Venezuela competed at the 2016 Summer Olympics in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, from 5 to 21 August 2016. It was the nation's eighteenth consecutive appearance at the Summer Olympics.
The Venezuelan Olympic Committee () fielded a team of 87 athletes, 62 men and 25 women, to compete in twenty sports at the Games. It was the nation's second-largest delegation sent to the Olympics, falling short of the record set in Beijing 2008 (108) by nearly twenty percent. Men's basketball was the only team-based sport in which Venezuela qualified for the Games, returning to the Olympic basketball for the first time since 1992. Venezuela also made its debut in golf (new to the 2016 Games) and women's beach volleyball, as well as its return to equestrian, rowing, and taekwondo events after eight years.
The Venezuelan roster featured 28 returning Olympians, with fencers Silvio Fernández and Alejandra Benítez, along with multiple-stroke swimmer Albert Subirats, headed to their fourth Games as the most experienced competitors of the team. Other notable Venezuelan athletes included artistic gymnast Jessica López, amateur welterweight boxer and Pan American Games champion Gabriel Maestre, 2015 world BMX champion Stefany Hernández, and fencing brothers Francisco and Rubén Limardo, who became the nation's first gold medalist since 1968 at the previous Games. Looking to defend his men's épée title in Rio de Janeiro, the elder Limardo was selected by the public through a nationwide online vote to carry the Venezuelan flag at the opening ceremony, the first male from his country to do so since 2004.
Unlike the previous Games, Venezuela failed to produce another gold medal-winning feat in Rio de Janeiro, but left instead with three medals (one silver and two bronze), which matched its overall tally from the 1984 Summer Olympics in Los Angeles. These medals were awarded to the following athletes for the first time in their respective sporting events: a silver to triple jumper Yulimar Rojas, and a bronze each to Hernández and flyweight boxer Yoel Finol. Finol would later be upgraded from bronze to silver after Russian boxer Misha Aloyan was disqualified.
Medalists
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Medal Name Sport Event Date Yulimar Rojas Athletics Women's triple jump Yoel Finol Boxing Men's flyweight Stefany Hernández Cycling Women's BMX
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Medals by sportSport TotalAthletics 0 1 0 1Boxing 0 1 0 1Cycling 0 0 1 1 Total 0 2 1 3
Competitors SportMenWomenTotalArchery 1 1 2Athletics 9 6 15Basketball 12 0 12Boxing 8 0 8Cycling 6 3 9Diving 2 0 2Equestrian 2 0 2Fencing 5 2 7Golf 1 0 1Gymnastics 0 1 1Judo 0 1 1Rowing 1 0 1Sailing 2 0 2Shooting 1 0 1Swimming 4 2 6Table tennis 0 1 1Taekwondo 1 0 1Volleyball 0 2 2Weightlifting 1 3 4Wrestling 6 3 9 Total 62 25 87
Archery
One Venezuelan archer qualified for the men's individual recurve by obtaining one of the eight Olympic places available from the 2015 World Archery Championships in Copenhagen, Denmark. Meanwhile, another Venezuelan archer has been added to the squad by securing one of three available Olympic spots in the women's individual recurve at the Pan American Qualification Tournament in Medellín, Colombia.
AthleteEventRanking roundRound of 64Round of 32Round of 16QuarterfinalsSemifinalsFinal / ScoreSeedOppositionScoreOppositionScoreOppositionScoreOppositionScoreOppositionScoreOppositionScoreRankElías MalavéMen's individual65146W 6–2L 4–6did not advanceLeidys BritoWomen's individual61444L 4–6did not advance
Athletics (track and field)
Venezuelan athletes have so far achieved qualifying standards in the following athletics events (up to a maximum of 3 athletes in each event):
Track & road events Men AthleteEventHeatSemifinalFinalResultRankResultRankResultRankAlberth Bravo400 m46.156did not advanceLuis OrtaMarathoncolspan=4 2:27:05106Jose Peña3000 m steeplechase8:32.389colspan=2 did not advanceYerenman Salazar50 km walkcolspan=4 Richard Vargas20 km walkcolspan=4 1:22:2324Alberth BravoOmar LongartJosé MeléndezFreddy MezonesArturo Ramírez4 × 400 m relay3:02.696colspan=2 Did not advance
Women AthleteEventHeatSemifinalFinalResultRankResultRankResultRankYolimar PinedaMarathoncolspan=4 2:47:3493Nercely Soto200 m22.892 Q22.887did not advance
Field events AthleteEventQualificationFinalDistancePositionDistancePositionAhymara EspinozaWomen's shot put17.2719did not advanceRobeilys PeinadoWomen's pole vaultdid not advanceRosa RodríguezWomen's hammer throw72.413 Q69.2610Yulimar RojasTriple jump14.217 Q14.98
Basketball
Men's tournament
Venezuela men's basketball team qualified for the Olympics by attaining a top two finish towards the final match of the 2015 FIBA Americas Championship in Mexico.
