Nauru at the 2008 Summer Olympics
Encyclopedia
Nauru
competed at the 2008 Summer Olympics
, that celebrated in Beijing
, China
, from August 8 to August 24, 2008. Nauru was represented by the Nauru Olympic Committee
, and was the only nation out of 204 participating nations and territories that sent only a single athlete, and was one of 117 that won no medals at the Games. The sole athlete to represent the nation was Itte Detenamo
, who participated in the weightlifting
, and was the flag bearer in both the opening
and closing ceremonies
. This was the same number of athletes as at the 1996 Olympics
, when Marcus Stephen
(who later became President of Naaru) represented the country in the same sport, but was a decrease from the nation's last appearance at the Games when three athletes were sent to Athens
. Nauru earned a berth for the weightlifting event in the Oceania and South Pacific Olympic Weightlifting Championships in 2008 and a chance to send participants in swimming and athletics events, but chose to send only a weightlifter. Itte Detenamo competed in the Group B of heavyweight class, fifteenth and last event of the weightlifting. He did not earn a medal, but finished with a personal best.
—2004
Olympian—who holds the record for the best placing in any Olympics by any Nauruan
, eighth in the lightweight category (69 kg) of the weightlifting event
in the 2004 Summer Olympics. Delegation was also accompanied by Vinson Detenamo, father of Itte and the then and first President of the Nauru Olympic Committee. As the former sport minister of Nauru, Vinson had helped in the establishment of Nauru Olympic Committee in 1991 during his term in the Ministry of Sport. The final member of the delegation was Lou Keke as Nauru's Olympic chef de mission.
's continental Olympic qualification event—Oceania and South Pacific Olympic Weightlifting Championships—held in Auckland
, New Zealand
from March 27 to 30, 2008. At the event only those National Olympic Committees (NOCs) of Oceania
which had not gained berths for 2008 Olympics in the 2006
and 2007
World Weightlifting Championships
got chance to win qualification places. Itte Detenamo was selected over Yukio Peter to fill the earned quota. Nauru could have sent participants in swimming
and athletics
also, but chose not to as there was no national governing body of swimming and the nation lacked basic infrastructure and competitive athletes in order to complete in athletics.
Nauru's representation of sole athlete in the 2008 Games was the same number of athletes as at the 1996 Olympics
, when Marcus Stephen
—incumbent President of Nauru
, President of the Nauru Olympic Committee and Oceania Weightlifting Federation—represented the country in the same sport. Marcus had previously competed for Samoa
in the 1992 Summer Olympics
in Barcelona
as Nauru was not recognized by the International Olympic Committee
as a National Olympic Committee until 1994. The attendence at the 2008 games was a decrease from the nation's previous appearance at the Games
when three athletes were sent to Athens
.
Itte Detenamo represented Nauru in the super heavyweight class of weightlifting. It was his second Olympics appearance; he was ranked previously 14th in the same weight category at the 2004 Athens Olympics. The whole competition took place on August 19, but was divided in two parts due to the number of competitors. Group B weightlifters competed at 15:30 CST, and Group A, at 19:00 CST. The event was the fifteenth and last weightlifting event to conclude. Itte competed in group B of the event; his highest successfully lifted weight in snatch
was 175 kg, out of 165, 170 and 175 kg, and in clean and jerk
his best was 210 kg, out of 205 and 210 kg, he also tried a failed attempt for 215 kg. Itte finished in 10th place in the final standings with a total of 385 kg, setting a personal best.
Men
Nauru
Nauru , officially the Republic of Nauru and formerly known as Pleasant Island, is an island country in Micronesia in the South Pacific. Its nearest neighbour is Banaba Island in Kiribati, to the east. Nauru is the world's smallest republic, covering just...
competed at 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...
, that celebrated 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. Nauru was represented by the Nauru Olympic Committee
Nauru Olympic Committee
Nauru Olympic Committee is the National Olympic Committee representing Nauru. It represents and organizes the Olympic movement on the island. The NNOC was founded in 1991 and was recognized by the International Olympic Committee in 1994....
, and was the only nation out of 204 participating nations and territories that sent only a single athlete, and was one of 117 that won no medals at the Games. The sole athlete to represent the nation was Itte Detenamo
Itte Detenamo
Itte Detenamo is a Nauruan weightlifter competing in the +105 kg category.Detenamo represented Nauru at the 2004 Summer Olympics in Athens, finishing 14th in the men's 105+kg category...
, who participated in the weightlifting
Weightlifting at the 2008 Summer Olympics
Weightlifting competitions at the 2008 Summer Olympics in Beijing were held from August 9 to August 19. Competitions were conducted at the Beihang University Gymnasium.-Events:15 sets of medals were awarded in the following events:...
