Malawi at the 2012 Summer Olympics explained

Noc:MAW
Nocname:Olympic and Commonwealth Games Association of Malawi
Games:Summer Olympics
Year:2012
Location:London
Competitors:3
Sports:2
Flagbearer:Mike Tebulo
Gold:0
Silver:0
Bronze:0
Appearances:auto
See also: (1960)

Malawi competed at the 2012 Summer Olympics in London, which was held from 27 July to 12 August 2012. The country's participation at London marked its ninth appearance in the Summer Olympics since its début at the 1972 Summer Olympics. The delegation included two track and field athletes; Mike Tebulo and Ambwene Simukonda, and one swimmer; Joyce Tafatatha. Tebulo and Simukonda qualified through wildcard places for their respective events. Tebulo was selected as the flag bearer for the opening and closing ceremonies. Tebulo finished 44th in the men's marathon, while Simukonda did not advance beyond the first round of the women's 400 metres. Tafatatha won her heat in the women's 50 metre freestyle but her time was not fast enough to allow her to progress into the semi-finals of the event.

Background

Malawi participated in nine Summer Olympic Games between its début at the 1972 Summer Olympics in Munich, West Germany and the 2012 Summer Olympics in London, England. The only occasions in that period which they did not attend was at the 1976 Summer Olympics in Montreal and the 1980 Summer Olympics in the Soviet Union,[1] the former because of a boycott relating to the New Zealand national rugby union team touring South Africa, and the latter because the country joined the United States-led boycott over the 1979 invasion of Afghanistan during the Soviet–Afghan War.[2] No Malawian athlete has ever won a medal at the Olympics. Malawi participated in the London Summer Olympics from 27 July to 12 August 2012.[3]

The delegation was made up of marathon runner Mike Tebulo, sprinter Ambwene Simukonda and swimmer Joyce Tafatatha. The team was coached by Francis Munthali, John Kayange and Yona Walesi.[4] Malawi was represented by the country's NOC treasurer Jappie Mhango and Chef De Mission Flora Mwandira.[5] Swimmer Charlton Nyirenda withdrew after being unable to meet the International Olympic Committee preconditions for qualifying for the Olympic Games on solidarity. Tebulo was the flag bearer for both the opening and closing ceremonies.[6] [7] In the run up to the Games, the Malawian team were based at the University of Gloucestershire,[8] and trained in the town of Cheltenham.[9] [10]

Athletics

See main article: Athletics at the 2012 Summer Olympics. The 2012 Summer Games marked Mike Tebulo's Olympic début. He was the only male to represent Malawi at the Games and he was 27 years old at the time. Tebulo qualified for the Olympics via a wildcard, as his best time of two hours, 18 minutes and 31 seconds set at the 2010 Commonwealth Games in New Delhi, was 31 seconds slower than the "B" qualifying standard, for his event, the men's marathon.[11] [12] He competed in the men's marathon on 12 August, finishing 44th out of 85th finishers, with a time of 2 hours, 19 minutes and 11 seconds.[13] As of 2016, the time is his personal best.[14]

At the age of 28, Ambwene Simukonda made her first appearance at the Olympics, and was the oldest competitor to be selected by the Malawi team. She qualified for the Games via a wildcard, as her best time of 54.32 seconds, was 2.12 seconds slower than the "B" qualifying standard, for her event, the women's 400 metres.[15] Simukonda participated in the event's first round in its fifth heat on 3 August, finishing fifth out of six competitors, with a time of 54:20 seconds,[16] achieving a new Malawian national record.[17] Overall Simukonda finished 37th out of 45 athletes, and was eliminated because she was 1.97 seconds slower than the slowest competitor in her heat who advanced to the semi-finals.

Key
Men
Women

Swimming

See main article: Swimming at the 2012 Summer Olympics. Competing at her first Olympic Games, Joyce Tafatatha was the youngest athlete in Malawi's Olympic history at the age of 14.[18] She, along with Aurélie Fanchette of the Seychelles, were two of the youngest competitors at the London Olympic Games, Tafataha said that despite being nervous, she was looking forward to competing at the Olympics and stated: "It's going to be so exciting". FINA awarded her a universality place because her fastest time did not meet the "B" qualifying standard.[19] Tafataha was drawn in the fourth heat of the women's 50 metres freestyle which was held on 3 August, finishing first out of seven swimmers, with a time of 27.74 seconds.[20] She recorded a new personal best two seconds faster than her previous fastest, and was the first Malawian athlete to win a heat in the women's 50 metre freestyle.[21] She finished 46th out of 73 swimmers overall, and although she won, she did not progress to the semi-finals, because her time was 2.46 seconds slower than the slowest athlete who advanced to the later stages.

