Marshall Islands at the 2008 Summer Olympics
Encyclopedia
The Marshall Islands
gained International Olympic Committee
recognition in 2007, and sent a team to compete in the 2008 Summer Olympics
in Beijing
, China
, for their first ever appearance.
Athletes representing the Marshall Islands participated in four different events. Anju Jason
was the first Marshallese athlete ever to qualify for the Olympic Games. He represented his country in Taekwondo
. Jared Heine is a swimmer and competed in the 100 meter backstroke. In Athletics
, the nation was represented by Roman Cress
who ran in the Men's 100 metres
. Haley Nemra also represented the Marshall Islands running in the Women's 800 metres
. Nemra, whose father is a native Marshallese, is a University of San Francisco
student who has never been to the country.
n island nation
, located in the western Pacific Ocean
midway between Hawaii
and Australia
. The island has a population of approximately 60,000. The island nation was controlled by the United States, and prior to that by Japan
and Germany at different times in its history, until gaining its sovereignty. In 1979, the Government of the Marshall Islands was officially established and the country became self-governing. In 1986 the Compact of Free Association
with the United States entered into force, granting the Republic of the Marshall Islands (RMI) its sovereignty. The island nation is made up of twenty-nine atolls and five single islands.
The Marshall Islands created its National Olympic Committee
in 2001, and gained International Olympic Committee
recognition in 2007 during the IOC's on February 12, 2007. The admittance of Marshall Islands, along with Montenegro
(who participated as Serbia and Montenegro
at the 2004 Summer Olympics
) and Tuvalu
brings the total number of nations competing in the 2008 Olympics to 205.
Men
Marshall Islands
The Republic of the Marshall Islands , , is a Micronesian nation of atolls and islands in the middle of the Pacific Ocean, just west of the International Date Line and just north of the Equator. As of July 2011 the population was 67,182...
gained 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...
recognition in 2007, and sent a team to compete 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...
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
China
Chinese civilization may refer to:* China for more general discussion of the country.* Chinese culture* Greater China, the transnational community of ethnic Chinese.* History of China* Sinosphere, the area historically affected by Chinese culture...
, for their first ever appearance.
Athletes representing the Marshall Islands participated in four different events. Anju Jason
Anju Jason
Anju Jason became the first Marshallese sportsperson in history to qualify for the Olympics in 2008. He competes in taekwondo. Jason, who was born in the Marshall Islands, moved to Hawaii at the age of six...
was the first Marshallese athlete ever to qualify for the Olympic Games. He represented his country in Taekwondo
Taekwondo
Taekwondo is a Korean martial art and the national sport of South Korea. In Korean, tae means "to strike or break with foot"; kwon means "to strike or break with fist"; and do means "way", "method", or "path"...
. Jared Heine is a swimmer and competed in the 100 meter backstroke. In Athletics
Athletics at the 2008 Summer Olympics
Athletics at the 2008 Summer Olympics were held during the last 10 days of the games, from August 15 to August 24, 2008, at the Beijing National Stadium. The Olympic sport of athletics is split into four distinct sets of events: track and field events, road running events, and racewalking...
, the nation was represented by Roman Cress
Roman William Cress
Roman William Cress is a track athlete from the Marshall Islands. He was born to an American father and Marshallese mother....
who ran in the Men's 100 metres
Athletics at the 2008 Summer Olympics - Men's 100 metres
The following new world and Olympic records were set during this competition.-Qualification:Each National Olympic Committee was able to enter up to three entrants providing they had met the A standard in the qualifying period...
. Haley Nemra also represented the Marshall Islands running in the Women's 800 metres
Athletics at the 2008 Summer Olympics - Women's 800 metres
-Round 1:Qualification: First 3 in each heat and the next 6 fastest advance to the Semifinals.-Semifinals:-Final:-Splits:...
. Nemra, whose father is a native Marshallese, is a University of San Francisco
University of San Francisco
The University of San Francisco , is a private, Jesuit/Catholic university located in San Francisco, California. Founded in 1855, USF was established as the first university in San Francisco. It is the second oldest institution for higher learning in California and the tenth-oldest university of...
student who has never been to the country.
History
Marshall Islands is a MicronesiaMicronesia
Micronesia is a subregion of Oceania, comprising thousands of small islands in the western Pacific Ocean. It is distinct from Melanesia to the south, and Polynesia to the east. The Philippines lie to the west, and Indonesia to the southwest....
n island nation
Island nation
An island country is a state whose primary territory consists of one or more islands or parts of islands. As of 2011, 47 of the 193 UN member states are island countries.-Politics:...