Team roster
Group play
Boxing
Venezuela has entered seven boxers to compete in each of the following weight classes into the Olympic boxing tournament. Luis Angel Cabrera, Luis Arcon, Albert Ramirez, and 2012 Olympian Gabriel Maestre had claimed their Olympic spots at the 2016 American Qualification Tournament in Buenos Aires. Meanwhile, Yoel Finol Rivas, Victor Rodríguez, Endry José Pinto, and Edgar Muñoz secured additional places on the Venezuelan roster at the 2016 APB and WSB Olympic Qualifier in Vargas.
AthleteEventRound of 32Round of 16QuarterfinalsSemifinalsFinalOppositionResultOppositionResultOppositionResultOppositionResultOppositionResultRankYoel Finol RivasMen's flyweightW 3–0W 3–0W 3–0L 0–3Did not advanceVíctor RodríguezMen's bantamweightL 1–2did not advanceLuis Ángel CabreraMen's lightweightL 1–2did not advanceLuis ArcónMen's light welterweightL 1–2did not advanceGabriel MaestreMen's welterweightW 2–1W L 0–3did not advanceEndry José PintoMen's middleweightL 0–3did not advanceAlbert RamírezMen's light heavyweightW 2–1L 1–2 did not advanceEdgar MuñozMen's super heavyweightL did not advance
Cycling
Road Venezuelan riders qualified for the following quota places in the men's Olympic road race by virtue of their top 5 national ranking in the 2015 UCI America Tour (for men), and top 22 in the 2016 UCI World Ranking (for women). One additional spot was awarded to the Venezuela cyclist in the women's road race, by virtue of a top national finish, not yet qualified, at the 2016 Pan American Championships.
AthleteEventTimeRankJonathan MonsalveMen's road racedid not finishMen's time trialdid not finishMiguel UbetoMen's road racedid not finishJennifer CesarWomen's road race4:03:1850
Track Following the completion of the 2016 UCI Track Cycling World Championships, Venezuelan riders have accumulated spots in the men's team sprint and women's omnium. As a result of their place in the men's team sprint, Venezuela has won the right to enter two riders in both men's sprint and men's keirin.
Sprint AthleteEventQualificationRound 1Repechage 1Round 2Repechage 2QuarterfinalsSemifinalsFinalTimeSpeed (km/h)RankOppositionTimeSpeed (km/h)OppositionTimeSpeed (km/h)OppositionTimeSpeed (km/h)OppositionTimeSpeed (km/h)OppositionTimeSpeed (km/h)OppositionTimeSpeed (km/h)OppositionTimeSpeed (km/h)RankHersony CanelónMen's sprint10.23970.31924did not advanceCésar Marcano10.64967.61127did not advance
Team sprint AthleteEventQualificationSemifinalsFinalTimeSpeed (km/h)RankOppositionTimeSpeed (km/h)RankOppositionTimeSpeed (km/h)RankHersony CanelónCésar MarcanoÁngel PulgarMen's team sprint44.26360.9998 QL 44.48660.6938did not advance
Keirin AthleteEvent1st RoundRepechage2nd RoundFinalRankRankRankRankHersony CanelónMen's keirin7 R5did not advanceÁngel Pulgar7 R4did not advance
Omnium AthleteEventScratch raceIndividual pursuitElimination raceTime trialFlying lapPoints raceTotal pointsRankRankPointsTimeRankPointsRankPointsTimeRankPointsTimeRankPointsPointsRankAngie GonzálezWomen's omnium1863:47.161178121836.535121814.66016101136118
BMX Venezuelan riders qualified for one men's and one women's quota place for BMX at the Olympics, as a result of the nation's top three placement for men, not yet qualified, at the 2016 UCI BMX World Championships, and seventh-place finish for women in the UCI Olympic Ranking List of May 31, 2016. London 2012 Olympian Stefany Hernández and rookie Jefferson Milano were named to the Olympic roster on June 1, 2016.
