Tunisia competed at the 2016 Summer Olympics in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, from 5 to 21 August 2016. Since the nation's official debut in 1960, Tunisian athletes have appeared in every edition of the Summer Olympic Games, except the 1980 Summer Olympics in Moscow because of the nation's partial support for the US-led boycott.
The Tunisian Olympic Committee () fielded a team of 61 athletes, 40 men and 21 women, to compete in 17 sports at the Games. It was the nation's second-largest delegation sent to the Olympics, relatively smaller by 22 athletes than in London four years earlier. Men's handball was the only team-based sport in which Tunisia qualified for the Games. Among the sports represented by the nation's athletes, Tunisia made its Olympic debut in beach volleyball, as well as returning to table tennis after a twelve-year absence.
The Tunisian roster was highlighted by two accomplished Olympians from London 2012: long-distance swimmer Oussama Mellouli and steeplechaser Habiba Ghribi. At 32 years old and headed to his fifth Games, Mellouli emerged himself as Tunisia's most successful Olympian of all time, with three medals (two golds and one bronze), and the first swimmer to dominate at both the pool and open water in Olympic history. Because of his successes, Mellouli was selected to carry the nation's flag at the opening ceremony. Meanwhile, Ghribi, a three-time Olympian, established a historic milestone for her country in London, when she became the first Tunisian woman to earn an Olympic medal.
Apart from Mellouli and Ghribi, 18 Tunisian athletes previously competed in London, including fencing sisters Azza and Sarra Besbes, tennis players Malek Jaziri and Ons Jabeur, three-time Olympic judoka Nihal Chikhrouhou (women's +78 kg) and Houda Miled (women's 70 kg), race walker Hassanine Sebei, and freestyle wrestler Marwa Amri.
Tunisia returned home from Rio de Janeiro with three bronze medals; each of them was awarded to the Tunisian athletes in fencing, taekwondo, and wrestling, respectively, for the first time. Moreover, it matched the overall tally achieved in London four years earlier. Among the medalists were Amri (women's 58 kg), three-time Olympic fencer Inès Boubakri (women's foil), and taekwondo fighter Oussama Oueslati (men's 80 kg).
Medalists
Medal Name Sport Event Date Inès Boubakri Fencing Women's foil Marwa Amri Wrestling Women's freestyle 58 kg Oussama Oueslati Taekwondo Men's 80 kg
Athletics (track and field)
Tunisian athletes have so far achieved qualifying standards in the following athletics events (up to a maximum of 3 athletes in each event):
Seven athletes were named to Tunisia's track and field team for the Games, with Habiba Ghribi looking to defend her Olympic title in the women's 3000 m steeplechase.
Track & road events Men AthleteEventHeatSemifinalFinalResultRankResultRankResultRankAmor Ben Yahia3000 m steeplechase8:23.124 qcolspan=2 Wissem HosniMarathoncolspan=4 Atef Saadcolspan=4 2:19:5062Hassanine Sebei20 km walkcolspan=4 1:23:4436Mohamed Sghaier400 m hurdles50.095Did not advance
Women AthleteEventHeatFinalResultRankResultRankHabiba Ghribi3000 m steeplechase9:18.714 Q9:28.7512Chahinez Nasri20 km walkcolspan=2 1:42:5760
Boxing
Tunisia has entered two boxers to compete in each of the following weight classes into the Olympic boxing tournament. Bilel Mhamdi and Hassen Chaktami had claimed their Olympic spots at the 2016 African Qualification Tournament in Yaoundé, Cameroon.
AthleteEventRound of 32Round of 16QuarterfinalsSemifinalsFinalOppositionResultOppositionResultOppositionResultOppositionResultOppositionResultRankBilel MhamdiMen's bantamweightW 3–0L 0–3Did not advanceHassen ChaktamiMen's heavyweightL 0–3Did not advance
Canoeing
Sprint Tunisia has qualified three boats for the following distances into the Olympic canoeing regatta through the 2016 African Sprint Qualifying Tournament.
AthleteEventHeatsSemifinalsFinalTimeRankTimeRankTimeRankMohamed Ali MrabetMen's K-1 1000 m3:35.0848 Q3:43.1458 FB3:45.12216Khaled HoucineMen's C-1 200 m42.4997Did not advanceAfef Ben IsmailWomen's K-1 500 m2:08.1707Did not advance Qualification Legend: FA = Qualify to final (medal); FB = Qualify to final B (non-medal)
Cycling
Road Tunisia has qualified one rider in the men's Olympic road race by virtue of his top 10 individual ranking in the 2015 UCI Africa Tour.