Women

See also

Notes and References

  1. Web site: Countries – Malawi . . 22 October 2016 . dead . https://web.archive.org/web/20160624103930/http://www.sports-reference.com/olympics/countries/MAW/ . 24 June 2016.
  2. Book: Historical Dictionary of the Olympic Movement . Mallon . Bill . Bill Mallon . Heijmans . Jeroen . . 2011 . 978-0-8108-7522-7 . . 69–70 & 77–78.
  3. Web site: Malawi at the 2012 London Summer Games . Sports Reference . 22 October 2016 . dead . https://web.archive.org/web/20160306044611/http://www.sports-reference.com/olympics/countries/MAW/summer/2012/ . 6 March 2016.
  4. News: Malawi Team for London 2012 Olympic Games Announced . 13 July 2012 . Cotswold News . 22 October 2016 . live . https://web.archive.org/web/20161023050801/http://www.cotswoldnews.com/news/2278/malawi-team-for-london-2012-olympic-games-announced . 23 October 2016.
  5. News: Tafatatha in Olympic joy . 5 August 2012 . The Nation . 24 October 2016 . live . https://web.archive.org/web/20161024153729/http://mwnation.com/tafatatha-in-olympic-joy/ . 24 October 2016.
  6. News: Olympic flag bearers . 27 July 2012 . . subscription . 22 October 2016 . General OneFile.
  7. Web site: London 2012 Closing Ceremony – Flag Bearers . Olympic.org. . 7 March 2015 . live . https://web.archive.org/web/20160328061112/http://www.olympic.org/Documents/Games_London_2012/London_2012_Closing_Ceremony-Flag_Bearers.pdf . 28 March 2016.
  8. News: Malawian Olympic athletes train at ARRC in Gloucester . 12 July 2012 . . 22 October 2016 . live . https://web.archive.org/web/20121022054624/http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-gloucestershire-18817638 . 22 October 2012.
  9. News: London 2012 Olympics: Visiting Olympians make themselves at home in council pools and local gyms . Sawer . Patrick . 8 July 2012 . The Daily Telegraph. London . 22 October 2016 . live . https://web.archive.org/web/20161023063409/http://www.telegraph.co.uk/sport/olympics/9382236/London-2012-Olympics-Visiting-Olympians-make-themselves-at-home-in-council-pools-and-local-gyms.html . 23 October 2016.
  10. News: Kasalika . Johnny . 18 April 2012 . UK varsity ready for MW Athletes . The Nation . live . 22 October 2020 . https://archive.today/20201022084722/https://www.mwnation.com/uk-varsity-ready-for-mw-athletes/ . 22 October 2020.
  11. Web site: 15 April 2011 . London 2012 Olympics: Athletics qualification . live . https://web.archive.org/web/20111002225133/http://www.telegraph.co.uk/sport/olympics/8453553/London-2012-Olympics-Athletics-qualification.html . 2 October 2011 . 5 March 2015 . The Daily Telegraph. London.
  12. Web site: Mike Tebulo – Athlete Profile – Progression . . 22 October 2016 . live . https://web.archive.org/web/20161023052846/https://www.iaaf.org/athletes/malawi/mike-tebulo-198679 . 23 October 2016.
  13. Web site: 2012 Summer Olympics – Results – Athletics – Men's marathon . . 22 October 2016 . live . https://web.archive.org/web/20161023053541/http://www.espn.co.uk/olympics/summer/2012/results/_/event/122/discipline/3 . 23 October 2016.
  14. Web site: IAAF – Results – Olympic Games – 2012 – Men – Men's marathon – Result . IAAF . 22 October 2016 . live . https://web.archive.org/web/20161021195119/https://www.iaaf.org/results/olympic-games/2012/the-xxx-olympic-games-4871/men/marathon/final/result . 21 October 2016.
  15. Web site: Ambwene Simukonda – Athlete Profile . IAAF . 22 October 2016 . live . https://web.archive.org/web/20161023051951/https://www.iaaf.org/athletes/malawi/ambwene-simukonda-263513 . 23 October 2016.
  16. Web site: Track and Field / Womenʼs 400m . . 16 October 2016 . live . https://web.archive.org/web/20160412195734/http://london2012.nytimes.com/track-and-field/womens-400m . 12 April 2016.
  17. Web site: IAAF Results – Olympic Games – 2012 – Women – 400 metres – Heats . IAAF . 22 October 2016 . live . https://web.archive.org/web/20161023053135/https://www.iaaf.org/results/olympic-games/2012/the-xxx-olympic-games-4871/women/400-metres/heats/result . 23 October 2016.
  18. News: Young Olympians From Malawi and Seychelles Make Splash . Young . Sonny . 1 August 2012 . . 22 October 2016 . live . https://web.archive.org/web/20161023051005/http://blogs.voanews.com/sonny/2012/08/01/young-olympians-from-malawi-and-seychelles-make-splash/ . 23 October 2016.
  19. News: Malawi swimmer withdrawn in London . 24 July 2012 . The Nation. Malawi . 24 October 2016 . live . https://web.archive.org/web/20161024214410/http://mwnation.com/malawi-swimmer-withdrawn-in-london/ . 24 October 2016.
  20. Web site: Swimming / Womenʼs 50m Freestyle . live . https://web.archive.org/web/20180830210222/https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/projects/london2012/swimming/womens-50m-freestyle#heats . 30 August 2018 . 30 July 2020 . The New York Times.
  21. News: Malawi swimmer Tafatatha breaks own record, but fails to qualify for semi-finals at London Olympics . 3 August 2012 . Face of Malawi . 22 October 2016 . live . https://web.archive.org/web/20130914002219/http://www.faceofmalawi.com/2012/08/malawi-swimmer-tafatatha-breaks-own-record-but-fails-to-qualify-for-semi-finals-at-london-olympics/ . 14 September 2013.

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