Brazil was the host nation of the 2016 Summer Olympics in Rio de Janeiro, held from 5 to 21 August 2016. This was the nation's twenty-second appearance at the Summer Olympics, having competed in all editions in the modern era from 1920 onwards, except the 1928 Summer Olympics in Amsterdam. Brazil became the first South American country to host the Summer Olympics, and the second Latin American host following the 1968 Summer Olympics in Mexico City.
Overview
The Brazilian Olympic Committee sent a delegation of 465 competitors (256 men and 209 women) across 29 sports. Brazil beat both its previous highest number of gold medals (five in Athens 2004) and its record of total medals won at a Games (17 medals in Beijing 2008 and London 2012). The nation finished 13th in the medal table with 7 gold, 6 silver, and 6 bronze medals, for a total of 19.
Medal Summary
| Medal | Name | Sport | Event |
|---|---|---|---|
| Gold | Rafaela Silva | Judo | Women's 57 kg |
| Gold | Thiago Braz | Athletics | Men's pole vault |
| Gold | Robson Conceição | Boxing | Men's lightweight |
| Gold | Martine Grael / Kahena Kunze | Sailing | 49erFX |
| Gold | Alison Cerutti / Bruno Schmidt | Volleyball | Men's beach volleyball |
| Gold | Brazil national under-23 football team | Football | Men's tournament |
| Gold | Brazil men's national volleyball team | Volleyball | Men's tournament |
| Silver | Felipe Wu | Shooting | Men's 10 m air pistol |
| Silver | Diego Hypólito | Gymnastics | Men's floor |
| Silver | Arthur Zanetti | Gymnastics | Men's rings |
| Silver | Isaquias Queiroz | Canoeing | Men's C-1 1000 m |
| Silver | Ágatha Bednarczuk / Bárbara Seixas | Volleyball | Women's beach volleyball |
| Silver | Isaquias Queiroz / Erlon Silva | Canoeing | Men's C-2 1000 m |
| Bronze | Mayra Aguiar | Judo | Women's 78 kg |
| Bronze | Rafael Silva | Judo | Men's +100 kg |
| Bronze | Arthur Mariano | Gymnastics | Men's floor |
| Bronze | Poliana Okimoto | Swimming | Women's 10 km open water |
| Bronze | Isaquias Queiroz | Canoeing | Men's C-1 200 m |
| Bronze | Maicon Siqueira | Taekwondo | Men's +80 kg |
Multiple Medalist
Isaquias Queiroz became the first Brazilian athlete to win three medals at a single Olympic Games: two silvers (C-1 1000 m, C-2 1000 m) and one bronze (C-1 200 m) in canoeing sprint. He was also the first sprint canoe athlete from any nationality to win three medals at a single Olympics.
Notable Achievements
First Gold Medals in New Sports: Brazil won gold for the first time in boxing (Robson Conceição in men's lightweight) and football (men's team).
First Medals in Canoeing Sprint: Isaquias Queiroz's silver in the C-1 1000 m was Brazil's first ever medal in canoeing sprint.
Thiago Braz da Silva won gold in men's pole vault with an Olympic record of 6.03 m, defeating defending champion and world record holder Renaud Lavillenie of France.
Felipe Wu won the first Brazilian medal of the Games — a silver in men's 10 m air pistol — which was Brazil's first medal in shooting since 1920.
Poliana Okimoto became the first Brazilian woman to win an Olympic medal in swimming (bronze in women's 10 km open water).
Football: The men's national under-23 team won its first Olympic gold medal, defeating Germany 5–4 on penalties after a 1–1 draw at the Maracanã Stadium, with Neymar scoring the decisive penalty.
Volleyball: The men's indoor volleyball team won gold (defeating Italy 3–0), while the women's team finished 5th after being eliminated by China in the quarterfinals. In beach volleyball, Alison Cerutti and Bruno Schmidt won gold in the men's tournament, while Ágatha Bednarczuk and Bárbara Seixas won silver in the women's tournament.
Competitors by Sport
Brazil fielded competitors in 29 sports. The largest contingents were in athletics (67), swimming (36), football (36), volleyball (32), handball (28), water polo (26), basketball (24), and rugby sevens (24).
Flag Bearers
- Opening ceremony: Yane Marques (modern pentathlon)
- Closing ceremony: Isaquias Queiroz (canoeing)
