Zimbabwe at the 2016 Summer Olympics

Zimbabwe competed at the 2016 Summer Olympics in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, from 5 to 21 August 2016. This was the nation's tenth consecutive appearance at the Olympics, after gaining its independence from the former Rhodesia.

Zimbabwe at the 2016 Summer Olympics
IOC code	ZIM
NOC	Zimbabwe Olympic Committee
Website	www.zoc.co.zw
in Rio de Janeiro
Competitors	31 in 7 sports
Flag bearer	Kirsty Coventry[1]
Medals	Gold 0 Silver 0 Bronze 0 Total 0
Summer Olympics appearances (overview)
1928 1932–1956 1960 1964 1968–1976 1980 1984 1988 1992 1996 2000 2004 2008 2012 2016 2020 2024

The Zimbabwe Olympic Committee (ZOC) fielded a team of 31 athletes, 9 men and 22 women, to compete in seven different sports at the Games.^[2][3] It was the nation's largest ever delegation sent to the Olympics in a non-boycotting edition and the second-largest overall. Among the sports represented by the nation's athletes, Zimbabwe marked its Olympic debut in equestrian eventing and women's football, as well as its return to archery after nearly three decades.

Topping the list of athletes to make the Zimbabwean roster was swimmer Kirsty Coventry. At 32 years old and headed to her fifth Olympic Games, Coventry emerged herself as Zimbabwe's most decorated Olympian of all time, and Africa's most successful female swimmer in history, with a total of seven medals, including two golds in the women's 200 m backstroke. Because of her outstanding achievements in swimming, Coventry was chosen again to carry the Zimbabwean flag at the opening ceremony for the second consecutive Games.^[1][4]

Apart from Coventry, the Zimbabwean team also saw four more athletes competing in more than one edition. Among the returnees were single sculls rower Micheen Thornycroft, marathon runner Wirimai Juwawo, along with his teammate and three-time Olympian Cuthbert Nyasango, and double trap shooter Sean Nicholson, the oldest member of the team (aged 42).^[3]

For the second Olympics in a row, Zimbabwe left Rio de Janeiro without a single medal.^[5] Before retiring from the sport, Coventry capped off her illustrious Olympic career with a sixth-place finish in the women's 200 m backstroke, the most successful outcome for Zimbabwe at the Games.^[6]

Archery

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

One Zimbabwean archer qualified for the men's individual recurve by obtaining one of the three Olympic places available from the 2016 African Archery Championships in Windhoek, Namibia, anticipating the nation's Olympic return to the sport for the first time since 1988.^[7]

Athlete	Event	Ranking round		Round of 64	Round of 32	Round of 16	Quarterfinals	Semifinals	Final / BM
		Score	Seed	Opposition Score	Opposition Score	Opposition Score	Opposition Score	Opposition Score	Opposition Score	Rank
Gavin Sutherland	Men's individual	566	64	Kim W-j (KOR) L 0–6	Did not advance

Athletics (track and field)

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

Zimbabwean athletes have so far achieved qualifying standards in the following athletics events (up to a maximum of 3 athletes in each event):^[8][9]

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
• NM = No mark

Track & road events

Athlete	Event	Heat		Quarterfinal		Semifinal		Final
		Result	Rank	Result	Rank	Result	Rank	Result	Rank
Gabriel Mvumvure	Men's 100 m	Bye		10.28	7	Did not advance
Tatenda Tsumba	Men's 200 m	21.04	6	—		Did not advance
Wirimai Juwawo	Men's marathon	—						DNF
Pardon Ndhlovu		—						2:17:48	41
Cuthbert Nyasango		—						2:18:58	58
Rutendo Nyahora	Women's marathon	—						2:47:32	92

Equestrian

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

Zimbabwe has entered one eventing rider into the Olympic equestrian competition by virtue of a top finish from Africa & Middle East in the individual FEI Olympic rankings. This signified the nation's Olympic debut in the sport of equestrian.^[10]

Eventing

Athlete	Horse	Event	Dressage		Cross-country			Jumping						Total
								Qualifier			Final
			Penalties	Rank	Penalties	Total	Rank	Penalties	Total	Rank	Penalties	Total	Rank	Penalties	Rank
Camilla Kruger	Biarritz	Individual	59.40	61	40.40	99.80	32	12.00	111.80	35	Did not advance			111.80	35

Football

Main article: Football at the 2016 Summer Olympics

Women's tournament

Main article: Football at the 2016 Summer Olympics – Women's tournament

Zimbabwe women's football team qualified for the Olympics by winning the fourth round play-off of the 2015 CAF Women's Olympic Qualifying Tournament.^[11]

Team roster

Head coach: Shadreck Mlauzi

Zimbabwe named a squad of 18 players and 4 alternates for the tournament, which was announced on 22 July 2016.^[12]

