# Zimbabwe at the 2016 Summer Olympics

Zimbabwe competed at the 2016 Summer Olympics in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, from 5 to 21 August 2016. This was the nation's tenth consecutive appearance at the Olympics, after gaining its independence from the former Rhodesia.
The Zimbabwe Olympic Committee (ZOC) fielded a team of 31 athletes, 9 men and 22 women, to compete in seven different sports at the Games. It was the nation's largest ever delegation sent to the Olympics in a non-boycotting edition and the second-largest overall. Among the sports represented by the nation's athletes, Zimbabwe marked its Olympic debut in equestrian eventing and women's football, as well as its return to archery after nearly three decades.
Topping the list of athletes to make the Zimbabwean roster was swimmer Kirsty Coventry. At 32 years old and headed to her fifth Olympic Games, Coventry emerged herself as Zimbabwe's most decorated Olympian of all time, and Africa's most successful female swimmer in history, with a total of seven medals, including two golds in the women's 200 m backstroke. Because of her outstanding achievements in swimming, Coventry was chosen again to carry the Zimbabwean flag at the opening ceremony for the second consecutive Games.
Apart from Coventry, the Zimbabwean team also saw four more athletes competing in more than one edition. Among the returnees were single sculls rower Micheen Thornycroft, marathon runner Wirimai Juwawo, along with his teammate and three-time Olympian Cuthbert Nyasango, and double trap shooter Sean Nicholson, the oldest member of the team (aged 42).
For the second Olympics in a row, Zimbabwe left Rio de Janeiro without a single medal. Before retiring from the sport, Coventry capped off her illustrious Olympic career with a sixth-place finish in the women's 200 m backstroke, the most successful outcome for Zimbabwe at the Games.

## Archery

One Zimbabwean archer qualified for the men's individual recurve by obtaining one of the three Olympic places available from the 2016 African Archery Championships in Windhoek, Namibia, anticipating the nation's Olympic return to the sport for the first time since 1988.
| Athlete | Event | Ranking round | Ranking round | Round of 64 | Round of 32 | Round of 16 | Quarterfinals | Semifinals | Final / BM | Final / BM |
| Athlete | Event | Score | Seed | Opposition Score | Opposition Score | Opposition Score | Opposition Score | Opposition Score | Opposition Score | Rank |
| Gavin Sutherland | Men's individual | 566 | 64 | Kim W-j (KOR) L 0–6 | Did not advance | Did not advance | Did not advance | Did not advance | Did not advance | Did not advance |

## Athletics (track and field)

Zimbabwean 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
* NM = No mark

### Track & road events

| Athlete | Event | Heat | Heat | Quarterfinal | Quarterfinal | Semifinal | Semifinal | Final | Final |
| Athlete | Event | Result | Rank | Result | Rank | Result | Rank | Result | Rank |
| Gabriel Mvumvure | Men's 100 m | Bye | Bye | 10.28 | 7 | Did not advance | Did not advance | Did not advance | Did not advance |
| Tatenda Tsumba | Men's 200 m | 21.04 | 6 | — | — | Did not advance | Did not advance | Did not advance | Did not advance |
| Wirimai Juwawo | Men's marathon | — | — | — | — | — | — | DNF | DNF |
| Pardon Ndhlovu | Men's marathon | — | — | — | — | — | — | 2:17:48 | 41 |
| Cuthbert Nyasango | Men's marathon | — | — | — | — | — | — | 2:18:58 | 58 |
| Rutendo Nyahora | Women's marathon | — | — | — | — | — | — | 2:47:32 | 92 |

## Equestrian

Zimbabwe has entered one eventing rider into the Olympic equestrian competition by virtue of a top finish from Africa & Middle East in the individual FEI Olympic rankings. This signified the nation's Olympic debut in the sport of equestrian.

### Eventing

| Athlete | Horse | Event | Dressage | Dressage | Cross-country | Cross-country | Cross-country | Jumping | Jumping | Jumping | Jumping | Jumping | Jumping | Total | Total |
| Athlete | Horse | Event | Dressage | Dressage | Cross-country | Cross-country | Cross-country | Qualifier | Qualifier | Qualifier | Final | Final | Final | | | Total | Total |
| Athlete | Horse | Event | Penalties | Rank | Penalties | Total | Rank | Penalties | Total | Rank | Penalties | Total | Rank | Penalties | Rank |
| Camilla Kruger | Biarritz | Individual | 59.40 | 61 | 40.40 | 99.80 | 32 | 12.00 | 111.80 | 35 | Did not advance | Did not advance | Did not advance | 111.80 | 35 |

## Football
### Women's tournament

Zimbabwe women's football team qualified for the Olympics by winning the fourth round play-off of the 2015 CAF Women's Olympic Qualifying Tournament.

