Aruba at the 2016 Summer Olympics

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

Aruba at the 2016 Summer Olympics
IOC code	ARU
NOC	Aruban Olympic Committee
Website	www.olympicaruba.com (in Papiamento)
in Rio de Janeiro
Competitors	7 in 4 sports
Flag bearer	Nicole van der Velden[1]
Medals	Gold 0 Silver 0 Bronze 0 Total 0
Summer Olympics appearances (overview)
1988 1992 1996 2000 2004 2008 2012 2016 2020 2024
Other related appearances
Netherlands Antilles (1952–2008)

Sailor Nicole van der Velden led the Aruban team in the opening ceremony.

Aruban Olympic Committee sent the nation's largest team to the Games since the 1988 Summer Olympics in Seoul. A total of seven athletes, three men and four women, were selected to compete in four different sports (judo, sailing, swimming, and taekwondo). Five of them made their Olympic debut at these Games, with Laser Radial sailor Philipine van Aanholt, who previously represented as a member of the Independent Olympic Athletes, and judoka Jayme Mata returning for their second appearance from London 2012. 2010 Youth Olympian Nicole van der Velden served as the nation's flag bearer in the opening ceremony.^[1][2]

Aruba, however, has never won a single Olympic medal.

Judo

Main article: Judo at the 2016 Summer Olympics

Aruba has qualified one judoka for the men's half-lightweight category (66 kg) at the Games. London 2012 Olympian Jayme Mata earned a continental quota spot from the Pan American region, as the highest-ranked Aruban judoka outside of direct qualifying position in the IJF World Ranking List of 30 May 2016.^[3]

Athlete	Event	Round of 64	Round of 32	Round of 16	Quarterfinals	Semifinals	Repechage	Final / BM
		Opposition Result	Opposition Result	Opposition Result	Opposition Result	Opposition Result	Opposition Result	Opposition Result	Rank
Jayme Mata	Men's −66 kg	Bye	Mahit (VAN) W 100–000	Sobirov (UZB) L 000–100	Did not advance

Sailing

Main articles: Sailing at the 2016 Summer Olympics and Sailing at the 2016 Summer Olympics – Qualification

Aruban sailors have qualified one boat in each of the following classes through the individual fleet World Championships and the 2015 Pan American Games, signifying the nation's return to the sport after a 24-year hiatus.^[4][5]

Athlete	Event	Race													Net points	Final rank
		1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	10	11	12	M*
Philipine van Aanholt	Women's Laser Radial	24	21	18	32	27	27	21	19	24	26	—		EL	206	28
Thijs Visser Nicole van der Velden	Mixed Nacra 17	15	18	1	15	14	1	19	17	10	16	16	14	EL	135	16

M = Medal race; EL = Eliminated – did not advance into the medal race

Swimming

Main article: Swimming at the 2016 Summer Olympics

Aruba has received a Universality invitation from FINA to send two swimmers (one male and one female) to the Olympics.^[6][7]

Athlete	Event	Heat		Semifinal		Final
		Time	Rank	Time	Rank	Time	Rank
Mikel Schreuders	Men's 200 m freestyle	1:55.10	45	Did not advance
Allyson Ponson	Women's 50 m freestyle	26.00	45	Did not advance

Taekwondo

Main articles: Taekwondo at the 2016 Summer Olympics and Taekwondo at the 2016 Summer Olympics – Qualification

Aruba entered one athlete into the taekwondo competition for the first time at the Olympics. Monica Pimentel secured a spot in the women's flyweight category (49 kg) by virtue of her top two finish at the 2016 Pan American Qualification Tournament in Aguascalientes, Mexico.^[8]

Athlete	Event	Round of 16	Quarterfinals	Semifinals	Repechage	Final / BM
		Opposition Result	Opposition Result	Opposition Result	Opposition Result	Opposition Result	Rank
Monica Pimentel	Women's −49 kg	Aziez (FRA) L 1–2	Did not advance

See also

• Aruba at the 2015 Pan American Games