# Serbia at the 2016 Summer Olympics

Serbia competed at the 2016 Summer Olympics in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, from 5 to 21 August 2016. It was the nation's fourth appearance at the Summer Olympics as an independent country. The Olympic Committee of Serbia confirmed a roster of 103 athletes, 58 men and 45 women, to compete across 14 sports at the Games.
Serbia left Rio de Janeiro with a total of 8 medals (2 gold, 4 silver, and 2 bronze), achieving the nation's most successful feat in Summer Olympic history since the break-up of Yugoslavia, and also doubling its previous medal tally from the 2012 Summer Olympics in London. 54 Serbian athletes (about 52 percent of the whole team) contributed to the medal count, with the majority of those coming in the signature team sports (men's water polo, men's and women's basketball, and women's volleyball).
Five Serbian athletes collected medals in individual sports. Among them were Greco-Roman wrestler Davor Štefanek, the first Serbian to win an Olympic gold in the sport after 32 years; long jumper Ivana Španović, the nation's first track and field athlete to stand on the Olympic podium in six decades; taekwondo fighter Tijana Bogdanović, who captured a silver in the women's flyweight category (49 kg); and kayak tandem Marko Tomićević and Milenko Zorić, who were runners-up in the long-distance double (men's K-2 1000 m).

## Medalists

| Medal | Name | Sport | Event | Date |
| Gold | Davor Štefanek | Wrestling | Men's Greco-Roman 66 kg | 16 August |
| Gold | Serbia men's national water polo teamGojko PijetlovićDušan MandićŽivko GocićSava RanđelovićMiloš ĆukDuško PijetlovićSlobodan NikićMilan AleksićNikola JakšićFilip FilipovićAndrija PrlainovićStefan MitrovićBranislav Mitrović | Water polo | Men's tournament | 20 August |
| Silver | Tijana Bogdanović | Taekwondo | Women's 49 kg | 17 August |
| Silver | Marko Tomićević Milenko Zorić | Canoeing | Men's K-2 1000 metres | 18 August |
| Silver | Serbia women's national volleyball teamBianka BušaJovana BrakočevićBojana ŽivkovićTijana MaleševićBrankica MihajlovićMaja OgnjenovićStefana VeljkovićJelena NikolićJovana StevanovićMilena RašićSilvija PopovićTijana Bošković | Volleyball | Women's tournament | 20 August |
| Silver | Serbia men's national basketball teamMiloš TeodosićMarko SimonovićBogdan BogdanovićStefan MarkovićNikola KalinićNemanja NedovićStefan BirčevićMiroslav RaduljicaNikola JokićVladimir ŠtimacStefan JovićMilan Mačvan | Basketball | Men's tournament | 21 August |
| Bronze | Ivana Španović | Athletics | Women's long jump | 17 August |
| Bronze | Serbia women's national basketball teamTamara RadočajSonja PetrovićSaša ČađoSara KrnjićNevena JovanovićJelena MilovanovićDajana ButulijaAleksandra CrvendakićDragana StankovićMilica DabovićAna DabovićDanielle Page | Basketball | Women's tournament | 20 August |
Medals by sport :
| Sport | | | | Total |
| Water polo | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| Wrestling | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| Basketball | 0 | 1 | 1 | 2 |
| Canoeing | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 |
| Taekwondo | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 |
| Volleyball | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 |
| Athletics | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 |
| Total | 2 | 4 | 2 | 8 |
Medals by day :
| Day | | | | Total |
| 16 August | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| 17 August | 0 | 1 | 1 | 2 |
| 18 August | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 |
| 20 August | 1 | 1 | 1 | 3 |
| 21 August | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 |
| Total | 2 | 4 | 2 | 8 |

## Competitors

The Olympic Committee of Serbia fielded a team of 103 athletes, 58 men and 45 women, across fourteen sports at the Games. It was the nation's second-largest delegation sent to the Olympics, falling short of the record for the most number of athletes (116) achieved in London four years earlier by nearly 12 percent. Serbia qualified teams in men's water polo and women's volleyball, as well as both the men's and women's basketball for the first time in its Olympic history.
Traditional collective sports accounted for nearly half of the nation's roster, amassing a combined total of 49 athletes. By individual-based sport, however, track and field constituted the largest percentage of athletes on the Serbian team, with 12 entries. There was a single competitor each in road cycling, mountain biking, judo, and table tennis.
Highlighting the list of Serbian athletes were Beijing 2008 bronze medalist Novak Djokovic, who entered the Games as the world's top-ranked tennis player in the men's singles, and taekwondo fighter Milica Mandić, who became the country's first ever Olympic champion in London four years earlier. Rifle shooting legend Stevan Pletikosić, who officially made his sixth Olympic appearance, topped the nation's roster lineup as the oldest and most experienced competitor (aged 43). Meanwhile, Pletikosic's female counterpart Ivana Anđušić Maksimović, who followed her father Goran's sporting legacy to win a silver medal in the small-bore rifle at London 2012, acted as the flag bearer for the Serbian team in the opening ceremony.
Other notable athletes on the Serbian roster included long jumper and European outdoor champion Ivana Španović, pistol shooters Zorana Arunović (European Games gold medalist) and Andrea Arsović (European champion and world's top-ranked), freestyle swimmer and London 2012 finalist Velimir Stjepanović, water polo team captain Živko Gocić, and basketballers Miloš Teodosić (team captain and EuroLeague champion), Nikola Jokić (who currently played for NBA's Denver Nuggets) and Ana Dabović (WNBA's Los Angeles Sparks and EuroBasket MVP).
The following is the list of number of competitors participating in the Games:
| Sport | Men | Women | Total |
| Athletics | 7 | 5 | 12 |
| Basketball | 12 | 12 | 24 |
| Canoeing | 6 | 4 | 10 |
| Cycling | 1 | 1 | 2 |
| Judo | 1 | 0 | 1 |
| Rowing | 4 | 0 | 4 |
| Shooting | 5 | 4 | 9 |
| Swimming | 2 | 2 | 4 |
| Table tennis | 1 | 0 | 1 |
| Taekwondo | 0 | 2 | 2 |
| Tennis | 3 | 3 | 6 |
| Volleyball | 0 | 12 | 12 |
| Water polo | 13 | 0 | 13 |
| Wrestling | 3 | 0 | 3 |
| Total | 58 | 45 | 103 |