, and was the flag bearer in both the opening
2008 Summer Olympics opening ceremony
The 2008 Summer Olympics opening ceremony was held at the Beijing National Stadium, also known as the Bird's Nest. It began at 8:00 pm China Standard Time on August 8, 2008, as 8 is considered to be a lucky number. The number 8 is associated with prosperity and confidence in Chinese culture...
and closing ceremonies
2008 Summer Olympics closing ceremony
The 2008 Summer Olympics closing ceremony was held at the Beijing National Stadium, also known as the Bird's Nest. It was directed by Chinese filmmaker Zhang Yimou and began at 8:00 pm China Standard Time on August 24, 2008...
. This was the same number of athletes as at the 1996 Olympics
Nauru at the 1996 Summer Olympics
Nauru competed in the Olympic Games for the first time at the 1996 Summer Olympics in Atlanta, United States.The country was represented by three weightlifters including future President of Nauru Marcus Stephen.- Weightlifting:Men-References:*...
, when Marcus Stephen
Marcus Stephen
Marcus Stephen was President of the Republic of Nauru from December 2007 to November 2011. In addition to the presidency, he held the offices of Minister for Home Affairs, Minister for the Nauru Phosphate Royalties Trust, Minister for Police, Prisons, & Emergency Services, and Minister for Public...
(who later became President of Naaru) represented the country in the same sport, but was a decrease from the nation's last appearance at the Games when three athletes were sent to Athens
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...
. Nauru earned a berth for the weightlifting event in the Oceania and South Pacific Olympic Weightlifting Championships in 2008 and a chance to send participants in swimming and athletics events, but chose to send only a weightlifter. Itte Detenamo competed in the Group B of heavyweight class, fifteenth and last event of the weightlifting. He did not earn a medal, but finished with a personal best.
Delegation
The delegation of the Nauru for the 2008 Summer Olympics consisted of four men. The first, Itte Detenamo, was the sole athlete and competed in the weightlifting competition. Also in the delegation as a manager of Itte was Yukio PeterYukio Peter
Yukio Peter is a weightlifter from Nauru.-2004:Yukio snatched 142.5kg and clean and jerked 165kg to place eighth at the 2004 Olympic Games in the Men's 69 kg division.-2008:...
—2004
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...
Olympian—who holds the record for the best placing in any Olympics by any Nauruan
Nauruan people
The indigenous peoples of Nauru are an ethnicity, which inhabit the Pacific island of Nauru. They are most likely a blend of other Pacific peoples....
, eighth in the lightweight category (69 kg) of the weightlifting event
Weightlifting at the 2004 Summer Olympics
At the 2004 Summer Olympics in Athens, fifteen events in weightlifting were contested, in eight classes for men and seven for women. Competition was held in the Nikaia Olympic Weightlifting Hall.-Doping:...
in the 2004 Summer Olympics. Delegation was also accompanied by Vinson Detenamo, father of Itte and the then and first President of the Nauru Olympic Committee. As the former sport minister of Nauru, Vinson had helped in the establishment of Nauru Olympic Committee in 1991 during his term in the Ministry of Sport. The final member of the delegation was Lou Keke as Nauru's Olympic chef de mission.
Qualification
Nauru earned a qualification place in weightlifting in the International Weightlifting FederationInternational Weightlifting Federation
The International Weightlifting Federation , headquartered in Budapest, is the international governing body for the sport of Olympic weightlifting.The IWF was founded in 1905, and has 187 member nations. The IWF president is Dr...
's continental Olympic qualification event—Oceania and South Pacific Olympic Weightlifting Championships—held in Auckland
Auckland
The Auckland metropolitan area , in the North Island of New Zealand, is the largest and most populous urban area in the country with residents, percent of the country's population. Auckland also has the largest Polynesian population of any city in the world...
, New Zealand
New Zealand
New Zealand is an island country in the south-western Pacific Ocean comprising two main landmasses and numerous smaller islands. The country is situated some east of Australia across the Tasman Sea, and roughly south of the Pacific island nations of New Caledonia, Fiji, and Tonga...
from March 27 to 30, 2008. At the event only those National Olympic Committees (NOCs) of Oceania
Oceania
Oceania is a region centered on the islands of the tropical Pacific Ocean. Conceptions of what constitutes Oceania range from the coral atolls and volcanic islands of the South Pacific to the entire insular region between Asia and the Americas, including Australasia and the Malay Archipelago...
which had not gained berths for 2008 Olympics in the 2006
2006 World Weightlifting Championships
The 2006 World Weightlifting Championships were held at the Handball Pavilion and Weightlifting Pavilion Dr. José Joaquín Puello in Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic...
and 2007
2007 World Weightlifting Championships
The Royal World Weightlifting Championships 2007 were held at the 700th Anniversary Sports Complex in Chiang Mai, Thailand. The event took place from September 17 to September 26, 2007.-Men:-Women:-Medal table:...