AthleteEventTimeRankAli NouisriMen's road raceDid not finish
Fencing
Tunisia has entered five fencers into the Olympic competition. Two-time Olympian Ines Boubakri had claimed a spot on the Tunisian team in the women's foil by finishing among the top 14 in the FIE Adjusted Official Rankings, while sisters Azza (women's sabre) and Sarra Besbes (women's épée) and debutant Mohamed Ayoub Ferjani (men's foil) did the same feat as the highest-ranked fencer coming from the Africa zone. Ferjani's brother Farès rounded out the Tunisian roster by virtue of a top finish in the men's sabre at the African Zonal Qualifier in Algiers, Algeria.
AthleteEventRound of 64Round of 32Round of 16QuarterfinalSemifinalFinal / OppositionScoreOppositionScoreOppositionScoreOppositionScoreOppositionScoreOppositionScoreRankMohamed Ayoub FerjaniMen's foilL 7–15Did not advanceFarès FerjaniMen's sabreL 11–15Did not advanceSarra BesbesWomen's épéeW 15–8W 15–11L 11–14Did not advanceInès BoubakriWomen's foilW 15–4W 15–10W 15–13L 9–12W 15–11Azza BesbesWomen's sabreW 15–12W 15–12L 14–15Did not advance
Handball
Summary
TeamEventGroup StageQuarterfinalSemifinalFinal / OppositionScoreOppositionScoreOppositionScoreOppositionScoreOppositionScoreRankOppositionScoreOppositionScoreOppositionScoreRankTunisia men'sMen's tournamentL 23–25L 23–31D 25–25L 21–23L 26–416Did not advance12
Men's tournament
Tunisia men's handball team qualified for the Olympics by virtue of a top two finish at the first meet of the Olympic Qualification Tournament in Gdańsk.
Team roster
Group play
Judo
Tunisia has qualified a total of four judokas for the following weight classes at the Games. Hela Ayari, Faicel Jaballah, and two-time Olympian Nihal Chikhrouhou were ranked among the top 22 eligible judokas for men and top 14 for women in the IJF World Ranking List of May 30, 2016, while Houda Miled at women's middleweight (70 kg) earned a continental quota spot from the African region, as the highest-ranked Tunisian judoka outside of direct qualifying position.
AthleteEventRound of 32Round of 16QuarterfinalsSemifinalsRepechageFinal / OppositionResultOppositionResultOppositionResultOppositionResultOppositionResultOppositionResultRankFaicel JaballahMen's +100 kgL 000–101Did not advanceHela AyariWomen's −52 kgL 000–100Did not advanceHouda MiledWomen's −70 kgL 000–100Did not advanceNihal ChikhrouhouWomen's +78 kgW 000–000 L 000–000 Did not advanceL 000–100Did not advance7
Rowing
Tunisia has qualified one boat each in the men's single sculls and the women's lightweight double sculls for the Games at the 2015 African Continental Qualification Regatta in Tunis.
AthleteEventHeatsRepechageQuarterfinalsSemifinalsFinalTimeRankTimeRankTimeRankTimeRankTimeRankMohamed TaiebMen's single sculls7:37.954 R7:27.184 SE/Fcolspan=2 8:02.052 FE7:53.3627Nour El-Houda EttaiebKhadija KrimiWomen's lightweight double sculls7:43.335 R8:33.496 SC/Dcolspan=2 8:29.454 FD7:56.2620 Qualification Legend: FA=Final A (medal); FB=Final B (non-medal); FC=Final C (non-medal); FD=Final D (non-medal); FE=Final E (non-medal); FF=Final F (non-medal); SA/B=Semifinals A/B; SC/D=Semifinals C/D; SE/F=Semifinals E/F; QF=Quarterfinals; R=Repechage
Sailing
Tunisian sailors have qualified one boat in each of the following classes through the 2014 ISAF Sailing World Championships, the individual fleet Worlds, and African qualifying regattas.