## Athletics

Serbian athletes have so far achieved qualifying standards in the following athletics events (up to a maximum of 3 athletes in each event):

### 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

### Men

| Athlete | Event | Heat | Heat | Semifinal | Semifinal | Final | Final |
| Athlete | Event | Result | Rank | Result | Rank | Result | Rank |
| Milan Ristić | 110 m hurdles | 13.66 | 6 | Did not advance | Did not advance | Did not advance | Did not advance |
| Anđelko Rističević | Marathon | — | — | — | — | 2:30:17 | 119 |
| Nenad Filipović | 50 km walk | — | — | — | — | 4:25:41 | 46 |
| Predrag Filipović | 50 km walk | — | — | — | — | 4:39:48 | 49 |
| Vladimir Savanović | 50 km walk | — | — | — | — | 4:15:53 | 42 |

### Women

| Athlete | Event | Heat | Heat | Semifinal | Semifinal | Final | Final |
| Athlete | Event | Result | Rank | Result | Rank | Result | Rank |
| Tamara Salaški | 400 m | 52.70 | 3 | Did not advance | Did not advance | Did not advance | Did not advance |
| Amela Terzić | 800 m | 2:00.99 | 2 Q | 2:03.81 | 7 | Did not advance | Did not advance |
| Amela Terzić | 1500 m | 4:15.17 | 10 | Did not advance | Did not advance | Did not advance | Did not advance |
| Olivera Jevtić | Marathon | — | — | — | — | DNF | DNF |

### Field events

| Athlete | Event | Qualification | Qualification | Final | Final |
| Athlete | Event | Distance | Position | Distance | Position |
| Asmir Kolašinac | Men's shot put | 20.16 | 15 | Did not advance | Did not advance |
| Ivana Španović | Women's long jump | 6.87 | 1 Q | 7.08 NR | |
| Dragana Tomašević | Women's discus throw | 57.67 | 19 | Did not advance | Did not advance |

### Combined events – Men's decathlon

| Athlete | Event | 100 m | LJ | SP | HJ | 400 m | 110H | DT | PV | JT | 1500 m | Final | Rank |
| Mihail Dudaš | Result | 10.83 | 7.29 | 14.23 | 2.04 | 49.13 | 14.65 | 43.27 | 4.60 | DNS | — | DNF | DNF |
| Mihail Dudaš | Points | 899 | 883 | 742 | 840 | 855 | 892 | 731 | 790 | — | — | DNF | DNF |

## Basketball
### Men's tournament

Serbia men's basketball team qualified for the Olympics by securing its lone outright berth and winning the final match over Puerto Rico at the Belgrade leg of the 2016 FIBA World Qualifying Tournament, signifying the nation's debut in the sport since it gained independence from Montenegro in 2006.

#### Team roster

The following is the Serbia roster in the men's basketball tournament of the 2016 Summer Olympics

#### Group play

| Pos | Teamvte | Pld | W | L | PF | PA | PD | Pts | Qualification |
| 1 | United States | 5 | 5 | 0 | 524 | 407 | +117 | 10 | Quarterfinals |
| 2 | Australia | 5 | 4 | 1 | 444 | 368 | +76 | 9 | Quarterfinals |
| 3 | France | 5 | 3 | 2 | 423 | 378 | +45 | 8 | Quarterfinals |
| 4 | Serbia | 5 | 2 | 3 | 426 | 387 | +39 | 7 | Quarterfinals |
| 5 | Venezuela | 5 | 1 | 4 | 315 | 444 | −129 | 6 | |
| 6 | China | 5 | 0 | 5 | 318 | 466 | −148 | 5 | |
* 6 August 2016 (2016-08-06) 22:30
* Boxscore
| Venezuela | 62–86 | Serbia |
| Scoring by quarter: 14–18, 9–26, 18–24, 21–18 |||
| Pts: Echenique 12 Rebs: Colmenares 6 Asts: Vargas 5 | | Pts: Bogdanović 19 Rebs: Štimac 9 Asts: Nedović 4 |
* Carioca Arena 1, Rio de Janeiro Attendance: 5,063 Referees: Christos Christodoulou (GRE), Duan Zhu (CHN), Roberto Vázquez (PUR)
* 8 August 2016 (2016-08-08) 14:15
* Boxscore
| Serbia | 80–95 | Australia |
| Scoring by quarter: 23–26, 20–14, 20–22, 17–33 |||
| Pts: Raduljica 25 Rebs: Bogdanović 8 Asts: Marković 4 | | Pts: Mills 26 Rebs: Bogut 12 Asts: Dellavedova 13 |
* Carioca Arena 1, Rio de Janeiro Attendance: 5,409 Referees: Cristiano Maranho (BRA), Borys Ryzhyk (UKR), Guilherme Locatelli (BRA)
* 10 August 2016 (2016-08-10) 14:15
* Boxscore
| Serbia | 75–76 | France |
| Scoring by quarter: 17–26, 19–14, 24–17, 15–19 |||
| Pts: Raduljica 16 Rebs: Jokić 7 Asts: Teodosić 9 | | Pts: de Colo 22 Rebs: Diaw 9 Asts: Diaw 9 |
* Carioca Arena 1, Rio de Janeiro Attendance: 6,901 Referees: Borys Ryzhyk (UKR), Stephen Seibel (CAN), Oļegs Latiševs (LAT)
* 12 August 2016 (2016-08-12) 19:00
* Boxscore
| United States | 94–91 | Serbia |
| Scoring by quarter: 27–15, 23–26, 22–21, 22–29 |||
| Pts: Irving 15 Rebs: George 9 Asts: Irving, Cousins 5 | | Pts: Jokić 25 Rebs: Jokić 6 Asts: Teodosić 6 |
* Carioca Arena 1, Rio de Janeiro Attendance: 11,413 Referees: Stephen Seibel (CAN), Guilherme Locatelli (BRA), Piotr Pastusiak (POL)
* 14 August 2016 (2016-08-14) 22:30
* Boxscore
| Serbia | 94–60 | China |
| Scoring by quarter: 24–18, 19–10, 35–15, 16–17 |||
| Pts: Bogdanović 19 Rebs: Jokić 7 Asts: Marković, Teodosić 5 | | Pts: Yi 20 Rebs: Wang 8 Asts: Ailun 8 |
* Carioca Arena 1, Rio de Janeiro Attendance: 7,367 Referees: Juan García (ESP), Guilherme Locatelli (BRA), Anne Panther (GER)

