Puerto Rico at the 2016 Summer Olympic Games
Let the Games begin!
As we all know by now, the 2016 Summer Games of the XXXI Olympiad are being held in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil from 05 August to 21 August 2016.
For 16 days, over 11,000 athletes representing 205 countries will compete in 42 different sporting categories.
Puerto Rico will be represented by 41 athletes at these Olympic Games. They will be competing in Athletics, Boxing, Diving, Equestrian, Judo, Road Cycling, Shooting, Swimming, Table Tennis, Taekwondo, Tennis, Triathlon, Volleyball, Weightlifting, and Wrestling.
Puerto Rico’s Olympic Heritage
Puerto Rico has been competing under its own flag in the Summer Olympics since 1948, and in the Winter Olympics since 1984.
Prior to the 2016 Summer Olympic Games, Puerto Rico’s athletes have garnered a total of 2 Silver and 6 Bronze medals …
- Juan Venegas won Bronze in Boxing in 1948 in London
- Orlando Maldonado won Bronze in Boxing in 1978 in Montreal
- Luis Ortiz won Silver in 1984 in Boxing in Los Angeles
- Arístides González won Bronze in Boxing in 1984 in Los Angeles
- Aníbal Acevedo won Bronze in Boxing in 1992 in Barcelona
- Daniel Santos won Bronze in Boxing in 1996 in Atlanta
- Javier Culson won Bronze in the Men’s 400m Hurdles in 2012 in London
- Jaime Yusept Espinal won Silver in Men’s 84kg Freestyle Wrestling in 2012 in London
Olympic Training in Puerto Rico
The Comité Olímpico de Puerto Rico (COPUR) (Puerto Rico Olympic Committee) is the National Olympic Committee for Puerto Rico. Founded in 1948, it is the official voice of the island to the International Olympic Committee. COPUR oversees Olympic sports on the island, and it selects the teams that will represent Puerto Rico in the Olympic Games. Its headquarters are in Casa Olímpico (which is the YMCA building) in Old San Juan.
The primary Olympic training facility in Puerto Rico, operated by COPUR, is the Albergue Olímpico (Olympic Hostel). Located in Salinas, the Albergue Olímpico was founded in 1983, as a training center for highly competitive athletes. The primary mission of the Albergue is to "build positive and educated minds in healthy bodies that are able to create new expectations of life".
Today, it serves as a training facility, as well as a public use athletic, recreation, and activity center. It has facilities for shooting, mountain biking (MTB), cycling, boxing, swimming, gymnastics, martial arts, baseball, soccer, and track & field events. For recreation, it has a water park, a children’s water park, rock-climbing walls, miniature golf, a botanical garden, and a museum.
Highlights of Team PUR at the 2016 Summer Olympics
13 August: Mónica Puig Wins a Gold Medal!
First Gold Medal for Puerto Rico, and First Woman to Win an Olympic Medal for Puerto Rico!
Time to celebrate ????????!
You have an #Olympics #Gold Medalist, @MonicaAce93!! #Rio2016 pic.twitter.com/1vWpHxUklH
— WTA (@WTA) August 13, 2016
12 August: Mónica Puig Beats Czech Republic’s Petra Kvitova to Advance to the Finals
Guaranteed a Silver or Gold Medal!
TFW you're ONE win away from #Gold pic.twitter.com/rUM9BtUgd8
— WTA (@WTA) August 12, 2016
11 August: Mónica Puig Upsets Germany’s Laura Siegemund to Advance to Semifinals
Dreams come true when you work hard enough to get them! Going all the way! #JuegosOlimpicos #Tenis ?????????????? #EquipoPUR pic.twitter.com/AI7QaVXKaT
— Monica Puig (@MonicaAce93) August 11, 2016
09 August: Mónica Puig Upsets Garbine Muguruza to Advance to Quarter Finals
Upset Complete!
Puerto Rico's @MonicaAce93 knocks out Muguruza, 6-1, 6-1 in #Rio2016 Round of 16! #Olympics pic.twitter.com/x5M2kIL14V
— WTA (@WTA) August 9, 2016
05 August: Parade of Nations
Team PUR for the 2016 Summer Olympic Games
Puerto Rico is being represented in the 2016 Summer Olympic Games by 41 athletes, competing in 43 different events across 15 sporting categories.
For More Info
Source material for this article included the Rio 2016 web site, the Comité Olímpico de Puerto Rico web site, Wikipedia.org, as well as other sources.
Image, logos, and pictographs used in this article are credited to Rio 2016 and the Comité Olímpico de Puerto Rico (COPUR). The Parade of Nations video was posted on Facebook by Noticias 24/7. Those elements are the sole property of their respective copyright holders, and PuertoRicoDayTrips.com makes no claim to ownership of that content.
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