, located in the western Pacific Ocean
Pacific Ocean
The Pacific Ocean is the largest of the Earth's oceanic divisions. It extends from the Arctic in the north to the Southern Ocean in the south, bounded by Asia and Australia in the west, and the Americas in the east.At 165.2 million square kilometres in area, this largest division of the World...
midway between Hawaii
Hawaii
Hawaii is the newest of the 50 U.S. states , and is the only U.S. state made up entirely of islands. It is the northernmost island group in Polynesia, occupying most of an archipelago in the central Pacific Ocean, southwest of the continental United States, southeast of Japan, and northeast of...
and Australia
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
. The island has a population of approximately 60,000. The island nation was controlled by the United States, and prior to that by Japan
Japan
Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...
and Germany at different times in its history, until gaining its sovereignty. In 1979, the Government of the Marshall Islands was officially established and the country became self-governing. In 1986 the Compact of Free Association
Compact of Free Association
The Compact of Free Association defines the relationship that three sovereign states—the Federated States of Micronesia , the Republic of the Marshall Islands and the Republic of Palau—have entered into as associated states with the United States.Now sovereign nations, the three freely associated...
with the United States entered into force, granting the Republic of the Marshall Islands (RMI) its sovereignty. The island nation is made up of twenty-nine atolls and five single islands.
The Marshall Islands created its National Olympic Committee
National Olympic Committee
National Olympic Committees are the national constituents of the worldwide Olympic movement. Subject to the controls of the International Olympic Committee, they are responsible for organizing their people's participation in the Olympic Games...
in 2001, and gained 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...
recognition in 2007 during the IOC's on February 12, 2007. The admittance of Marshall Islands, along with Montenegro
Montenegro at the 2008 Summer Olympics
Montenegro competed as an independent nation for the first time at the Olympic Games at the 2008 Summer Olympics in Beijing, People's Republic of China. Montenegro was the youngest nation to participate in the 2008 Summer Olympics....
(who participated as Serbia and Montenegro
Serbia and Montenegro at the 2004 Summer Olympics
Serbia and Montenegro competed at the 2004 Summer Olympics in Athens, Greece. The nation competed previously as the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia at the 2000 Summer Olympics...
at the 2004 Summer Olympics
2004 Summer Olympics
The 2004 Summer Olympic Games, officially known as the Games of the XXVIII Olympiad, was a premier international multi-sport event held in Athens, Greece from August 13 to August 29, 2004 with the motto Welcome Home. 10,625 athletes competed, some 600 more than expected, accompanied by 5,501 team...
) and Tuvalu
Tuvalu at the 2008 Summer Olympics
Tuvalu made their first ever appearance in an Olympic Games when the country sent three athletes to the 2008 Summer Olympics in Beijing. Athletes from Tuvalu competed in two events....
brings the total number of nations competing in the 2008 Olympics to 205.
Athletics (Track & Field)
| Athlete | Events | Heat | Quarterfinal | Semifinal | Final | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Result | Rank | Result | Rank | Result | Rank | Result | Rank | ||
| Roman William Cress Roman William Cress Roman William Cress is a track athlete from the Marshall Islands. He was born to an American father and Marshallese mother.... |
Men's 100 m Athletics at the 2008 Summer Olympics - Men's 100 metres The following new world and Olympic records were set during this competition.-Qualification:Each National Olympic Committee was able to enter up to three entrants providing they had met the A standard in the qualifying period... |
11.18 | 72 | Did not advance | |||||
| Haley Nemra | Women's 800 m Athletics at the 2008 Summer Olympics - Women's 800 metres -Round 1:Qualification: First 3 in each heat and the next 6 fastest advance to the Semifinals.-Semifinals:-Final:-Splits:... |
2:18.83 | 38 | Did not advance | |||||
Swimming
| Athlete | Events | Heat | Semifinal | Final | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Time | Rank | Time | Rank | Time | Rank | ||
| Jared J Heine | Men's 100 m backstroke | 58.86 | 42 | Did not advance | |||
| Julianne Kirchner | Women's 50 m freestyle | 30.42 | 75 | Did not advance | |||
Taekwondo
Men
| Athlete | Event | Round of 16 | Quarterfinals | Semifinals | Repechage Quarterfinals |
Repechage Semifinals |
Final |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Opposition Result |
Opposition Result |
Opposition Result |
Opposition Result |
Opposition Result |
Opposition Result |
||
| Anju Jason Anju Jason Anju Jason became the first Marshallese sportsperson in history to qualify for the Olympics in 2008. He competes in taekwondo. Jason, who was born in the Marshall Islands, moved to Hawaii at the age of six... |
−80 kg | L 7-0 |
Did not advance | ||||