#### Quarterfinal

* 17 August 2016 (2016-08-17) 22:15
* Boxscore
| Croatia | 83–86 | Serbia |
| Scoring by quarter: 19–20, 19–12, 14–34, 31–20 |||
| Pts: Bogdanović 28 Rebs: Planinić 9 Asts: Simon 5 | | Pts: Bogdanović 18 Rebs: three players 4 Asts: Teodosić 10 |
* Carioca Arena 1, Rio de Janeiro Attendance: 9,027 Referees: Juan García (ESP), Borys Ryzhyk (UKR), Roberto Vázquez (PUR)

#### Semifinal

* 19 August 2016 (2016-08-19) 19:00
* Boxscore
| Australia | 61–87 | Serbia |
| Scoring by quarter: 5–16, 9–19, 24–31, 23–21 |||
| Pts: Mills, Motum 13 Rebs: Baynes 8 Asts: Broekhoff 4 | | Pts: Teodosić 22 Rebs: Jokić 11 Asts: Teodosić 5 |
* Carioca Arena 1, Rio de Janeiro Attendance: 9,655 Referees: Stephen Seibel (CAN), Robert Lottermoser (GER), Oļegs Latiševs (LAT)

#### Gold medal match

* 21 August 2016 (2016-08-21) 15:45
* Boxscore
| Serbia | 66–96 | United States |
| Scoring by quarter: 15–19, 14–33, 14–27, 23–17 |||
| Pts: Nedović 14 Rebs: Jokić 4 Asts: three players 3 | | Pts: Durant 30 Rebs: Cousins 15 Asts: Lowry 5 |
* Carioca Arena 1, Rio de Janeiro Attendance: 10,658 Referees: José Reyes (MEX), Borys Ryzhyk (UKR), Juan García (SPA)

### Women's tournament

The Serbian women's basketball team qualified for the Olympics by winning the EuroBasket Women 2015 in Hungary.

#### Team roster

The following is the Serbia roster in the women's basketball tournament of the 2016 Summer Olympics.

#### Group play

| Pos | Teamvte | Pld | W | L | PF | PA | PD | Pts | Qualification |
| 1 | United States | 5 | 5 | 0 | 520 | 316 | +204 | 10 | Quarter-finals |
| 2 | Spain | 5 | 4 | 1 | 387 | 333 | +54 | 9 | Quarter-finals |
| 3 | Canada | 5 | 3 | 2 | 340 | 347 | −7 | 8 | Quarter-finals |
| 4 | Serbia | 5 | 2 | 3 | 385 | 406 | −21 | 7 | Quarter-finals |
| 5 | China | 5 | 1 | 4 | 371 | 428 | −57 | 6 | |
| 6 | Senegal | 5 | 0 | 5 | 309 | 482 | −173 | 5 | |
* 7 August 2016 (2016-08-07) 14:15
* Boxscore
| Serbia | 59–65 | Spain |
| Scoring by quarter: 18–19, 13–12, 13–15, 15–19 |||
| Pts: Milovanović 17 Rebs: Petrović 8 Asts: A. Dabović 4 | | Pts: Xargay 15 Rebs: Ndour 12 Asts: Palau, Torrens 5 |
* Youth Arena, Rio de Janeiro Attendance: 2,654 Referees: Roberto Vázquez (PUR), Natalia Cuello (DOM), Piotr Pastusiak (POL)
* 8 August 2016 (2016-08-08) 14:15
* Boxscore
| Canada | 71–67 | Serbia |
| Scoring by quarter: 21–21, 11–19, 13–17, 26–10 |||
| Pts: Nurse 25 Rebs: Raincock-Ekunwe 9 Asts: Langolis, Nurse 5 | | Pts: Milovanović 19 Rebs: Page 6 Asts: A. Dabović 5 |
* Youth Arena, Rio de Janeiro Attendance: 2,377 Referees: Robert Lottermoser (GER), Vaughan Mayberry (AUS), Hwang In-tae (KOR)
* 10 August 2016 (2016-08-10) 15:30
* Boxscore
| United States | 110–84 | Serbia |
| Scoring by quarter: 31–21, 25–13, 28–27, 26–23 |||
| Pts: Taurasi 25 Rebs: Charles 8 Asts: Taurasi 6 | | Pts: three players 15 Rebs: A. Dabović 5 Asts: A. Dabović, M. Dabović 4 |
* Youth Arena, Rio de Janeiro Attendance: 2,490 Referees: Piotr Pastusiak (POL), Scott Beker (AUS), Nadege Zouzou (CIV)
* 12 August 2016 (2016-08-12) 12:15
* Boxscore
| Serbia | 80–72 | China |
| Scoring by quarter: 24–14, 16–20, 26–9, 14–29 |||
| Pts: A. Dabović 23 Rebs: Page, Petrović 8 Asts: Petrović 6 | | Pts: Sun Mengr. 16 Rebs: Huang, Sun Mengr. 7 Asts: three players 3 |
* Youth Arena, Rio de Janeiro Attendance: 2,219 Referees: Christos Christodoulou (GRE), Natalia Cuello (DOM), Nadege Zouzou (CIV)
* 14 August 2016 (2016-08-14) 15:30
* Boxscore
| Senegal | 88–95 | Serbia |
| Scoring by quarter: 15–27, 28–28, 23–21, 22–19 |||
| Pts: As. Traoré 30 Rebs: As. Traoré 8 Asts: Diouf 8 | | Pts: Petrović 20 Rebs: Page 8 Asts: A. Dabović 8 |
* Youth Arena, Rio de Janeiro Attendance: 3,113 Referees: Eddie Viator (FRA), Piotr Pastusiak (POL), Hwang In-tae (KOR)

#### Quarterfinal

* 16 August 2016 (2016-08-16) 11:00
* Boxscore
| Australia | 71–73 | Serbia |
| Scoring by quarter: 20–20, 17–15, 15–16, 19–22 |||
| Pts: Cambage 29 Rebs: Cambage 11 Asts: Taylor 9 | | Pts: A. Dabović 24 Rebs: four players 4 Asts: Petrović 5 |
* Carioca Arena 1, Rio de Janeiro Attendance: 5,630 Referees: Eddie Viator (FRA), Karen Lasuik (CAN), Natalia Cuello (DOM)

