Belize at the 2020 Summer Olympics

Belize at the
2020 Summer Olympics
Flag of Belize
IOC codeBIZ
NOCBelize Olympic and Commonwealth Games Association
Websitewww.belizeolympic.org
in Tokyo, Japan
July 23 – August 8, 2021
Competitors3 in 2 sports
Flag bearers (opening)Samantha Dirks
Shaun Gill
Flag bearer (closing)Amado Cruz
Medals
Gold
0
Silver
0
Bronze
0
Total
0
Summer Olympics appearances (overview)

Belize competed at the 2020 Summer Olympics in Tokyo, Japan, from 23 July to 8 August 2021. It was the nation's thirteenth appearance at the Summer Olympics including its appearances in the 1968 and 1972 Games as British Honduras. The Belize team consisted of three athletes — two men and one woman — competing in two sports: athletics and canoeing. Belize did not win any medals at the Games.

Background

The Belize Olympic and Commonwealth Games Association was founded in 1967 and recognized by the International Olympic Committee in the same year.[1] The nation made its first Olympic appearance as British Honduras at the 1968 Summer Olympics in Mexico City. It was the nation's thirteenth appearance at the Summer Olympics including its appearances in the 1968 and 1972 Games as British Honduras.[2]

The 2020 Summer Olympics were held in Tokyo, Japan, between 23 July and 8 August 2021. Originally scheduled to take place from 24 July to 9 August 2020, the Games were postponed due to the COVID-19 pandemic.[3] For the first time, the International Olympic Committee invited each National Olympic Committee to select one female and one male athlete to jointly carry their flag during the opening ceremony.[4] Samantha Dirks and Shaun Gill served as Belize's joint flag-bearers during the opening ceremony.[5] Amado Cruz carried the flag during the closing ceremony.[6] None of the three athletes won a medal in the Games.[7]

Competitors

The Belize delegation consisted of two track and field athletes, Shaun Gill and Samantha Dirks, and one canoeist, Amado Cruz.[8]

SportMenWomenTotal
Athletics 112
Canoeing 101
Total213

Athletics

As per the governing body World Athletics (WA), a NOC was allowed to enter up to three qualified athletes in each individual event if the Olympic Qualifying Standards (OQS) for the respective events had been met during the qualifying period. The remaining places were allocated based on the World Athletics Rankings which were derived from the average of the best five results for an athlete over the designated qualifying period, weighted by the importance of the meet.[9][10][11][12] Belize received universality places from WA to send two athletes, one male and one female, to the Games.[13]

Shaun Gill competed in the men's 100 metres, and Samantha Dirks competed in the women's 400 metres. Both Gill and Dirks were supported by Olympic Solidarity Scholarships since 2018.[14] Gill finished fifth in his heat with a time of 10.88 seconds and did not advance to the next round.[15][16] Dirks finished seventh in her quarterfinal heats with a time of 54.16 seconds, her season's best, but did not advance to the semifinals.[17][18]

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
Track & road events
Athlete Event Heat Quarterfinal Semifinal Final
Result Rank Result Rank Result Rank Result Rank
Shaun Gill Men's 100 m 10.88 5 Did not advance
Samantha Dirks Women's 400 m N/a 54.16 SB 7 Did not advance

Canoeing

Belize received an invitation from the Tripartite Commission to send a canoeist to the Games, marking the country's debut in Olympic canoeing.[19] Amado Cruz became the first athlete from Belize to compete in Canoeing at the Summer Olympics. He started paddling at the age of five and began kayaking in 2016.[20][21] He trained under Spanish coach Foad Buchta Mohamed at Seville, Spain, ahead of the Games.[8]

Cruz competed in the men's K-1 200 metres and men's K-1 1000 metres events held at the Sea Forest Waterway. In the K-1 200 m, he finished fifth in both the preliminary heat and quarterfinals, and did not advance further.[22] In the K-1 1000 m, he finished fifth in his preliminary heat with a time of 4:13.080, and sixth in the quarterfinals with 4:15.262, and did not advance to the semifinals.[23][24]

