Netherlands Antilles at the Olympics
Encyclopedia
The Netherlands Antilles
first participated at the Olympic Games
in 1952, and has sent athletes to compete in most Summer Olympic Games
since then. The nation supported the Netherlands
' boycott of the 1956 Games
and also joined the American-led boycott of the 1980 Summer Olympics
. The Netherlands Antilles has twice participated in the Winter Olympic Games
.
The National Olympic Committee
for the Netherlands Antilles was created in 1931 and recognized by the International Olympic Committee
from 1950 until 2011 upon the dissolution of the Netherlands Antilles. At the 2012 Olympics, participants from the 5 islands can compete as independent athletes under the Olympic flag.
is the only Netherlands Antillean athlete to win an Olympic medal, a silver medal in sailing
. Although they could have added another silver to the collection, after the 200m final in Beijing, as Churandy Martina
finished second, behind Usain Bolt
and his record breaking performance. Martina was only denied a medal after an American led protest that he ran out of his lane during the race, thus denying him a medal. Although an appeal was made against Martina's disqualification, on March 6, 2009 it was rejected by the Court of Arbitration for Sport
.
has continued to exist as the umbrella body for sports on the five islands after the dissolution of the Netherlands Antilles, but lost its recognition as a National Olympic Committee in 2011 At the 2012 Olympics, participants from the 5 islands can compete as independent athletes under the Olympic flag.
:Category:Olympic competitors for the Netherlands Antilles
Netherlands Antilles
The Netherlands Antilles , also referred to informally as the Dutch Antilles, was an autonomous Caribbean country within the Kingdom of the Netherlands, consisting of two groups of islands in the Lesser Antilles: Aruba, Bonaire and Curaçao , in Leeward Antilles just off the Venezuelan coast; and Sint...
first participated at the Olympic Games
Olympic Games
The Olympic Games is a major international event featuring summer and winter sports, in which thousands of athletes participate in a variety of competitions. The Olympic Games have come to be regarded as the world’s foremost sports competition where more than 200 nations participate...
in 1952, and has sent athletes to compete in most Summer Olympic Games
Summer Olympic Games
The Summer Olympic Games or the Games of the Olympiad are an international multi-sport event, occurring every four years, organized by the International Olympic Committee. Medals are awarded in each event, with gold medals for first place, silver for second and bronze for third, a tradition that...
since then. The nation supported the Netherlands
Netherlands
The Netherlands is a constituent country of the Kingdom of the Netherlands, located mainly in North-West Europe and with several islands in the Caribbean. Mainland Netherlands borders the North Sea to the north and west, Belgium to the south, and Germany to the east, and shares maritime borders...
' boycott of the 1956 Games
1956 Summer Olympics
The 1956 Melbourne Summer Olympics, officially known as the Games of the XVI Olympiad, were an international multi-sport event which was held in Melbourne, Australia, in 1956, with the exception of the equestrian events, which could not be held in Australia due to quarantine regulations...
and also joined the American-led boycott of the 1980 Summer Olympics
American-led boycott of the 1980 Summer Olympics
The 1980 Summer Olympics boycott of the Moscow Olympics was a part of a package of actions initiated by the United States to protest the Soviet war in Afghanistan...
. The Netherlands Antilles has twice participated in the Winter Olympic Games
Winter Olympic Games
The Winter Olympic Games is a sporting event, which occurs every four years. The first celebration of the Winter Olympics was held in Chamonix, France, in 1924. The original sports were alpine and cross-country skiing, figure skating, ice hockey, Nordic combined, ski jumping and speed skating...
.
The 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...
for the Netherlands Antilles was created in 1931 and 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...
from 1950 until 2011 upon the dissolution of the Netherlands Antilles. At the 2012 Olympics, participants from the 5 islands can compete as independent athletes under the Olympic flag.
List of medalists
As of 2008, Jan BoersmaJan Boersma
Jan D. Boersma is a sailor from the Netherlands Antilles, who won a silver medal in Men's Lechner Sailboard in the 1988 Summer Olympics, his country's first Olympic medal.-External links:*...
is the only Netherlands Antillean athlete to win an Olympic medal, a silver medal in sailing
Sailing
Sailing is the propulsion of a vehicle and the control of its movement with large foils called sails. By changing the rigging, rudder, and sometimes the keel or centre board, a sailor manages the force of the wind on the sails in order to move the boat relative to its surrounding medium and...
. Although they could have added another silver to the collection, after the 200m final in Beijing, as Churandy Martina
Churandy Martina
Churandy Martina is a sprinter from Curaçao, currently representing the Netherlands. His personal best time over 100 metres is 9.93 seconds, a national record, achieved in the 2008 Beijing Olympic Games final...
finished second, behind Usain Bolt
Usain Bolt
The Honourable Usain St. Leo Bolt, OJ, C.D. , is a Jamaican sprinter and a five-time World and three-time Olympic gold medalist. He is the world record and Olympic record holder in the 100 metres, the 200 metres and the 4×100 metres relay...
and his record breaking performance. Martina was only denied a medal after an American led protest that he ran out of his lane during the race, thus denying him a medal. Although an appeal was made against Martina's disqualification, on March 6, 2009 it was rejected by the Court of Arbitration for Sport
Court of Arbitration for Sport
The Court of Arbitration for Sport is an international arbitration body set up to settle disputes related to sport. Its headquarters are in Lausanne and its courts are located in New York, Sydney and Lausanne, Switzerland...
.
| Medal | Name | Games | Sport | Event |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan Boersma Jan Boersma Jan D. Boersma is a sailor from the Netherlands Antilles, who won a silver medal in Men's Lechner Sailboard in the 1988 Summer Olympics, his country's first Olympic medal.-External links:*... |
1988 Seoul 1988 Summer Olympics The 1988 Summer Olympics, officially known as the Games of the XXIV Olympiad, were an all international multi-sport events celebrated from September 17 to October 2, 1988 in Seoul, South Korea. They were the second summer Olympic Games to be held in Asia and the first since the 1964 Summer Olympics... |
Sailing Sailing at the 1988 Summer Olympics Sailing/Yachting is a Olympic sport starting from the Games of the 1st Olympiad . With the exception of 1904 and possible 1916 sailing was always a part of the Olympic program.... |
Men's sailboard | |
Dissolution of the Netherlands Antilles
The Netherlands Antilles Olympic CommitteeNetherlands Antilles Olympic Committee
The Netherlands Antilles Olympic Committee, generally abbreviated NAOC was a member of the IOC from 1950 until 2011. It constituted the National Olympic Committee of the dissolved country Netherlands Antilles which consisted of the islands Aruba , Curaçao, Sint Maarten , Bonaire, Sint Eustatius...
has continued to exist as the umbrella body for sports on the five islands after the dissolution of the Netherlands Antilles, but lost its recognition as a National Olympic Committee in 2011 At the 2012 Olympics, participants from the 5 islands can compete as independent athletes under the Olympic flag.
See also
- Aruba at the OlympicsAruba at the OlympicsAruba first competed at the Olympic Games in 1988, and has participated in each Summer Olympic Games since then. Aruba has yet to win any Olympic medals....
:Category:Olympic competitors for the Netherlands Antilles
- Tropical nations at the Winter OlympicsTropical nations at the Winter OlympicsAlthough traditionally associated with cold weather nations, the Winter Olympics have also had participation from several tropical nations. The typical climate of these nations is not conducive to participation in winter sports, and no Winter Olympic medals have ever been won by a tropical nation...