#### Semifinal

* 18 August 2016 (2016-08-18) 15:00
* Boxscore
| Spain | 68–54 | Serbia |
| Scoring by quarter: 20–9, 13–19, 20–10, 15–16 |||
| Pts: Ndour, Torrens 14 Rebs: Nicholls 12 Asts: Palau 7 | | Pts: Čađo, Petrović 12 Rebs: Page, Petrović 7 Asts: Butulija 3 |
* Carioca Arena 1, Rio de Janeiro Attendance: 8,818 Referees: Damir Javor (SLO), Scott Beker (AUS), Anne Panther (GER)

#### Bronze medal match

* 20 August 2016 (2016-08-20) 11:30
* Boxscore
| France | 63–70 | Serbia |
| Scoring by quarter: 10–18, 17–9, 15–28, 21–15 |||
| Pts: Miyem 18 Rebs: Yacoubou 10 Asts: Époupa 4 | | Pts: Milovanović 18 Rebs: Page 8 Asts: A. Dabović 5 |
* Carioca Arena 1, Rio de Janeiro Attendance: 9,039 Referees: Carlos Peruga (ESP), Anne Panther (GER), Natalia Cuello (DOM)

## Canoeing
### Sprint

Serbian canoeists have qualified one boat in each of the following events through the 2015 ICF Canoe Sprint World Championships.

#### Men

| Athlete | Event | Heats | Heats | Semifinals | Semifinals | Final | Final |
| Athlete | Event | Time | Rank | Time | Rank | Time | Rank |
| Marko Novaković | K-1 200 m | 34.938 | 3 Q | 34.778 | 5 FB | 37.415 | 13 |
| Dejan Pajić | K-1 1000 m | 3:36.884 | 4 Q | 3:48.158 | 8 FB | 3:40.502 | 15 |
| Nebojša Grujić Marko Novaković | K-2 200 m | 31.776 | 2 Q | 32.513 | 3 FA | 32.656 | 6 |
| Marko Tomićević Milenko Zorić | K-2 1000 m | 3:15.298 | 1 FA | Bye | Bye | 3:10.969 | |
| Marko Tomićević Milenko Zorić Dejan Pajić Vladimir Torubarov | K-4 1000 m | 3:05.272 | 6 Q | 2:59.636 | 3 FA | 3:10.241 | 8 |

#### Women

| Athlete | Event | Heats | Heats | Semifinals | Semifinals | Final | Final |
| Athlete | Event | Time | Rank | Time | Rank | Time | Rank |
| Olivera Moldovan | K-1 200 m | 43.339 | 5 Q | 42.123 | 7 | Did not advance | Did not advance |
| Dalma Ružičić-Benedek | K-1 500 m | 1:54.048 | 5 Q | 1:57.294 | 3 FA | 1:55.095 | 7 |
| Nikolina Moldovan Milica Starović | K-2 500 m | 1:46.410 | 5 Q | 1:46.008 | 6 FB | 1:48.146 | 10 |
| Nikolina Moldovan Olivera Moldovan Dalma Ružičić-Benedek Milica Starović | K-4 500 m | 1:39.316 | 7 Q | 1:38.398 | 5 FB | 1:42.818 | 14 |
Qualification Legend: FA = Qualify to final (medal); FB = Qualify to final B (non-medal)

## Cycling
### Road

Serbia has qualified one rider in the men's Olympic road race by virtue of his top 200 individual ranking in the 2015 UCI Europe Tour.
| Athlete | Event | Time | Rank |
| Ivan Stević | Men's road race | Did not finish | Did not finish |

### Mountain biking

Serbia has qualified one mountain biker for the women's Olympic cross-country race, as a result of her nation's seventeenth-place finish in the UCI Olympic Ranking List of 25 May 2016.
| Athlete | Event | Time | Rank |
| Jovana Crnogorac | Women's cross-country | LAP (2 laps) | 27 |

## Judo

Serbia has qualified one judoka for the men's middleweight category (90 kg) at the Games. Aleksander Kukolj was directly ranked among the top 22 eligible judokas for men in the IJF World Ranking List of 30 May 2016.
| Athlete | Event | Round of 64 | Round of 32 | Round of 16 | Quarterfinals | Semifinals | Repechage | Final / BM | Final / BM |
| Athlete | Event | Opposition Result | Opposition Result | Opposition Result | Opposition Result | Opposition Result | Opposition Result | Opposition Result | Rank |
| Aleksandar Kukolj | Men's −90 kg | Bye | Žgank (SLO) W 100–000 | Baker (JPN) L 000–100 | Did not advance | Did not advance | Did not advance | Did not advance | Did not advance |

## Rowing

Serbia has qualified two boats for each of the following rowing classes into the Olympic regatta. One rowing crew had confirmed Olympic place for their boat in the men's pair at the 2015 FISA World Championships in Lac d'Aiguebelette, France, while the men's double sculls rowers had added one more boat to the Serbian roster as a result of their top two finish at the 2016 European & Final Qualification Regatta in Lucerne, Switzerland.
| Athlete | Event | Heats | Heats | Repechage | Repechage | Semifinals | Semifinals | Final | Final |
| Athlete | Event | Time | Rank | Time | Rank | Time | Rank | Time | Rank |
| Nenad Beđik Miloš Vasić | Men's pair | DNF | DNF | 6:34.52 | 2 SA/B | 6:31.00 | 5 FB | 7:04.71 | 10 |
| Marko Marjanović Andrija Šljukić | Men's double sculls | 7:07.29 | 4 R | 6:20.62 | 3 SA/B | 6:27.66 | 5 FB | 7:03.13 | 10 |
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

Serbian shooters have achieved quota places for the following events by virtue of their best finishes at the 2014 ISSF World Shooting Championships, the 2015 ISSF World Cup series, and European Championships or Games, as long as they obtained a minimum qualifying score (MQS) by 31 March 2016.
The entire shooting squad was named to the Serbian roster for the Games on 6 July 2016, with rifle specialist Stevan Pletikosić becoming the first male shooter to compete at his sixth Olympics. Notable absence in the roster was pistol legend Jasna Šekarić, who bid to establish a historic milestone as one of the first female athletes, alongside Georgian shooter Nino Salukvadze to appear in eight editions of the Games.