#### Team roster

Head coach: Shadreck Mlauzi
Zimbabwe named a squad of 18 players and 4 alternates for the tournament, which was announced on 22 July 2016.
| No. | Pos. | Player | Date of birth (age) | Club |
| 1 | 1GK | Chido Dzingirai | (1991-10-25)25 October 1991 (aged 24) | Flame Lily Queens F.C. |
| 2 | 2DF | Lynett Mutokuto | (1988-09-01)1 September 1988 (aged 27) | Black Rhinos F.C. |
| 3 | 2DF | Shiela Makoto | (1990-01-14)14 January 1990 (aged 26) | Blue Swallows Queens F.C. |
| 4 | 2DF | Nobuhle Majika | (1991-05-09)9 May 1991 (aged 25) | Inline Academy F.C. |
| 5 | 3MF | Emmaculate Msipa | (1992-06-07)7 June 1992 (aged 24) | Black Rhinos F.C. |
| 6 | 3MF | Talent Mandaza | (1985-12-11)11 December 1985 (aged 30) | Black Rhinos F.C. |
| 7 | 4FW | Rudo Neshamba | (1992-02-10)10 February 1992 (aged 24) | Weerams F.C. |
| 8 | 3MF | Rejoice Kapfumvuti | (1991-11-18)18 November 1991 (aged 24) | Inline Academy F.C. |
| 9 | 4FW | Samkelisiwe Zulu | (1990-04-14)14 April 1990 (aged 26) | Flame Lily Queens F.C. |
| 10 | 3MF | Mavis Chirandu | (1995-01-15)15 January 1995 (aged 21) | Weerams F.C. |
| 11 | 3MF | Daisy Kaitano | (1993-09-20)20 September 1993 (aged 22) | Black Rhinos F.C. |
| 12 | 3MF | Marjory Nyaumwe | (1987-07-10)10 July 1987 (aged 29) | Flame Lily Queens F.C. |
| 13 | 4FW | Erina Jeke | (1990-09-16)16 September 1990 (aged 25) | Flame Lily Queens F.C. |
| 14 | 2DF | Eunice Chibanda | (1993-03-26)26 March 1993 (aged 23) | Black Rhinos F.C. |
| 15 | 4FW | Rutendo Makore | (1992-09-30)30 September 1992 (aged 23) | Black Rhinos F.C. |
| 16 | 1GK | Lindiwe Magwede | (1991-12-01)1 December 1991 (aged 24) | Cyclone Stars F.C. |
| 17 | 4FW | Kudakwashe Basopo | (1990-07-18)18 July 1990 (aged 26) | Black Rhinos F.C. |
| 18 | 4FW | Felistas Muzongondi (captain) | (1986-03-22)22 March 1986 (aged 30) | Mwenezana F.C. |

#### Group play

| Pos | Teamvte | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts | Qualification |
| 1 | Canada | 3 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 7 | 2 | +5 | 9 | Quarter-finals |
| 2 | Germany | 3 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 9 | 5 | +4 | 4 | Quarter-finals |
| 3 | Australia | 3 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 8 | 5 | +3 | 4 | Quarter-finals |
| 4 | Zimbabwe | 3 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 3 | 15 | −12 | 0 | |

## Rowing

Zimbabwe has qualified one boat each in both the men's and women's single sculls for the Games at the 2015 African Continental Qualification Regatta in Tunis, Tunisia.
| Athlete | Event | Heats | Heats | Repechage | Repechage | Quarterfinals | Quarterfinals | Semifinals | Semifinals | Final | Final |
| Athlete | Event | Time | Rank | Time | Rank | Time | Rank | Time | Rank | Time | Rank |
| Andrew Peebles | Men's single sculls | 7:25.39 | 5 R | 7:17.19 | 3 SE/F | Bye | Bye | 7:45.20 | 1 FE | 7:43.98 | 25 |
| Micheen Thornycroft | Women's single sculls | 8:18.88 | 2 QF | Bye | Bye | 7:34.38 | 2 SA/B | 8:00.53 | 5 FB | 7:30.57 | 11 |
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

Zimbabwe has qualified one shooter in the men's double trap by securing one of the available Olympic berths at the 2015 African Continental Championships in Cairo, Egypt.
| Athlete | Event | Qualification | Qualification | Semifinal | Semifinal | Final | Final |
| Athlete | Event | Points | Rank | Points | Rank | Points | Rank |
| Sean Nicholson | Men's double trap | 119 | 19 | Did not advance | Did not advance | Did not advance | Did not advance |

## Swimming

Zimbabwean 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 |
| Sean Gunn | Men's 100 m freestyle | 50.87 | 48 | Did not advance | Did not advance | Did not advance | Did not advance |
| Kirsty Coventry | Women's 100 m backstroke | 1:00.13 | 11 Q | 1:00.26 | 11 | Did not advance | Did not advance |
| Kirsty Coventry | Women's 200 m backstroke | 2:08.91 | 9 Q | 2:08.83 | 6 Q | 2:08.80 | 6 |