AthleteEventRaceNet pointsFinal rank123456789101112M*Youssef AkroutMen's Laser21293426393237351627colspan=2 EL25734Ines GmatiWomen's Laser Radial28233223213119283134colspan=2 EL23530Hedi GharbiRihab HammamiMixed Nacra 1718DNF18211920201820191820EL21120 M = Medal race; EL = Eliminated – did not advance into the medal race
Shooting
Tunisia has qualified one shooter in the women's pistol events by virtue of her best finish at the African Continental Championships and other selection competitions, as long as she obtained a minimum qualifying score (MQS) as of March 31, 2016.
AthleteEventQualificationSemifinalFinalPointsRankPointsRankPointsRankOlfa CharniWomen's 10 m air pistol3849colspan=2 Did not advanceWomen's 25 m pistolDid not advance Qualification Legend: Q = Qualify for the next round; q = Qualify for the bronze medal (shotgun)
Swimming
Tunisian swimmers have so far achieved qualifying standards in the following events (up to a maximum of 2 swimmers in each event at the Olympic Qualifying Time (OQT), and potentially 1 at the Olympic Selection Time (OST)):
AthleteEventHeatSemifinalFinalTimeRankTimeRankTimeRankAhmed MathlouthiMen's 200 m freestyle1:50.39=41Did not advanceMen's 400 m freestyle3:52.0035colspan=2 Did not advanceMen's 200 m individual medley2:04.9527Did not advanceOussama MellouliMen's 1500 m freestyle15:07.7821colspan=2 Did not advanceMen's 10 km open watercolspan=4 1:53:06.112
Table tennis
Tunisia has entered one athlete into the table tennis competition at the Games. Saifa Saidani had claimed the Olympic spot in the women's singles by virtue of her top two finish at the 2016 African Qualification Tournament in Khartoum, Sudan.
AthleteEventPreliminaryRound 1Round 2Round 3Round of 16QuarterfinalsSemifinalsFinal / OppositionResultOppositionResultOppositionResultOppositionResultOppositionResultOppositionResultOppositionResultOppositionResultRankSafa SaidaniWomen's singlesL 0–4Did not advance
Taekwondo
Tunisia entered three athletes into the taekwondo competition at the Olympics. Oussama Oueslati, Yassine Trabelsi, and Rahma Ben Ali secured the spots on the Tunisian team by virtue of their top two finish respectively in the men's welterweight (80 kg), men's heavyweight (+80 kg), and women's lightweight category (57 kg) at the 2016 African Qualification Tournament in Agadir, Morocco.
AthleteEventRound of 16QuarterfinalsSemifinalsRepechageFinal / OppositionResultOppositionResultOppositionResultOppositionResultOppositionResultRankOussama OueslatiMen's −80 kgW 11–8W 1–0L 6–7W 14–5Yassine TrabelsiMen's +80 kgL 4–13Did not advanceRahma Ben AliWomen's −57 kgL 0–9Did not advance
Tennis
Tunisia has entered two tennis players into the Olympic tournament. London 2012 Olympian Malek Jaziri (world no. 63) qualified directly for the men's singles as one of the top 56 eligible players in the ATP World Rankings as of June 6, 2016, while Ons Jabeur (world no. 188) had claimed one of six ITF Olympic women's singles places, as Africa's top-ranked player outside of direct qualifying position in the WTA World Rankings.
AthleteEventRound of 64Round of 32Round of 16QuarterfinalsSemifinalsFinal / OppositionScoreOppositionScoreOppositionScoreOppositionScoreOppositionScoreOppositionScoreRankMalek JaziriMen's singlesL 6–4, 5–7, 3–6Did not advanceOns JabeurWomen's singlesL 6–3, 6–7(4–7), 1–6Did not advance
Volleyball
Beach Tunisia has qualified the men's beach volleyball team for the Olympics by winning the CAVB Continental Cup final in Abuja, Nigeria, signifying the nation's Olympic debut in the sport.
AthleteEventPreliminary roundStandingRound of 16QuarterfinalsSemifinalsFinal / OppositionScoreOppositionScoreOppositionScoreOppositionScoreOppositionScoreRankMohamed Arafet NaceurChoaib Belhaj SalahMen'sPool CL 0 – 2 (7–21, 13–21)L 0 – 2 (17–21, 13–21)L 0 – 2 (10–21, 10–21)4Did not advance
Weightlifting
Tunisia has qualified one male and one female weightlifter for the Rio Olympics by virtue of a top five national finish (for men) and top four (for women), respectively, at the 2016 African Championships. The team must allocate these places to individual athletes by June 20, 2016.