Trinidad & Tobago made its Olympic debut in 1948 and, between 1948 and 2012, the Trinidad & Tobago Olympic Committee selected a cumulative total of 240 participants to represent the country at the 17 Olympics. Since some of the selectees competed in more than one Olympics, the 240 slots have been filled by a total of 169 athletes. Over the years, the 240 participants (190 male and 50 female) competed in ten different sports: athletics; badminton; boxing; cycling; shooting; swimming; table tennis; taekwondo; weightlifting; and yachting. Acknowledgment is given to Bernard Linley for his meticulous attention to, and additional information provided on, the significant accomplishments of the T&T olympians over the years. The following Table summarizes the Olympics participation of athletes from Trinidad & Tobago.
SPORT | 1948 | 1952 | 1956 | 1960 | 1964 | 1968 | 1972 | 1976 | 1980 | 1984 | 1988 | 1992 | 1996 | 2000 | 2004 | 2008 | 2012 | TOTAL |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Athletics | 3 | 3 | 1 | 6 | 8 | 9 | 12 | 9 | 11 | 3 | 5 | 6 | 19 | 18 | 25 | 26 | 164 | |
Badminton | 1 | 1 | ||||||||||||||||
Boxing | 2 | 1 | 1 | 4 | ||||||||||||||
Cycling | 1 | 1 | 1 | 3 | 7 | 6 | 2 | 1 | 2 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 28 | |||||
Shooting | 2 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 6 | ||||||||||||
Swimming | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 3 | 1 | 17 | ||||||||
Table Tennis | 1 | 1 | 2 | |||||||||||||||
Taekwondo | 1 | 1 | 2 | |||||||||||||||
Weightlifting | 1 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 1 | 8 | ||||||||||||
Yachting | 2 | 2 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 8 | ||||||||||||
TOTAL: | 5 | 2 | 6 | 4 | 13 | 19 | 18 | 15 | 9 | 16 | 6 | 7 | 12 | 23 | 24 | 30 | 31 | 240 |
The majority (66%) of the athletes who were selected competed in athletics. One hundred and fifteen track and field participants were selected to fill a combined total of 164 slots in 16 of the 17 Olympiads between 1948 and 2012; the 1952 XV Olympiad in Helsinki, Finland, was the only time that Trinidad was not represented in athletics.
1964: Wendell Mottley won a silver medal, Edwin Roberts won a bronze medal, and the 4 x 400 meters relay team of Wendell Mottley, Edwin Roberts, Clifton Bertrand, Edwin Skinner, and Kent Bernard won a bronze medal. 1976: Hasely Crawford won a gold medal in the 100 meters. 1996: Ato Boldon won bronze medals in both the 100 and 200 meters events. 2000: Ato Boldon won a silver medal in the 100 meters and a bronze medal in the 200 meters. 2008: Richard Thompson won a silver medal in the 100 meters, and then teamed up with Marc Burns, Emmanuel Callender, and Keston Bledman to take a silver medal in the 4 x 100 meters relay. 2012: T&T collected 4 medals: Javelin (Gold, Keshorn Walcott); 4 x 100 meters Relay (Bronze, with Emmanuel Callender, Marc Burns, Keston Bledman, and Richard Thompson); 400 meters (Bronze, Lalonde Gordon); and 4 x 400 meters Relay (Bronze, with Lalonde Gordon, Jarrin Solomon, Ade Alleyne-Forte, and Deon Lendore). Twenty-seven athletes made more than one appearance: Francis Adams (2), Niconnor Alexander (2), Ainsley Armstrong (2), Fana Ashby (2), Kelly-Ann Baptiste (3), Keston Bledman (2), Clifton Bertrand (2), Ato Boldon (4), Cleopatra Borel (3), Christopher Brathwaite (2), Darrel Brown (2), Marc Burns (4), Emmanuel Callender (2), Joseph Coombs (2), Hasely Crawford (4), Neil De Silva (3), Patrick Delice (2), Semoy Hackett (2), Ronnie Holassie (2), Ayanna Hutchinson (3), Wanda Hutson (2), Charles Joseph (3), Sheridan Kirk (2), Josanne Lucas (2), Marsha Mark-Baird (2), Ato (Modibo) Stephens (3), Ian Morris (2), Renny Quow (2), Edwin Roberts (4), Candice Scott (2), Michael Solomon (2), Rondell Sorillo (2), Mikel Thomas (2), Richard Thompson (2), and Angela Williams (2). Total Medals (14): 2 Gold, 4 Silver, 8 Bronze |
The first and only Olympic participant in badminton was sent to the 1996 Games in Atlanta, Georgia, USA. Total Medals: None |
The first Olympic boxers were sent to the 1984 Games in Los Angeles, California, USA. Three boxers were selected to fill a combined total of 3 slots in two Olympiads. Total Medals: None |
Cycling had the second largest representation of athletes dating back to the first participant in 1948. Trinidad & Tobago had cyclists in eleven Olympics and 19 cyclists were selected to fill a combined total of 27 slots. Six cyclists made more than one appearance: Maxwell Cheesman (2), Roger Gibbon (2), Leslie King (2), Eugene Samuel (4), Anthony Sellier (2), and Vernon Stauble(2). Total Medals: None |
Four shooters were selected to fill a combined total of 5 slots in four Olympics: 1968, 1976, 2004, and 2008. The only participant to appear more than once was Roger Daniel (3). Total Medals: None |
Eleven swimmers were selected to fill a combined total of 16 slots in eight Olympics: 1968, 1972, 1984, 1988, 1996, 2000, 2004, and 2008. In 2004, Nicholas Bovell was selected but did not travel to Greece because of injury. Swimmers who made more than one Olympic appearance were George Bovell III (4), Nicholas Bovell (2), Siobhan Cropper (2), and Sharntelle McLean (2). George Bovell III, won a bronze medal in the 200 meters Individual Medley at the 2004 Games in Athens, Greece. Total Medals (1): 1 Bronze |
The first and only Olympic participant in table tennis, Dexter St. Louis, was sent to the 1996 and 2008 games. Total Medals: None |
Two athletes were selected to fill a combined total of 2 slots in taekwondo at two Olympics in 2000 and 2004. Total Medals: None |
Four weightlifters were selected to fill a combined total of 8 slots in five of the six Olympics between 1948 and 1968. Rodney Wilkes won a silver medal in 1948 and a bronze medal in 1952, while Lennox Kilgour won a bronze medal in 1952. Three weighlifters made more than one Olympic appearance: Hugo Gittens (2), Lennox Kilgour (2), and Rodney Wilkes (3). Interest in this sport has waned over the years and no weightlifters have been selected since 1968. Total Medals (3): 1 Silver, 2 Bronze |
Six yachtsmen were selected to fill a combined total of 7 slots in four Olympics: 1960; 1964; 1972; and 1984. The only yachtsman who was selected more than once was Richard John Bennet (2). Total Medals: None |