No.	Pos.	Player	Date of birth (age)	Caps	Goals	Club
1	1GK	Chido Dzingirai	(1991-10-25)25 October 1991 (aged 24)			Flame Lily Queens F.C.
2	2DF	Lynett Mutokuto	(1988-09-01)1 September 1988 (aged 27)			Black Rhinos F.C.
3	2DF	Shiela Makoto	(1990-01-14)14 January 1990 (aged 26)			Blue Swallows Queens F.C.
4	2DF	Nobuhle Majika	(1991-05-09)9 May 1991 (aged 25)			Inline Academy F.C.
5	3MF	Emmaculate Msipa	(1992-06-07)7 June 1992 (aged 24)			Black Rhinos F.C.
6	3MF	Talent Mandaza	(1985-12-11)11 December 1985 (aged 30)			Black Rhinos F.C.
7	4FW	Rudo Neshamba	(1992-02-10)10 February 1992 (aged 24)			Weerams F.C.
8	3MF	Rejoice Kapfumvuti	(1991-11-18)18 November 1991 (aged 24)			Inline Academy F.C.
9	4FW	Samkelisiwe Zulu	(1990-04-14)14 April 1990 (aged 26)			Flame Lily Queens F.C.
10	3MF	Mavis Chirandu	(1995-01-15)15 January 1995 (aged 21)			Weerams F.C.
11	3MF	Daisy Kaitano	(1993-09-20)20 September 1993 (aged 22)			Black Rhinos F.C.
12	3MF	Marjory Nyaumwe	(1987-07-10)10 July 1987 (aged 29)			Flame Lily Queens F.C.
13	4FW	Erina Jeke	(1990-09-16)16 September 1990 (aged 25)			Flame Lily Queens F.C.
14	2DF	Eunice Chibanda	(1993-03-26)26 March 1993 (aged 23)			Black Rhinos F.C.
15	4FW	Rutendo Makore	(1992-09-30)30 September 1992 (aged 23)			Black Rhinos F.C.
16	1GK	Lindiwe Magwede	(1991-12-01)1 December 1991 (aged 24)			Cyclone Stars F.C.
17	4FW	Kudakwashe Basopo	(1990-07-18)18 July 1990 (aged 26)			Black Rhinos F.C.
18	4FW	Felistas Muzongondi (captain)	(1986-03-22)22 March 1986 (aged 30)			Mwenezana F.C.

Group play

Pos	Team v t e	Pld	W	D	L	GF	GA	GD	Pts	Qualification
1	Canada	3	3	0	0	7	2	+5	9	Quarter-finals
2	Germany	3	1	1	1	9	5	+4	4
3	Australia	3	1	1	1	8	5	+3	4
4	Zimbabwe	3	0	0	3	3	15	−12	0

Source: Rio2016 & FIFA
Rules for classification: Tiebreakers

3 August 2016 (2016-08-03)

18:00

Zimbabwe	1–6	Germany
Basopo 50'	Report (Rio2016) Report (FIFA)	Däbritz 22' Popp 36' Behringer 53', 78' Leupolz 83' Chibanda 90' (o.g.)

Arena Corinthians, São Paulo

Attendance: 20,521^[13]

Referee: Rita Gani (Malaysia)

---

6 August 2016 (2016-08-06)

15:00

Canada	3–1	Zimbabwe
Beckie 7', 35' Sinclair 19' (pen.)	Report (Rio2016) Report (FIFA)	Chirandu 86'

Arena Corinthians, São Paulo

Attendance: 30,295^[14]

Referee: Olga Miranda (Paraguay)

---

9 August 2016 (2016-08-09)

16:00

Australia	6–1	Zimbabwe
De Vanna 2' Polkinghorne 15' Kennedy 37' Simon 50' Heyman 55', 66'	Report (Rio2016) Report (FIFA)	Msipa 90+1'

Itaipava Arena Fonte Nova, Salvador

Attendance: 5,115^[15]

Referee: Esther Staubli (Switzerland)

Rowing

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

Zimbabwe has qualified one boat each in both the men's and women's single sculls for the Games at the 2015 African Continental Qualification Regatta in Tunis, Tunisia.^[16]

Athlete	Event	Heats		Repechage		Quarterfinals		Semifinals		Final
		Time	Rank	Time	Rank	Time	Rank	Time	Rank	Time	Rank
Andrew Peebles	Men's single sculls	7:25.39	5 R	7:17.19	3 SE/F	Bye		7:45.20	1 FE	7:43.98	25
Micheen Thornycroft	Women's single sculls	8:18.88	2 QF	Bye		7:34.38	2 SA/B	8:00.53	5 FB	7:30.57	11

Qualification Legend: FA=Final A (medal); FB=Final B (non-medal); FC=Final C (non-medal); FD=Final D (non-medal); FE=Final E (non-medal); FF=Final F (non-medal); SA/B=Semifinals A/B; SC/D=Semifinals C/D; SE/F=Semifinals E/F; QF=Quarterfinals; R=Repechage

Shooting

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

Zimbabwe has qualified one shooter in the men's double trap by securing one of the available Olympic berths at the 2015 African Continental Championships in Cairo, Egypt.^[17][18]

Athlete	Event	Qualification		Semifinal		Final
		Points	Rank	Points	Rank	Points	Rank
Sean Nicholson	Men's double trap	119	19	Did not advance

Swimming

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

Zimbabwean swimmers have so far achieved qualifying standards in the following events (up to a maximum of 2 swimmers in each event at the Olympic Qualifying Time (OQT), and potentially 1 at the Olympic Selection Time (OST)):^[19][20]

Athlete	Event	Heat		Semifinal		Final
		Time	Rank	Time	Rank	Time	Rank
Sean Gunn	Men's 100 m freestyle	50.87	48	Did not advance
Kirsty Coventry	Women's 100 m backstroke	1:00.13	11 Q	1:00.26	11	Did not advance
	Women's 200 m backstroke	2:08.91	9 Q	2:08.83	6 Q	2:08.80	6