Which city hosted the first Olympic Refugee Team at the 2016 Summer Olympics?
Answer
Rio de Janeiro
Rio de Janeiro hosted the first Olympic Refugee Team at the 2016 Summer Olympics.
The International Olympic Committee created the team for athletes who had been forced to flee their homes and could not compete under a national Olympic delegation. Ten athletes from Ethiopia, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Syria and South Sudan formed the inaugural team.
They competed in athletics, judo and swimming under the Olympic flag. The team entered the opening ceremony immediately before the host nation, Brazil, giving the delegation prominent symbolic visibility.
The group did not win a medal in Rio, but its participation established a continuing Olympic program. Refugee teams appeared again at Tokyo 2020 and Paris 2024, with larger delegations.