Eritrea at the 2016 Summer Olympics
# Eritrea at the 2016 Summer Olympics

Eritrea competed at the 2016 Summer Olympics in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, from 5 to 21 August 2016. It was the nation's fifth consecutive appearance at the Summer Olympics.

The Eritrean National Olympic Committee selected a total of 12 athletes, eleven men and one woman, to compete in athletics and cycling sports at the Games, matching its team size with London 2012. Competitors Nebiat Habtemariam and Athens 2004 bronze medalist Zersenay Tadese both returned for their fourth Olympic appearance.

Eritrea left Rio de Janeiro without a single Olympic medal for the third consecutive time. Ghebreslassie missed out on the nation's second medal at the Olympic Games, finishing fourth in the men's marathon.

## Background

Eritrea participated in five Summer Olympics between its debut in the 2000 Summer Olympics in Sydney, Australia, and the 2016 Summer Olympics in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. The highest number of Eritreans participating at any single Summer Games was seven at the previous London 2012 and Rio 2016. The flag bearer for the parade of nations was an unnamed volunteer while an alternative athlete named Tsegay Tuemay bore the flag for the closing ceremony. Only one Eritrean athlete has ever won a medal at the Olympics, long-distance runner Zersenay Tadese, who won a bronze medal in the 2004 men's 10,000 metres event.

## Athletics (track and field)

Eritrean athletes achieved qualifying standards in the following athletics events (up to a maximum of three 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

### Men

| Athlete | Event | Heat | Heat | Final | Final |
| - | - | - | - | - | - |
| Athlete | Event | Result | Rank | Result | Rank |
| Abrar Osman Adem | 5000 m | 13:22.56 | 8 Q | 13:09.56 | 10 |
| Hiskel Tewelde | 5000 m | 13:30.23 | 15 | did not advance | did not advance |
| Aron Kifle | 5000 m | 13:29.45 | 8 | did not advance | did not advance |
| Goitom Kifle | 10000 m | — | — | 28:15.99 | 24 |
| Zersenay Tadese | 10000 m | — | — | 27:23.86 | 8 |
| Nguse Tesfaldet | 10000 m | — | — | 27:30.79 | 9 |
| Yemane Haileselassie | 3000 m steeplechase | 8:26.72 | 4 q | 8:40.68 | 12 |
| Tewelde Estifanos | Marathon | — | — | 2:19:12 | 60 |
| Ghirmay Ghebreslassie | Marathon | — | — | 2:11:04 | 4 |
| Amanuel Mesel | Marathon | — | — | 2:14:37 | 21 |

### Women

| Athlete | Event | Final | Final |
| - | - | - | - |
| Athlete | Event | Result | Rank |
| Nebiat Habtemariam | Marathon | 2:45:21 | 80 |

## Cycling

### Road

Eritrea qualified one rider in the men's Olympic road race by virtue of his top 4 national ranking in the 2015 UCI Africa Tour.

| Athlete | Event | Time | Rank |
| - | - | - | - |
| Daniel Teklehaymanot | Men's road race | 6:29:25 | 43 |
