Togo at the 2004 Summer Olympics

Togo at the 2004 Summer Olympics
IOC code	TOG
NOC	Comité National Olympique Togolais
in Athens
Competitors	3 in 2 sports
Flag bearer	Jan Sekpona[1]
Medals	Gold Silver Bronze Total 0 0 0 0
Summer Olympics appearances (overview)
1972 1976–1980 1984 1988 1992 1996 2000 2004 2008 2012 2016

Togo competed at the 2004 Summer Olympics in Athens, Greece, from 13 to 29 August 2004. The country's participation at Athens marked its seventh appearance in the Summer Olympics since its debut at the 1972 Summer Games in Munich, West Germany. The delegation included two track and field athletes and a single canoeist; Jan Sekpona in the men's 800 metres, Sandrine Thiébaud-Kangni in the women's 400 metres, and Benjamin Boukpeti in the men's K-1. Both Sekpona and Thiébaud-Kangni were eliminated in the first round of their competitions, while Boukpeti progressed to the semi-finals.

Background

Togo participated in seven Summer Olympics between its debut at the 1972 Summer Games in Munich, West Germany, and the 2004 Summer Olympics in Athens, Greece. The only occasions in that period which they did not attend was at the 1976 Summer Olympics in Montreal, Canada, and the 1980 Summer Olympics in Moscow, Soviet Union.^[2] On both occasions, it was because they had joined with international boycotts of the events. The first boycott was because of the inclusion of the New Zealand team at the Games despite the breach of the international sports boycott of South Africa by the nation's rugby union team shortly prior.^[3] In 1980, Togo joined with the United States led boycott over the 1979 invasion of Afghanistan during the Soviet–Afghan War.^[4]

As of 2004, the highest number of Togolese participating at any one Games was seven at the nation's debut games in 1972. Togo was yet to win a medal at the Games, with the first one won by Benjamin Boukpeti at the 2008 Summer Olympics in Beijing, China.^[2]

The Togolese team for the 2004 Athens Games featured canoeist Boukpeti competing in the men's K-1. This was his debut at an Olympic Games, although he would later return for both the 2008 and 2012 Games.^[5] Boukpeti had competed for France as a junior, but switched allegiance in adulthood to Togo since his father was born there. Boukpeti had only ever visited the country once, as a child.^[6] In athletics, Togo entered one male and one female athlete. Jan Sekpona made his only Olympic appearance, competing in the men's 800 metres,^[7] and Sandrine Thiébaud-Kangni made the first of two Olympic appearances for Togo, in the women's 400 metres.^[8]

Athletics

Jan Sekpona competed in the men's 800 metres on 25 August in the third heat. He finished in one minute and 54.25 seconds, resulting in him finishing last of the eight competitors in the heat directly behind Bosnia and Herzegovina's Jasmin Salihović (one minute and 49.59 seconds). The top two athletes automatically qualified for the following round, along with Jean-Patrick Nduwimana from Burundi (one minute and 45.38 seconds) and Brazil's Osmar dos Santos (one minute and 45.90 seconds), who each qualified as some of the fastest runners-up across all heats. Therefore Sekpona's Olympic competition finished after the single run.^[9]

The sole female Togolese athlete at the 2004 Games, Sandrine Thiébaud-Kangni, competed in the 400 metres. She ran in the fifth heat on 21 August, finishing in a time of 52.87 seconds in seventh position. This was only ahead of Sri Lanka's Damayanthi Dharsha (54.58 seconds), but was outside the time of Mireille Nguimgo from Cameroon (51.90 seconds), who was the slowest qualifier from the heat. Thiébaud-Kangni did not progress to the following round.^[10]

Track & Road events

Canoeing

Boukpeti competing at the 2008 Summer Olympics

The sole Togolese canoeist, Benjamin Boukpeti competed in the men's K-1 competition. He competed in the qualifying round on 19 August, finishing in 9th place during the first run with a time of 96.99 seconds. He finished his second run in 101.93 seconds, placing him in 21st place. This gave him an overall total of 198.92 seconds in 15th place. Since the top 20 finishers qualified for the semi-final, Boukpeti made his way into the next round.^[11] There was a single run for the semi-final on 20 August, with Boukpeti's time of 102.42 seconds resulting in him finishing in 18th position out of the 20 canoeists. This was ahead of Pierpaolo Ferrazzi of Italy (103.07 seconds) and Switzerland's Michael Kurt (103.20 seconds). Only the top ten competitors qualified for the final, ending Boukpeti's competition.^[12]

Slalom

Notes

References

External links

• Official Report of the XXVIII Olympiad