committee that same year. It was officially dissolved in May 2003 by L...
in May 2008, citing the lack of sufficient members for quorum and the consequent risk of corruption as concerns. The government appointed an acting panel led by Jasem Muhammad Jaafar, the Minister of Sports, in its place. The former chairman, Ahmad al-Samarra'i, the secretary-general and several other members of the committee have been missing after being kidnapped when attending a public meeting in July 2006.
Seven members of Iraq's team had qualified for the Olympics, and received sympathy from the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
after the ban was upheld. White House Press Secretary
White House Press Secretary
The White House Press Secretary is a senior White House official whose primary responsibility is to act as spokesperson for the government administration....
Dana Perino
Dana Perino
Dana Maria Perino is an American political commentator for Fox News. She served as the White House Press Secretary for President George W. Bush from September 14, 2007 to January 20, 2009...
said, "I'm sure that the Iraqi athletes -- who have trained so hard, and were finally going to represent a country that is free, and sovereign, and working to establish its democracy -- they have to be terribly disappointed and I'm disappointed for the athletes as well." However, if the original committee were to be reinstated, Iraq's track and field team might still be able to compete. Iraq missed the July 23 entry deadlines for archery, judo, rowing and weightlifting, but the deadline for athletics is at the end of July.
On July 29, the IOC reversed their previous decision, ruling that Iraq could now participate in the Olympics, but only the two track and field athletes would be allowed to compete, as the others missed the deadlines for their respective sports. However, the International Rowing Federation
International Rowing Federation
The Fédération Internationale des Sociétés d'Aviron, or FISA for short, is the International Rowing Federation which is the governing body for international Rowing. Its current president is Denis Oswald...
allowed the qualified rowers to compete at the Games
Athletics
Iraq planned to send Dana HussainDana Hussain
Dana Hussain Abdul-Razzaq is a sprinter on Iraq's national track and field team, coached by Yousif Abdul-Rahman. Hussain is a Shiite, while her coach is a Sunni...
, a sprinter who had qualified for the 100
100 metres
The 100 metres, or 100-metre dash, is a sprint race in track and field competitions. The shortest common outdoor running distance, it is one of the most popular and prestigious events in the sport of athletics. It has been contested at the Summer Olympics since 1896...
and 200 metres
200 metres
A 200 metres race is a sprint running event. On an outdoor 400 m track, the race begins on the curve and ends on the home straight, so a combination of techniques are needed to successfully run the race. A slightly shorter race, called the stadion and run on a straight track, was the first...
. In the wake of the initial ban, despite being consoled by her coach, Abdul Rahman, who assured her that she could compete in the 2012 Olympics, Hussain noted "In this horrible situation, who can say I'll even be alive in 2012?" Dana Hussain is the only athlete on the 2008 Olympic team to train within the war-torn country. In the end she only ran the 100m. Haidar Nasir
Haidar Nasir
Haidar Nasir Abdulshaheed, also known as Haider Jabreen, is an Iraqi discus thrower. He competed for Iraq at the 2008 Summer Olympics in Beijing...
represented Iraq in the discus throw.
| Athletes | Event | Qualification | Final | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Result | Rank | Result | Rank | ||
| Dana Abdulrazak | 100m Athletics at the 2008 Summer Olympics - Women's 100 metres -Results:All times shown are in seconds. The following abbreviations are used:* Q denotes qualification by place* q denotes qualification by time* PB denotes personal best* SB denotes season best* NR denotes national record... |
12.36 | 6 | Did not advance | |
| Haidar Nasser Shaheed | Discus throw Athletics at the 2008 Summer Olympics - Men's discus throw The Men's Discus Throw event at the 2008 Summer Olympics took place on 16–19 August at the Beijing National Stadium.The qualifying standards were 64.50 m and 62.50 m .-Medalists:... |
54.19 | 36 | Did not advance | |
Rowing
Haider NawzadHaider Nawzad
Haider Nawzad is an Iraqi rower. He was born in Baghdad to Kurdish parents. He is fluent in Kurdish, Arabic, English and Swedish...
and Hamza Hussein
Hamza Hussein
Hamzah Hussein Jebur is an Iraqi rower. He and his rowing partner Haider Nawzad qualified for the men's double sculls event at the 2008 Summer Olympics in Beijing through a Tripartite Commission invitation. They were last-minute qualifiers for the Beijing Games, obtaining a place when North Korea...
participated in the men's double sculls
Sculling
Sculling generally refers to a method of using oars to propel watercraft in which the oar or oars touch the water on both the port and starboard sides of the craft, or over the stern...
and finished last of all competitors.
Men
| Athlete(s) | Event | Heats | Repechage | Semifinals | Final | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Time | Rank | Time | Rank | Time | Rank | Time | Rank | ||
| Hamza Hussein Hamza Hussein Hamzah Hussein Jebur is an Iraqi rower. He and his rowing partner Haider Nawzad qualified for the men's double sculls event at the 2008 Summer Olympics in Beijing through a Tripartite Commission invitation. They were last-minute qualifiers for the Beijing Games, obtaining a place when North Korea... Haider Nawzad Haider Nawzad Haider Nawzad is an Iraqi rower. He was born in Baghdad to Kurdish parents. He is fluent in Kurdish, Arabic, English and Swedish... |
Double sculls | 7:00.46 | 5th | 6:52.71 | 5th | — | 6:52.02 | 2nd FC (14th) | |
Competitors unable to compete due to the missed deadline
Several athletes had qualified either regularly or as wildcards, but did not compete, due to Iraq having missed the entry deadlines for their events.The country had planned to send an archer
Archery
Archery is the art, practice, or skill of propelling arrows with the use of a bow, from Latin arcus. Archery has historically been used for hunting and combat; in modern times, however, its main use is that of a recreational activity...
to the Olympics for the first time. The nation was awarded a spot in the men's individual competition via Tripartite Commission invitation; Ali Adnan
Ali Adnan
Ali Adnan is an Iraqi archer.He was due to be the first person to represent Iraq in archery at the Olympic Games, having qualified for the 2008 Summer Olympics in Beijing, but the entire Iraqi delegation was banned from the Games by the International Olympic Committee due to Iraqi government...
would have become Iraq's first Olympic archer, whereas Ali Mohamed Fakher was to participate as a wild card
Wild card (sports)
The term wild card refers broadly to a tournament or playoff berth awarded to an individual or team that has not qualified through normal play.-International sports:...
in the judo
Judo
is a modern martial art and combat sport created in Japan in 1882 by Jigoro Kano. Its most prominent feature is its competitive element, where the object is to either throw or takedown one's opponent to the ground, immobilize or otherwise subdue one's opponent with a grappling maneuver, or force an...
competition.
In addition to the NOC's suspension, weightlifter Mohammed Jassim was faced with a potential suspension from Olympic participation after news of his failure of a drug test at the Asian Weightlifting Championship were received.
External links
- "Baghdad Outraged by Olympic Ban", Time, July 25, 2008