Mauritania at the 2004 Summer Olympics

Mauritania competed at the 2004 Summer Olympics in Athens, Greece, from 13 to 29 August 2004. The country's participation at Athens marked its sixth appearance in the Summer Olympics since its debut in the 1984 Summer Olympics. The delegation included two track and field athletes, Youba Hmeida and Aminata Kamissoko, who were both selected by wildcards after both failed to meet either the "A" or "B" qualifying standards. Hmeida was selected as the flag bearer for the opening ceremony. Neither of the Mauritanians progressed beyond the heats.

Background

Mauritania participated in six Summer Olympic games between its debut in the 1984 Summer Olympics in Los Angeles, United States and the 2004 Summer Olympics in Athens.<ref name="Sports Reference - Countries - Mauritania">{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> The Mauritania National Olympic Committee (NOC) selected two athletes via wildcards. Usually, an NOC would be able to enter up to 3 qualified athletes in each individual event as long as each athlete met the "A" standard, or 1 athlete per event if they met the "B" standard.<ref name="Entry Standards">{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> However, since Mauritania had no athletes that met either standard, they were allowed to select two athletes, one of each gender, as wildcards. The two athletes that were selected to compete in the Athens games were Youba Hmeida in the Men's 400 meters and Aminata Kamissoko in the Women's 100 meters.<ref name="Sports Reference - Countries - Mauritania - 2004">{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> Hmeida was flag bearer for the opening ceremony.<ref name="Flag Bearers">{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref>

Athletics

Template:Main article Making his Summer Olympics debut, Youba Hmeida was notable for carrying the Mauritania flag at the opening ceremony.<ref name="Flag Bearers" /><ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> He qualified for the Summer Olympics via a wildcard place, as his best time, 47.87 seconds at the 2001 World Championships in Athletics 400 meters, was 1.92 seconds slower than the "B" standard required.<ref name="Entry Standards" /><ref name="IAAF - Athletes - Mauritania - Youba Hmeida - Honours">{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> He competed on 20 August in Heat 3 against seven other athletes. He ran a time of 49.18 seconds, finishing seventh after Russia's Anton Galkin was disqualified.<ref name="IAAF – Results – Olympic Games – 2004 – Men – 400 meters – Heats – Results">{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> El Salvador's Takeshi Fujiwara placed ahead of him (46.70 seconds), in a heat led by Cuba's Yeimer López (45.44 seconds). Out of 63 athletes, Hmeida ranked 57 and was 3.30 seconds behind the slowest athlete that progressed to the semi-finals. Therefore, that was the end of his competition.<ref name="IAAF – Results – Olympic Games – 2004 – Men – 400 meters – Heats – Summary">{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> Competing at her first Summer Olympics, Aminata Kamissoko qualified after being granted a wildcard as her best time, 13.70 seconds in the 2003 World Championships in Athletics 100 meters, was 2.30 seconds slower than the "B" qualifying standard.<ref name="Entry Standards" /><ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref><ref name="IAAF - Athletes - Mauritania - Aminata Kamissoko - Honours">{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> She competed on August 20 in Heat 3 against seven other athletes, finishing last with a time of 13.49 seconds.<ref name="IAAF – Results – Olympic Games – 2004 – Women – 100 meters – Heats – Results">{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> Palau's Ngerak Florencio ranked ahead of her (12.76 seconds), in a heat led by United States' Lauryn Williams. Overall, Kamissoko was 2.06 seconds behind the slowest athlete that progressed, therefore not advancing to the quarter-finals.<ref name="IAAF – Results – Olympic Games – 2004 – Women – 100 meters – Heats – Results" /><ref name="IAAF – Results – Olympic Games – 2004 – Women – 100 meters – Quarter-Finals – Startlist">{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref>

Men

Athlete	Event	Heat		Semifinal		Final
		Result	Rank	Result	Rank	Result	Rank
Youba Hmeida	400 m	49.18	7	did not advance

Women

Athlete	Event	Heat		Quarterfinal		Semifinal		Final
		Result	Rank	Result	Rank	Result	Rank	Result	Rank
Aminata Kamissoko	100 m	13.49	8	did not advance

See also

• Mauritania at the 2004 Summer Paralympics

External links

• Official Report of the XXVIII Olympiad

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