Canoe sprint
Athlete Event Heats Quarterfinals Semifinals Final
Time Rank Time Rank Time Rank Time Rank
Amado Cruz Men's K-1 200 m 39.645 5 QF 39.333 5 Did not advance
Men's K-1 1000 m 4:13.080 5 QF 4:15.262 6 Did not advance

Qualification Legend: FA = Qualify to final (medal); FB = Qualify to final B (non-medal)

See also

References

  1. ↑ "About". Belize Olympic and Commonwealth Games Association. Retrieved 1 June 2025.
  2. ↑ "Belize at the Olympics". Olympedia. Retrieved 1 June 2025.
  3. ↑ "Joint Statement from the International Olympic Committee and the Tokyo 2020 Organizing Committee". International Olympic Committee. 24 March 2020. Retrieved 28 March 2020.
  4. ↑ "The Flagbearers for the Tokyo 2020 Opening Ceremony". International Olympic Committee. Retrieved 23 July 2021.
  5. ↑ "Athletics flag bearers help to light up Olympic Opening Ceremony in Tokyo". World Athletics. Retrieved 23 July 2021.
  6. ↑ "Flag bearers, Belize". Olympedia. Retrieved 1 June 2025.
  7. ↑ "Belize at the 2020 Summer Olympics". Olympedia. Retrieved 1 April 2026.
  8. 1 2 "Belizeans athletes ready to represent the Jewel at Tokyo Olympics". The San Pedro Sun. 22 July 2021. Retrieved 8 May 2023.
  9. ↑ "IAAF to follow other sports with world ranking system for athletes". BBC Sport. 7 March 2018. Archived from the original on 15 March 2018. Retrieved 2 August 2018.
  10. ↑ "Qualification system for Tokyo 2020 Olympics published by the world governing body, IAAF". Inside the Games. Archived from the original on 9 June 2021. Retrieved 2 August 2018.
  11. ↑ "Qualification System – Games of the XXXI Olympiad – Athletics" (PDF). World Athletics. Archived (PDF) from the original on 31 March 2019. Retrieved 31 March 2019.
  12. ↑ "IAAF Council approves Olympic qualification system and entry standards". World Athletics. 10 March 2019. Archived from the original on 30 March 2019. Retrieved 11 March 2019.
  13. ↑ "Road to Olympic Games 2020". World Athletics. Retrieved 11 June 2021.
  14. ↑ "Samantha Dirks going to the Tokyo Olympics, joins Shaun Gill". Breaking Belize News. 5 July 2021. Retrieved 1 June 2025.
  15. ↑ "Men's 100m, 2020 Summer Olympics". Olympedia. Retrieved 1 April 2026.
  16. ↑ "Shaun Gill places 6th in Preliminary Round 100m heat". Breaking Belize News. 3 August 2024. Retrieved 1 June 2025.
  17. ↑ "Women's 400m, 2020 Summer Olympics". Olympedia. Retrieved 1 April 2026.
  18. ↑ "Samantha Dirks not satisfied with run at Olympics, promises to do better at next international competition". Breaking Belize News. 3 August 2021. Retrieved 1 June 2025.
  19. ↑ "Belize and Mozambique awarded tripartite Olympic quotas". International Canoe Federation. 21 May 2020. Retrieved 22 May 2021.
  20. ↑ "Belize Cruz into Olympic canoe sprint history". International Canoe Federation. Retrieved 1 June 2025.
  21. ↑ "Belize, Canoeing at the Olympics". Olympedia. Retrieved 1 June 2024.
  22. ↑ "Men's K-1 200m, 2020 Summer Olympics". Olympedia. Retrieved 1 April 2026.
  23. ↑ "Men's K-1 1000m, 2020 Summer Olympics". Olympedia. Retrieved 1 April 2026.
  24. ↑ "Amado Cruz places 6th in canoeing K1 1000m quarterfinals in Tokyo 2020". Breaking Belize News. 1 August 2021. Retrieved 1 June 2025.
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