### Men

| Athlete | Event | Qualification | Qualification | Final | Final |
| Athlete | Event | Points | Rank | Points | Rank |
| Dimitrije Grgić | 10 m air pistol | 579 | 9 | Did not advance | Did not advance |
| Dimitrije Grgić | 50 m pistol | 552 | 16 | Did not advance | Did not advance |
| Damir Mikec | 10 m air pistol | 575 | 25 | Did not advance | Did not advance |
| Damir Mikec | 50 m pistol | 551 | 18 | Did not advance | Did not advance |
| Stevan Pletikosić | 50 m rifle prone | 621.6 | 21 | Did not advance | Did not advance |
| Stevan Pletikosić | 50 m rifle 3 positions | 1168 | 25 | Did not advance | Did not advance |
| Milenko Sebić | 10 m air rifle | 620.0 | 33 | Did not advance | Did not advance |
| Milenko Sebić | 50 m rifle prone | 620.4 | 34 | Did not advance | Did not advance |
| Milenko Sebić | 50 m rifle 3 positions | 1172 | 11 | Did not advance | Did not advance |
| Milutin Stefanović | 10 m air rifle | 624.3 | 12 | Did not advance | Did not advance |

### Women

| Athlete | Event | Qualification | Qualification | Semifinal | Semifinal | Final | Final |
| Athlete | Event | Points | Rank | Points | Rank | Points | Rank |
| Andrea Arsović | 10 m air rifle | 413.5 | 26 | — | — | Did not advance | Did not advance |
| Andrea Arsović | 50 m rifle 3 positions | 573 | 28 | — | — | Did not advance | Did not advance |
| Zorana Arunović | 10 m air pistol | 382 | 11 | — | — | Did not advance | Did not advance |
| Zorana Arunović | 25 m pistol | 576 | 19 | Did not advance | Did not advance | Did not advance | Did not advance |
| Ivana Anđušić Maksimović | 10 m air rifle | 415.4 | 12 | — | — | Did not advance | Did not advance |
| Ivana Anđušić Maksimović | 50 m rifle 3 positions | 578 | 19 | — | — | Did not advance | Did not advance |
| Bobana Veličković | 10 m air pistol | 385 | 6 Q | — | — | 96.4 | 7 |
| Bobana Veličković | 25 m pistol | 576 | 21 | Did not advance | Did not advance | Did not advance | Did not advance |

## Swimming

Serbian 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)):
| Athlete | Event | Heat | Heat | Semifinal | Semifinal | Final | Final |
| Athlete | Event | Time | Rank | Time | Rank | Time | Rank |
| Čaba Silađi | Men's 100 m breaststroke | 1:00.76 | 26 | Did not advance | Did not advance | Did not advance | Did not advance |
| Velimir Stjepanović | Men's 100 m freestyle | 49.24 | 32 | Did not advance | Did not advance | Did not advance | Did not advance |
| Velimir Stjepanović | Men's 200 m freestyle | 1:46.64 | 10 Q | 1:47.28 | 13 | Did not advance | Did not advance |
| Velimir Stjepanović | Men's 400 m freestyle | 3:46.78 | 14 | — | — | Did not advance | Did not advance |
| Anja Crevar | Women's 200 m individual medley | 2:15.33 | 27 | Did not advance | Did not advance | Did not advance | Did not advance |
| Anja Crevar | Women's 400 m individual medley | 4:43.19 | 20 | — | — | Did not advance | Did not advance |
| Katarina Simonović | Women's 200 m freestyle | 2:00.06 | 30 | Did not advance | Did not advance | Did not advance | Did not advance |
| Katarina Simonović | Women's 400 m freestyle | 4:15.57 | 23 | — | — | Did not advance | Did not advance |

## Table tennis

Serbia has entered one athlete into the table tennis competition at the Games. Aleksandar Karakašević granted an invitation from ITTF to compete in the men's singles as one of the next seven highest-ranked eligible players, not yet qualified, on the Olympic Ranking List.
| Athlete | Event | Preliminary | Round 1 | Round 2 | Round 3 | Round of 16 | Quarterfinals | Semifinals | Final / BM | Final / BM |
| Athlete | Event | Opposition Result | Opposition Result | Opposition Result | Opposition Result | Opposition Result | Opposition Result | Opposition Result | Opposition Result | Rank |
| Aleksandar Karakašević | Men's singles | Yan (AUS) W 4–2 | Drinkhall (GBR) L 1–4 | Did not advance | Did not advance | Did not advance | Did not advance | Did not advance | Did not advance | Did not advance |

## Taekwondo

Serbia entered two athletes into the taekwondo competition at the Olympics. Reigning Olympic champion Milica Mandić qualified automatically for the women's heavyweight category (+67 kg) by finishing in the top 6 WTF Olympic rankings. 2015 European Games silver medalist Tijana Bogdanović secured the remaining spot on the Serbian team by virtue of her top two finish in the women's flyweight category (49 kg) at the 2016 European Qualification Tournament in Istanbul, Turkey.
| Athlete | Event | Round of 16 | Quarterfinals | Semifinals | Repechage | Final / BM | Final / BM |
| Athlete | Event | Opposition Result | Opposition Result | Opposition Result | Opposition Result | Opposition Result | Rank |
| Tijana Bogdanović | Women's −49 kg | Abakarova (AZE) W 3–2 | Wu Jy (CHN) W 17–7 | Manjarrez (MEX) W 10–0 | Bye | Kim S-h (KOR) L 6–7 | |
| Milica Mandić | Women's +67 kg | Skaar (NOR) W 8–2 | Walkden (GBR) L 0–5 | Did not advance | Did not advance | Did not advance | Did not advance |