World Weightlifting Championships
World Weightlifting Championships
World Weightlifting Championships is an event organised by International Weightlifting Federation .It has been held since 1891. In March 1891, competing against champions from Brussels, Hamburg, England, Vienna, Italy, and Berlin in a three-day event, Edward Lawrence Levy of England won the first...
got chance to win qualification places. Itte Detenamo was selected over Yukio Peter to fill the earned quota. Nauru could have sent participants in swimming
Swimming at the 2008 Summer Olympics
Swimming at the 2008 Summer Olympics was held over a thirteen day period from August 9 to August 21, with the conventional events ending on August 17 and the new marathon 10 km events being held on August 20 and 21...
and 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...
also, but chose not to as there was no national governing body of swimming and the nation lacked basic infrastructure and competitive athletes in order to complete in athletics.
Nauru's representation of sole athlete in the 2008 Games was the same number of athletes as at the 1996 Olympics
Nauru at the 1996 Summer Olympics
Nauru competed in the Olympic Games for the first time at the 1996 Summer Olympics in Atlanta, United States.The country was represented by three weightlifters including future President of Nauru Marcus Stephen.- Weightlifting:Men-References:*...
, when Marcus Stephen
Marcus Stephen
Marcus Stephen was President of the Republic of Nauru from December 2007 to November 2011. In addition to the presidency, he held the offices of Minister for Home Affairs, Minister for the Nauru Phosphate Royalties Trust, Minister for Police, Prisons, & Emergency Services, and Minister for Public...
—incumbent President of Nauru
President of Nauru
The President of Nauru is elected by Parliament from amongst its members. He is both the head of state and head of government of Nauru. Nauru's unicameral Parliament has 18 members, with an electoral term of 3 years. Political parties only play a minor role in Nauru politics, and there has often...
, President of the Nauru Olympic Committee and Oceania Weightlifting Federation—represented the country in the same sport. Marcus had previously competed for Samoa
Samoa at the 1992 Summer Olympics
Samoa competed at the 1992 Summer Olympics in Barcelona, Spain.Nauruan weightlifter and future president Marcus Stephen obtained Samoan citizenship and competed for Samoa at the 1992 Olympics.-References:**...
in the 1992 Summer Olympics
1992 Summer Olympics
The 1992 Summer Olympic Games, officially known as the Games of the XXV Olympiad, were an international multi-sport event celebrated in Barcelona, Catalonia, Spain, in 1992. The International Olympic Committee voted in 1986 to separate the Summer and Winter Games, which had been held in the same...
in Barcelona
Barcelona
Barcelona is the second largest city in Spain after Madrid, and the capital of Catalonia, with a population of 1,621,537 within its administrative limits on a land area of...
as Nauru was not recognized by 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...
as a National Olympic Committee until 1994. The attendence at the 2008 games was a decrease from the nation's previous appearance at the Games
Nauru at the 2004 Summer Olympics
- Weightlifting :All three of Nauru's athletes at the Games were weightlifters, including 2002 Commonwealth champion Reanna Maricha Solomon. The best finish came from Peter, who beat out four other lifters to place 8th...
when three athletes were sent to Athens
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...
.
Weightlifting
Itte Detenamo represented Nauru in the super heavyweight class of weightlifting. It was his second Olympics appearance; he was ranked previously 14th in the same weight category at the 2004 Athens Olympics. The whole competition took place on August 19, but was divided in two parts due to the number of competitors. Group B weightlifters competed at 15:30 CST, and Group A, at 19:00 CST. The event was the fifteenth and last weightlifting event to conclude. Itte competed in group B of the event; his highest successfully lifted weight in snatchSnatch (weightlifting)
The snatch is one of the two olympic weightlifting events .The essence of the event is to lift a barbell from the platform to locked arms overhead in a smooth continuous movement. The barbell is pulled as high as the lifter can manage at which point the barbell is flipped overhead...
was 175 kg, out of 165, 170 and 175 kg, and in clean and jerk
Clean and jerk
The clean and jerk is one of the two Olympic weightlifting events .The clean portion of the lift refers to the lifter explosively pulling the weight from the floor to a racked position across deltoids and clavicles...
his best was 210 kg, out of 205 and 210 kg, he also tried a failed attempt for 215 kg. Itte finished in 10th place in the final standings with a total of 385 kg, setting a personal best.
Men
| Athlete | Event | Snatch | Clean & jerk | Total | Rank | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Result | Rank | Result | Rank | ||||
| Itte Detenamo | +105 kg Weightlifting at the 2008 Summer Olympics - Men's +105 kg The Men's +105 kg weightlifting event was the heaviest men's event at the 2008 Summer Olympics weightlifting competition, allowing competitors of over 105 kilograms of body mass. The whole competition took place on August 19, but was divided in two parts due to the number of competitors. Group... |
175 | 9 | 210 | 10 | 385 | 10 |