Djibouti at the 2000 Summer Olympics

Delegation and events

Djibouti's team for the Sydney Games comprised two competitors entered in middle- and long-distance running. The country has traditionally focused on athletics at the Olympics rather than team or aquatic sports. Djibouti first took part in the Summer Olympics at 1984 in Los Angeles, and athletics has remained its primary discipline.

Athletes and results

The two athletes who represented Djibouti in Sydney were Omar Daher Gadid and Roda Ali Wais. Gadid was entered in the men's marathon, while Roda Ali Wais competed in the women's 800 metres. Neither athlete reached the podium: Gadid did not finish the marathon, and Ali Wais was eliminated in the first round of the 800 m heats.

Event details

Both competitors took part in track and field programs overseen by their national federation. The marathon remains a demanding event with a high attrition rate, and middle-distance heats at major championships are often tightly contested; these factors contributed to the modest outcomes for the Djiboutian athletes in Sydney. For more on the athletics programme at the Games see general resources on track and field.

Historical context and significance

Djibouti's Olympic history is modest but notable. The country won its first and only Olympic medal to date in the 1988 Seoul Games, and subsequent teams have been small. Participation in Sydney continued the pattern of focusing on individual running events and provided international experience for Djiboutian athletes on the world stage.

Notes

• Small delegations are common for nations with limited resources and specialized athletic traditions.
• Olympic appearances serve both competitive and developmental roles for athletes from emerging sporting nations.
• Additional information about Djibouti's Olympic efforts and athlete biographies can be found through national and international sport archives and profiles linked from official pages such as national Olympic bodies and Games histories on official Olympic reports.