## Tennis

Serbia has entered six tennis players (three men and three women) into the Olympic tournament. Beijing 2008 bronze medalist and world no. 1 seed Novak Djokovic and London 2012 Olympian Viktor Troicki (world no. 21) qualified directly for the men's singles as three of the top 56 eligible players in the ATP World Rankings, while Ana Ivanovic (world no. 25) and three-time Olympian Jelena Janković (world no. 24) did so for the women's singles based on their WTA World Rankings as of 6 June 2016.
Having been directly entered to the singles, Djokovic and Janković also opted to play with their partners Nenad Zimonjić and Aleksandra Krunić, respectively, in the men's and women's doubles.
| Athlete | Event | Round of 64 | Round of 32 | Round of 16 | Quarterfinals | Semifinals | Final / BM | Final / BM |
| Athlete | Event | Opposition Result | Opposition Result | Opposition Result | Opposition Result | Opposition Result | Opposition Result | Rank |
| Novak Djokovic | Men's singles | del Potro (ARG) L 6–7$^{(4–7)}$, 6–7$^{(2–7)}$ | Did not advance | Did not advance | Did not advance | Did not advance | Did not advance | Did not advance |
| Viktor Troicki | Men's singles | A Murray (GBR) L 3–6, 2–6 | Did not advance | Did not advance | Did not advance | Did not advance | Did not advance | Did not advance |
| Novak Djokovic Nenad Zimonjić | Men's doubles | — | Čilić / Draganja (CRO) W 6–2, 6–2 | Melo / Soares (BRA) L 4–6, 4–6 | Did not advance | Did not advance | Did not advance | Did not advance |
| Ana Ivanovic | Women's singles | Suárez Navarro (ESP) L 6–2, 1–6, 2–6 | Did not advance | Did not advance | Did not advance | Did not advance | Did not advance | Did not advance |
| Jelena Janković | Women's singles | Withdrew on 7 August due to pectoralis injury | Withdrew on 7 August due to pectoralis injury | Withdrew on 7 August due to pectoralis injury | Withdrew on 7 August due to pectoralis injury | Withdrew on 7 August due to pectoralis injury | Withdrew on 7 August due to pectoralis injury | Withdrew on 7 August due to pectoralis injury |
| Aleksandra Krunić | Women's singles | Mladenovic (FRA) L 1–6, 4–6 | Did not advance | Did not advance | Did not advance | Did not advance | Did not advance | Did not advance |
| Jelena Janković Aleksandra Krunić | Women's doubles | — | Konta / Watson (GBR) L 2–6, 1–6 | Did not advance | Did not advance | Did not advance | Did not advance | Did not advance |

## Volleyball
### Indoor
#### Women's tournament

The Serbian women's volleyball team qualified for the Olympics by reaching the top two towards the final match of the 2015 FIVB Volleyball Women's World Cup in Japan.
Summary
| Team | Event | Group stage | Group stage | Group stage | Group stage | Group stage | Group stage | Quarterfinals | Semifinals | Final / BM | Final / BM |
| Team | Event | Opposition Score | Opposition Score | Opposition Score | Opposition Score | Opposition Score | Rank | Opposition Score | Opposition Score | Opposition Score | Rank |
| Serbia women's | Women's tournament | Italy W 3–0 | Puerto Rico W 3–0 | United States L 1–3 | China W 3–0 | Netherlands L 2–3 | 3 Q | Russia W 3–0 | United States W 3–2 | China L 1–3 | |

##### Team roster

The following is the Serbian roster in the women's volleyball tournament of the 2016 Summer Olympics.
Head coach: Zoran Terzić
| No. | Name | Date of birth | Height | Weight | Spike | Block | 2015–16 club |
| 1 | Bianka Buša | 25 July 1994 | 1.87 m (6 ft 2 in) | 74 kg (163 lb) | 293 cm (115 in) | 282 cm (111 in) | CSM Târgoviște |
| 2 | Jovana Brakočević | 5 March 1988 | 1.96 m (6 ft 5 in) | 82 kg (181 lb) | 310 cm (120 in) | 295 cm (116 in) | Vakıfbank Istanbul |
| 4 | Bojana Živković | 29 March 1988 | 1.86 m (6 ft 1 in) | 72 kg (159 lb) | 300 cm (120 in) | 292 cm (115 in) | Voléro Zürich |
| 6 | Tijana Malešević | 18 March 1991 | 1.85 m (6 ft 1 in) | 78 kg (172 lb) | 300 cm (120 in) | 286 cm (113 in) | AGIL Novara |
| 9 | Brankica Mihajlović | 13 April 1991 | 1.90 m (6 ft 3 in) | 83 kg (183 lb) | 315 cm (124 in) | 311 cm (122 in) | Fenerbahçe |
| 10 | Maja Ognjenović (C) | 6 August 1984 | 1.83 m (6 ft 0 in) | 67 kg (148 lb) | 300 cm (120 in) | 293 cm (115 in) | Nordmeccanica Piacenza |
| 11 | Stefana Veljković | 9 January 1990 | 1.90 m (6 ft 3 in) | 76 kg (168 lb) | 320 cm (130 in) | 305 cm (120 in) | Chemik Police |
| 12 | Jelena Nikolić | 13 April 1982 | 1.95 m (6 ft 5 in) | 79 kg (174 lb) | 315 cm (124 in) | 300 cm (120 in) | Bursa BB |
| 15 | Jovana Stevanović | 30 June 1992 | 1.93 m (6 ft 4 in) | 72 kg (159 lb) | 308 cm (121 in) | 295 cm (116 in) | Pomi Casalmaggiore |
| 16 | Milena Rašić | 25 October 1990 | 1.93 m (6 ft 4 in) | 72 kg (159 lb) | 318 cm (125 in) | 315 cm (124 in) | VakifBank Istanbul |
| 17 | Silvija Popović (L) | 15 March 1986 | 1.78 m (5 ft 10 in) | 65 kg (143 lb) | 286 cm (113 in) | 276 cm (109 in) | Voléro Zürich |
| 19 | Tijana Bošković | 8 March 1997 | 1.93 m (6 ft 4 in) | 82 kg (181 lb) | 325 cm (128 in) | 317 cm (125 in) | Eczacıbaşı VitrA |

##### Group play

| Pos | Teamvte | Pld | W | L | Pts | SW | SL | SR | SPW | SPL | SPR | Qualification |
| 1 | United States | 5 | 5 | 0 | 14 | 15 | 5 | 3.000 | 470 | 400 | 1.175 | Quarter-finals |
| 2 | Netherlands | 5 | 4 | 1 | 11 | 14 | 7 | 2.000 | 455 | 425 | 1.071 | Quarter-finals |
| 3 | Serbia | 5 | 3 | 2 | 10 | 12 | 6 | 2.000 | 410 | 394 | 1.041 | Quarter-finals |
| 4 | China | 5 | 2 | 3 | 7 | 9 | 9 | 1.000 | 398 | 389 | 1.023 | Quarter-finals |
| 5 | Italy | 5 | 1 | 4 | 3 | 4 | 12 | 0.333 | 351 | 374 | 0.939 | |
| 6 | Puerto Rico | 5 | 0 | 5 | 0 | 0 | 15 | 0.000 | 277 | 379 | 0.731 | |

