Adrien Niyonshuti, who at the age of 25 was taking part in his first Olympic Games, was Rwanda's sole representative in the men's cross-country cycling event, and was notable for carrying his nation's flag at the opening and closing ceremonies. He qualified for the Games based on his performance at the 2011 African Continental Mountain Bike Championship. Niyonshuti said that he was putting his focus towards the event and wanted to impress his family, "To have everyone say they are behind me makes me feel good. When people congratulate me for getting to the Olympics, it gives me a confidence and it tells me that yeah, I did well. I just want to go there and compete and finish the race. To know that so many people are behind me makes me not want to disappoint them." He took part in the 12 August race, finishing 39th out of 40 cyclists, with a time of one hour, 42 minutes and 46 seconds.