Senegal (SEN)

The National Olympic Committee of Senegal was formed on 31 August 1961 and recognized by the International Olympic Committee (IOC) on 17 October 1963 at the IOC Session in Baden-Baden. Senegal first competed at the 1964 Olympic Games and has competed at every Olympics since, one of the few African nations not to join the 1976 boycott.

Amadou Dia Bâ won the nation’s only medal to date, a silver in the 1988 400 metre hurdles in track & field athletics. Prior to Dia Bâ’s medal in 1988, it can be argued that Senegal won a medal in 1960. In that year, Abdou Sèye won a bronze in the 200 metres while representing France. Seye was a Senegalese national, but the country was still a French territory, so he had to compete under the French flag. The first Senegalese national to compete in the Olympics was probably Samba Ciré who competed for France in the javelin throw in 1924.

Senegal has competed at the Olympic Winter Games in 1984, 1992, 1994, 2006 and 2010, but it has only had three Winter Olympians, all male Alpine skiers. Lamine Guèye was their first, appearing in 1984, 1992, and 1994. He was joined in 1992 by Alphonse Gomis, and then Leyti Seck participated in 2006 and 2010. Guèye has had the nation best finish, placing 51st in the 1984 men’s downhill.