##### Gold medal match
## Water polo
### Summary

Key:
* FT – After full time.
* P – Match decided by penalty-shootout.
| Team | Event | Group Stage | Group Stage | Group Stage | Group Stage | Group Stage | Group Stage | Quarterfinal | Semifinal | Final / BM | Final / BM |
| Team | Event | Opposition Score | Opposition Score | Opposition Score | Opposition Score | Opposition Score | Rank | Opposition Score | Opposition Score | Opposition Score | Rank |
| Serbia men's | Men's tournament | Hungary D 13–13 | Greece D 9–9 | Brazil L 5–6 | Australia W 10–8 | Japan W 12–8 | 4 | Spain W 10–7 | Italy W 10–8 | Croatia W 11–7 | |

### Men's tournament

The Serbian men's water polo team qualified for the Olympics by winning the 2015 FINA World League Super Final in Italy.

#### Team roster

The following is the Serbian roster in the men's water polo tournament of the 2016 Summer Olympics.
Head coach: Dejan Savić
SRB – Serbia (as of 5 August 2016) :
| No. | Player | Pos. | L/R | Height | Weight | Date of birth (age) | Apps | Club |
| 1 | Gojko Pijetlović | 10GK | 4B | 1.94 m (6 ft 4 in) | 92 kg (203 lb) | (1983-08-07)7 August 1983 (aged 32) | 198 | CSM Digi Oradea |
| 2 | Dušan Mandić | 50D | 1L | 2.02 m (6 ft 8 in) | 105 kg (231 lb) | (1994-06-16)16 June 1994 (aged 22) | 111 | Pro Recco |
| 3 | Živko Gocić (C) | 20CB | 2R | 1.93 m (6 ft 4 in) | 93 kg (205 lb) | (1982-08-22)22 August 1982 (aged 33) | 353 | Szolnoki Vízilabda SC |
| 4 | Sava Ranđelović | 20CB | 2R | 1.93 m (6 ft 4 in) | 98 kg (216 lb) | (1993-07-17)17 July 1993 (aged 23) | 82 | AN Brescia |
| 5 | Miloš Ćuk | 50D | 2R | 1.91 m (6 ft 3 in) | 91 kg (201 lb) | (1990-12-21)21 December 1990 (aged 25) | 124 | Egri VK |
| 6 | Duško Pijetlović | 40CF | 2R | 1.97 m (6 ft 6 in) | 97 kg (214 lb) | (1985-04-25)25 April 1985 (aged 31) | 261 | Pro Recco |
| 7 | Slobodan Nikić | 40CF | 2R | 1.97 m (6 ft 6 in) | 106 kg (234 lb) | (1983-01-25)25 January 1983 (aged 33) | 346 | Galatasaray S.K. |
| 8 | Milan Aleksić | 20CB | 2R | 1.93 m (6 ft 4 in) | 96 kg (212 lb) | (1986-05-13)13 May 1986 (aged 30) | 202 | Szolnoki Vízilabda SC |
| 9 | Nikola Jakšić | 20CB | 2R | 1.97 m (6 ft 6 in) | 89 kg (196 lb) | (1997-01-17)17 January 1997 (aged 19) | 48 | VK Partizan |
| 10 | Filip Filipović | 50D | 1L | 1.96 m (6 ft 5 in) | 101 kg (223 lb) | (1987-05-02)2 May 1987 (aged 29) | 297 | Pro Recco |
| 11 | Andrija Prlainović | 50D | 2R | 1.87 m (6 ft 2 in) | 93 kg (205 lb) | (1987-04-28)28 April 1987 (aged 29) | 271 | Szolnoki Vízilabda SC |
| 12 | Stefan Mitrović | 50D | 2R | 1.95 m (6 ft 5 in) | 91 kg (201 lb) | (1988-03-29)29 March 1988 (aged 28) | 198 | Szolnoki Vízilabda SC |
| 13 | Branislav Mitrović | 10GK | 4B | 2.01 m (6 ft 7 in) | 100 kg (220 lb) | (1985-01-30)30 January 1985 (aged 31) | 119 | Egri VK |
| Average | Average | Average | Average | 1.95 m (6 ft 5 in) | 96 kg (212 lb) | 28 years, 190 days | 201 | |

#### Group play

| Pos | Teamvte | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts | Qualification |
| 1 | Hungary | 5 | 2 | 3 | 0 | 57 | 43 | +14 | 7 | Quarter-finals |
| 2 | Greece | 5 | 2 | 2 | 1 | 41 | 40 | +1 | 6 | Quarter-finals |
| 3 | Brazil (H) | 5 | 3 | 0 | 2 | 40 | 39 | +1 | 6 | Quarter-finals |
| 4 | Serbia | 5 | 2 | 2 | 1 | 49 | 44 | +5 | 6 | Quarter-finals |
| 5 | Australia | 5 | 2 | 1 | 2 | 44 | 40 | +4 | 5 | |
| 6 | Japan | 5 | 0 | 0 | 5 | 36 | 61 | −25 | 0 | |
| 6 August 2016 09:00 | Report | Serbia | 13–13 | Hungary | Maria Lenk Aquatic Center, Rio de Janeiro Referees: Adrian Alexandrescu (ROU), Radosław Koryzna (POL) |
| Maria Lenk Aquatic Center, Rio de Janeiro Referees: Adrian Alexandrescu (ROU), Radosław Koryzna (POL) |||
| 6 August 2016 09:00 | Report | Filipović 3 | Goals | Hosnyánszky 3 | Maria Lenk Aquatic Center, Rio de Janeiro Referees: Adrian Alexandrescu (ROU), Radosław Koryzna (POL) |
| 8 August 2016 09:00 | Report | Serbia | 9–9 | Greece | Maria Lenk Aquatic Center, Rio de Janeiro Referees: Mark Koganov (AZE), Joseph Peila (USA) |
| Maria Lenk Aquatic Center, Rio de Janeiro Referees: Mark Koganov (AZE), Joseph Peila (USA) |||
| 8 August 2016 09:00 | Report | Filipović 2 | Goals | Fountoulis 4 | Maria Lenk Aquatic Center, Rio de Janeiro Referees: Mark Koganov (AZE), Joseph Peila (USA) |
| 10 August 2016 19:30 | Report | Brazil | 6–5 | Serbia | Maria Lenk Aquatic Center, Rio de Janeiro Referees: Benjamin Mercier (FRA), Ni Shi Wei (CHN) |
| Maria Lenk Aquatic Center, Rio de Janeiro Referees: Benjamin Mercier (FRA), Ni Shi Wei (CHN) |||
| 10 August 2016 19:30 | Report | Vrlić 2 | Goals | five players 1 | Maria Lenk Aquatic Center, Rio de Janeiro Referees: Benjamin Mercier (FRA), Ni Shi Wei (CHN) |
| 12 August 2016 22:10 | Report | Serbia | 10–8 | Australia | Maria Lenk Aquatic Center, Rio de Janeiro Referees: Adrian Alexandrescu (ROU), Francesc Buch (ESP) |
| Maria Lenk Aquatic Center, Rio de Janeiro Referees: Adrian Alexandrescu (ROU), Francesc Buch (ESP) |||
| 12 August 2016 22:10 | Report | three players 2 | Goals | Cotterill 2 | Maria Lenk Aquatic Center, Rio de Janeiro Referees: Adrian Alexandrescu (ROU), Francesc Buch (ESP) |
| 14 August 2016 19:30 | Report | Serbia | 12–8 | Japan | Olympic Aquatics Stadium, Rio de Janeiro Referees: Nenad Peris (CRO), Benjamin Mercier (FRA) |
| Olympic Aquatics Stadium, Rio de Janeiro Referees: Nenad Peris (CRO), Benjamin Mercier (FRA) |||
| 14 August 2016 19:30 | Report | Filipović 6 | Goals | Takei 5 | Olympic Aquatics Stadium, Rio de Janeiro Referees: Nenad Peris (CRO), Benjamin Mercier (FRA) |

