A history of Saudi Arabia at the Olympic Games

Now that the Olympics are back again in Tokyo, let’s take a look back on the region’s participation in the famed global competiton.

Saudi Arabia has competed in ten Summer Olympic Games, having never participated in a Winter Olympic Games.

First appearing in the 1972 Summer Olympics in Munich, West Germany, athletes from Saudi Arabia won medals in 2000 and the 2012 Summer Olympics.

Hadi Al Somaily won a silver medal in the 400 meters hurdles event making it Saudi Arabia’s first-ever medal at the 2000 Summer Olympic Games.

Al Somaily’s victory inspired a generation of athletes. According to Saudi Arabia’s Olympic Committee, after Al Somaily’s victory, sports in the country have “grown rapidly with participation levels at an all-time high.”

Saudi Arabian equestrian Khaled Al Eid won a medal that same year, too. Al Eid took home a bronze medal in individual jumping.

Not only did Al Eid make history by being the first person to win an equestrian Olympic medal in Saudi Arabia, but he make a huge impact in the equestrian industry with his performance, solidifying the region’s love for the sport on the global stage.

In the 2012 Olympic Games, Saudi Arabia made history by allowing women to compete in the games. The two female athletes participating in the Olympics were Wojdan Shaherkani in judo and 800-meter runner Sarah Attar. Although they did not win any medals, they inspired generations to come.

While the women did not medal, the Saudi Arabian Olympians still went home with a bronze medal that year from Saudi Arabian equestrians and show jumping riders Ramzy Al Duhami, Abdullah Al Saud, Kamal Bahamdan, and Abdullah Sharbatly in the team jumping event.

In the 2020 Tokyo Olympics, a total of 29 athletes will be participating, including in football, judo, karate, rowing, shooting, swimming, table tennis, and weightlifting.

18 men will participate in the football tournament, all under 23 years old, with Salman Al-Faraj, a midfielder and captain for Al-Hilal, serving as the team’s captain.