Palestine at the 2016 Summer Olympics
# Palestine at the 2016 Summer Olympics

Palestine 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.

Palestine Olympic Committee sent the nation's largest ever delegation to the Games. A total of six athletes, four men and two women, were selected to the Palestinian team across four different sports. Four of them were invited to compete in their respective sporting events, with the other two qualifying for the Games on merit. Among the sports represented by the athletes, Palestine marked its Olympic debut in equestrian.

The Palestinian roster featured middle-distance freestyle swimmer Ahmed Gebrel, the lone returning Olympian from London 2012, and three of its athletes being born and raised in Germany: judoka Simon Yacoub (men's 66 kg), Dressage horse rider and dual citizen Christian Zimmermann, and marathon runner Mayada Al-Sayad, who led the delegation as the nation's flag bearer in the opening ceremony, the second female in history since Sanna Abubkheet did so in 2004. Palestine, whose athletes have been allowed to compete under its flag by the International Olympic Committee only since 1996, has yet to win its first Olympic medal.

## Athletics

Palestinian athletes have so far achieved qualifying standards in the following athletics events (up to a maximum of 3 athletes in each event):

### 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

### Track & road events

| Athlete | Event | Heat | Heat | Quarterfinal | Quarterfinal | Semifinal | Semifinal | Final | Final |
| - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - |
| Athlete | Event | Result | Rank | Result | Rank | Result | Rank | Result | Rank |
| Mohammed Abu Khoussa | Men's 100 m | 10.82 | 3 q | 11.89 | 9 | Did not advance | Did not advance | Did not advance | Did not advance |
| Mayada Al-Sayad | Women's marathon | — | — | — | — | — | — | 2:42:28 | 67 |

## Equestrian

Palestine entered one rider into the Olympic equestrian competition by virtue of a top finish from Africa and the Middle East in the individual FEI Olympic rankings, signifying the nation's Olympic debut in the sport.

### Individual Dressage

| Athlete | Horse | Event | Grand Prix | Grand Prix | | | Overall | Overall |
| - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - |
| Athlete | Horse | Event | Score | Rank | Technical | Artistic | Score | Rank |
| Christian Zimmermann | Aramis 606 | Dressage | 62.271 | 57 | Did Not Advance | Did Not Advance | 63.271 | 57 |

## Judo

Palestine has received an invitation from the Tripartite Commission to send a judoka competing in the men's extra-lightweight category (60 kg) to the Olympics.

| Athlete | Event | Round of 64 | Round of 32 | Round of 16 | Quarterfinals | Semifinals | Repechage | Final / BM | Final / BM |
| - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - |
| Athlete | Event | Opposition Result | Opposition Result | Opposition Result | Opposition Result | Opposition Result | Opposition Result | Opposition Result | Rank |
| Simon Yacoub | Men's −60 kg | Khyar (FRA) L 000–100 | Did not advance | Did not advance | Did not advance | Did not advance | Did not advance | Did not advance | Did not advance |

## Swimming

Palestine has received a Universality invitation from FINA to send two swimmers (one male and one female) to the Olympics.

| Athlete | Event | Heat | Heat | Semifinal | Semifinal | Final | Final |
| - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - |
| Athlete | Event | Time | Rank | Time | Rank | Time | Rank |
| Ahmed Gebrel | Men's 200 m freestyle | 1:59:71 | 47 | Did not advance | Did not advance | Did not advance | Did not advance |
| Mary Al-Atrash | Women's 50 m freestyle | 28.76 | 62 | Did not advance | Did not advance | Did not advance | Did not advance |