#### Quarterfinal

| 16 August 2016 12:20 | Report | Serbia | 10–7 | Spain | Olympic Aquatics Stadium, Rio de Janeiro Referees: Radosław Koryzna (POL), Daniel Flahive (AUS) |
| Olympic Aquatics Stadium, Rio de Janeiro Referees: Radosław Koryzna (POL), Daniel Flahive (AUS) |||
| 16 August 2016 12:20 | Report | Mandić 4 | Goals | Molina 3 | Olympic Aquatics Stadium, Rio de Janeiro Referees: Radosław Koryzna (POL), Daniel Flahive (AUS) |

#### Semifinal

| 18 August 2016 16:30 | Report | Italy | 8–10 | Serbia | Olympic Aquatics Stadium, Rio de Janeiro Referees: Georgios Stavridis (GRE), Daniel Flahive (AUS) |
| Olympic Aquatics Stadium, Rio de Janeiro Referees: Georgios Stavridis (GRE), Daniel Flahive (AUS) |||
| 18 August 2016 16:30 | Report | three players 2 | Goals | three players 2 | Olympic Aquatics Stadium, Rio de Janeiro Referees: Georgios Stavridis (GRE), Daniel Flahive (AUS) |

#### Gold medal match

| 20 August 2016 17:50 | Report | Croatia | 7–11 | Serbia | Olympic Aquatics Stadium, Rio de Janeiro Referees: Georgios Stavridis (GRE), Péter Molnár (HUN) |
| Olympic Aquatics Stadium, Rio de Janeiro Referees: Georgios Stavridis (GRE), Péter Molnár (HUN) |||
| 20 August 2016 17:50 | Report | Sukno 3 | Goals | Mandić 4 | Olympic Aquatics Stadium, Rio de Janeiro Referees: Georgios Stavridis (GRE), Péter Molnár (HUN) |

## Wrestling

Serbia has qualified three wrestlers for each the following weight classes into the Olympic competition. One of them finished among the top six to secure an Olympic spot in the men's Greco-Roman 66 kg at the 2015 World Championships, while two more Olympic places were awarded to Serbian wrestlers, who progressed to the top two finals at the 2016 European Qualification Tournament.
Key:
* VT – Victory by Fall.
* PP – Decision by Points – the loser with technical points.
* PO – Decision by Points – the loser without technical points.
* ST – Decision by points – the loser without technical points and a margin of victory of at least 8 (Greco-Roman) or 10 (freestyle) points.

### Men's Greco-Roman

| Athlete | Event | Qualification | Round of 16 | Quarterfinal | Semifinal | Repechage 1 | Repechage 2 | Final / BM | Final / BM |
| Athlete | Event | Opposition Result | Opposition Result | Opposition Result | Opposition Result | Opposition Result | Opposition Result | Opposition Result | Rank |
| Kristijan Fris | −59 kg | Bye | Tasmuradov (UZB) L 1–3 $^{PP}$ | Did not advance | Did not advance | Did not advance | Did not advance | Did not advance | 13 |
| Davor Štefanek | −66 kg | Bye | Inoue (JPN) W 4–0 $^{ST}$ | Stäbler (GER) W 3–1 $^{PP}$ | Bolkvadze (GEO) W 5–0 $^{VT}$ | Bye | Bye | Arutyunyan (ARM) W 3–1 $^{PP}$ | |
| Viktor Nemeš | −75 kg | Bye | Turdiev (UZB) W 3–1 $^{PP}$ | Madsen (DEN) L 0–3 $^{PO}$ | Did not advance | Bye | Abdevali (IRI) L 1–3 $^{PP}$ | Did not advance | 8 |

## Reaction to Kosovo's participation

Because of Albanian boycotts after the breakup of Yugoslavia, only Serbs from Kosovo and Metohija participated as part of Serbia and Montenegro and Serbia at the Olympics. In 2008 Kosovo unilaterally and in breach of UN Security Council resolutions declared independence from Serbia, which Serbia and most of the countries do not recognize and consider it Serbia's southern province. On 9 December 2014 the International Olympic Committee recognized the Olympic Committee of Kosovo.
In reaction to the decision of the International Olympic Committee to accept Kosovo as a full member, Vlade Divac said that the Serbian Olympic Committee did all they could while foreign minister Ivica Dačić and minister of sports Vanja Udovičić expressed disapproval, with Divac adding there would be no boycott of the games. Prior to the Rio 2016 opening ceremony, Udovičić advised Serbian athletes to withdraw themselves from any medal ceremonies if they have to share the podium with athletes from Kosovo.