Panamanian Athletes Competing in the 2016 Summer Olympics

The 2016 Summer Olympics will take place in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil from August 5th to the 21st, and several Panamanian athletes have qualified to compete. According to the Rio 2016 Olympics wiki Panama has been taking part in the Summer Olympics since 1928.

Panama has participated in 16 Summer Olympic games, winning 1 Gold, and 2 Bronze medals.

Panamanian Athletes Participating in the Rio 2016 Summer Olympics

Athletics
- Alonso Edward (Men’s 200 m)
- Jorge Castelblanco (Men’s marathon)
- Yvette Lewis (Women’s 100m hurdles)

Gymnastics
- Isabella Amado (Women’s Artistic)

Shooting
David Muñoz (Men’s 10m air pistol - 50m pistol)

Taekwando
- Carolina Carstens ( Women’s -57kg)

Boxing
- Athena Bylon (Women’s Middleweight)

Fencing
- Eileen Grench (Women’s sabre)

Swimming
- Edgar Crespo (Men’s 100m breaststroke)
- María Far Núñez (Women’s 200m butterfly)

Panamanian Athletes Competing in Athletics at the 2016 Rio Summer Olympics

Alonso Edward
The Panamanian Sprinter won the Diamond League 200m event with a time of 20.10 seconds, putting at the top of the league in the event. The Diamond League event took place in Monaco, France on Saturday July 15th 2016.  Alonso Edward has great hope of bringing home a medal for Panama in the 2016 Rio Summer Olympics after securing placement in five of the 2016 Diamond League races, with 2 record wins, two seconds and one third placement.

Jorge Castelblanco
The Panamanian Athlete is the first distance runner to qualify for the Olympic games. The 28 year old distant runner accomplished the feat of becoming the fourth Panamian athlete to compete in the 2016 Rio Summer Olympics in the Hapsa marathon in Hamburg, Germany. He ran 42 kilometers in a time of two hours 15 minutes and 57 seconds, a time that is almost 2 minutes below the olympic quota. The athlete told TVN his advice to youth is: “Do not be defeated if victory does not come, is not your condition or your situation that defines your dreams, it is your mindset”.

Yvette Lewis
Lewis became Panama’s second athlete to qualify for the 2016 Rio Summer Olympics after ranking fourth at the International Athletics Federation (IAAF) World Challenge meeting in the 110m hurdles that took place in Beijing, China. Lewis finished with a time of 12.98 seconds, according to IAAF the time required for the ladies 100m hurdles in 13 seconds.

Panamanian Athlete Competing in Gymnastics at the 2016 Rio Summer Olympics

Isabella Amado
The Panamanian Artistic Gymnast became the seventh athlete to represent Panama in the 2016 Rio Summer Olympics after receiving the a quota granted by the Tripartite Commission, Association of National Olympic Committees and the Association of International Sports Federations Summer Program. These quotas aim to create “continental balance, universality and eligibility of athletes” the quotas have been distributed between top athletes of 101 countries with fewer than 8 athletes in previous games.

Panamanian Athlete Competing in Shooting in the 2016 Rio Summer Olympics

David Muñoz
The Panamanian shooter was chosen by the Tripartite Commission of the International Olympic Committee (IOC) to compete in the Olympic Games in Rio de Janeiro becoming the sixth athlete to represent Panama. Muñoz said on his personal twitter account “ I appreciate all the support over the years given to me by the Olympic Committee of Panama, Pandeportes, the Gun Club Panama Balboa and Appa.”

Panamanian Athlete Competing in Taekwando in the 2016 Rio Summer Olympics

Carolena Carstens
The young Taekwondo artist received her ticket to the 2016 Rio Summer Olympics as a direct quota after winning the -57 category at the Pan American Olympic Qualifier in Aguascaliente, Mexico. Carstens is the first Panamanian Olympic Taekwondo athlete.

Panamanian Athlete Competing in Boxing in the 2016 Rio Summer Olympics

Athena Bylon
The Panamanian boxer received a quota by invitation to compete in the 75kilo category at the 2016 Rio Summer Olympics. Bylon was the eighth athlete from Panama confirmed to compete in the summer games. Bylon continues to train with Italian coach in Panama in preparation for the 2016 Rio Summer Olympics in August.

Panamanian Athlete Competing in Fencing in the 2016 Rio Summer Olympics

Eileen Grench
July 7th 2016 Grench joined the group of Panamanian athletes who will be competing in the 2016 Rio Summer Olympics after Dominican fencer Rossy Felix was suspended for two months. The suspension occurred after she received a black card at the Pan American Fencing Championships. Following Felix, Grench took placement becoming the 10th Panamanian athlete who will compete in the 2016 Rio Summer Olympics.

Panamanian Athletes Competing in Swimming in the 2016 Rio Summer Olympics

Edgar Crespo
The 2016 Rio Summer Olympics will be the Panamanian swimmer’s third time competing in the Summer Olympics. Crespo will compete in the 100 m freestyle and hopes to improve on his time achieved in the last games in London.

María Far Núñez
The young swimmer has won 150 medals in her short career and ws the youngest athlete to get the Vuelta Aquatica Colon title in 2010 with a time of 1 hour 34 minutes and 36 seconds.Her first competition was in 2008 and her hero is Edgar Crespo, who she admires as an Olympic athlete.