AthleteEventSeedingQuarterfinalSemifinalFinalResultRankPointsRankPointsRankResultRankJefferson MilanoMen's BMX35.94523123 Q248did not advanceStefany HernándezWomen's BMX35.2024colspan=2 113 Q34.755
Diving
Venezuelan divers qualified for two individual spots at the Olympics by virtue of a top 18 finish respectively at the 2016 FINA World Cup series.
AthleteEventPreliminariesSemifinalsFinalPointsRankPointsRankPointsRankJesús LiranzoMen's 10 m platform385.5521did not advanceRobert Páez378.2023did not advance
Equestrian
Venezuela has entered two jumping riders into the Olympic equestrian competition by virtue of a top six individual finish at the 2015 Pan American Games.
Jumping AthleteHorseEventQualificationFinalTotalRound 1Round 2Round 3Round ARound BPenaltiesRankPenaltiesTotalRankPenaltiesTotalRankPenaltiesRankPenaltiesTotalRankPenaltiesRankEmanuel AndradeHardrockIndividual13=61Did not advancePablo BarriosAntares8=53 Q122054Did not advance
Fencing
Venezuelan fencers have qualified a full squad each in the men's team épée by virtue of being the highest ranking team from America outside the world's top four in the FIE Olympic Team Rankings. Aiming to appear at fourth Olympics, Alejandra Benítez had claimed the spot on the Venezuelan team in the women's sabre as one of the two highest-ranked fencers coming from the America zone in the FIE Adjusted Official Rankings. Isis Giménez and 2011 Pan American Games bronze medalist Antonio Leal rounded out the Venezuelan fencing roster by finishing among the top two in the men's and women's foil, respectively, at the Pan American Zonal Qualifier in San José, Costa Rica.
Men AthleteEventRound of 64Round of 32Round of 16QuarterfinalSemifinalFinal / OppositionScoreOppositionScoreOppositionScoreOppositionScoreOppositionScoreOppositionScoreRankSilvio FernándezÉpéeL 8–15did not advanceFrancisco LimardoW 15–9W 15–14L 12–15did not advanceRubén LimardoL 5–15did not advanceSilvio FernándezFrancisco LimardoRubén LimardoKelvin Cañas*Team épéecolspan=2 W 45–25L 29–45Classification semifinalL 40–457th place finalL 30–368Antonio LealFoilL 7–15did not advance
Women AthleteEventRound of 64Round of 32Round of 16QuarterfinalSemifinalFinal / OppositionScoreOppositionScoreOppositionScoreOppositionScoreOppositionScoreOppositionScoreRankIsis GiménezFoilL 8–10did not advanceAlejandra BenítezSabreW 15–11L 14–15did not advance
Golf
Venezuela has entered one golfer into the Olympic tournament. Jhonattan Vegas (world no. 240) qualified directly among the top 60 players for the men's event based on the IGF World Rankings as of July 11, 2016.
AthleteEventRound 1Round 2Round 3Round 4TotalScoreScoreScoreScoreScoreParRankJhonattan VegasMen's727671702895=50
Gymnastics
Artistic Venezuela entered one artistic gymnast into the Olympic competition. Jessica López confirmed her third straight Olympic appearance by securing a spot in the women's apparatus and all-around events at the Olympic Test Event in Rio de Janeiro.
Women AthleteEventQualificationFinalApparatusTotalRankApparatusTotalRankJessica LópezAll-around14.93315.333 Q13.93312.73356.93213 Q14.83315.10013.80014.23357.9667Uneven bars15.333colspan=2 15.3337 Q15.333colspan=2 15.3336
Judo
Venezuela has qualified one judoka for the women's middleweight category (70 kg) at the Games. Elvismar Rodríguez earned a continental quota spot from the Pan American region, as the highest-ranked Venezuelan judoka outside of direct qualifying position in the IJF World Ranking List of May 30, 2016.
AthleteEventRound of 32Round of 16QuarterfinalsSemifinalsRepechageFinal / OppositionResultOppositionResultOppositionResultOppositionResultOppositionResultOppositionResultRankElvismar RodríguezWomen's −70 kgL 000–100did not advance
Rowing