Olympics Nation’s Profile: The Gambia

Background: The Gambia is a small West African country, known for its diverse ecosystems along the Gambia River. It gained independence from the United Kingdom in 1965 and is the smallest country on mainland Africa.

First Olympic participation: 1984 Los Angeles Summer Olympics

All-time medal tally: Gold: 0 Silver: 0 Bronze: 0

Notable past athlete: Suwaibou Sanneh (Athletics, 100m)

Greatest Olympic achievement: Suwaibou Sanneh reaching the semi-finals of the men’s 100m at the 2012 London Olympics

Player to watch in 2024 Paris Olympics: Gina Bass (Athletics, 100m and 200m)

Interesting Olympic trivia: The Gambia made history at the 2016 Rio Olympics when Gina Bass became the country’s first female sprinter to qualify for the Olympics by standard qualifying time, rather than through a wildcard entry. This marked a significant step forward for Gambian athletics and women’s sports in the country.