Haiti Olympians 2012 / Les Olympiens d’Haiti 2012
Written by Marco
In the months leading to the Olympics, little has been written about our Olympic team and their talent. What we do know is what’s been publicized in the news. A recent article by the Washington Post talked about how our Olympians weren’t really Haitian because they were born on foreign land. Yet, most of these Olympians insisted that even thought they weren’t born in Haiti, as children of Haitian parents living in the US, that they very much felt Haitian.
This overwhelming support & patriotism for Haiti is one of the reasons we even have an “Olympic Team” at all, since only one of the Olympians was actually born in Haiti. Nevertheless, these athletes have all worked hard at reaching the standard required to compete in the Olympics. Having athletes representing our country is a privilege and honor that a lot of other countries don’t get to have. For example, Curacao, Vatican City, Kosovo, and South Sudan do not have athletes representing their countries in this year’s Olympics.
With that said, the Haitian Olympic team looks promising. To help you assess their chance of capturing a medal, we’ve written a few facts about them.
| Haiti’s Olympians: | |
|---|---|
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Marlena Wesh, 21, is a senior at Clemson University. She will be competing in the 200 and 400 meter race. |
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Moise Joseph, 30, won the Silver at the Central American and Caribbean Games in 2010 and at the Central American and Caribbean Championships in 2011, that were held in Mayagüez, Puerto Rico. He will be competing in the 800 meters race. |
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Jeffrey Julmis, 25, won the 2012 NCAA Big 12 Indoor 60-meter title while at Kansas State University. He will be competing in the 100-meter hurdle. |
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Samyr Laine, 28, holds two Harvard University school records for indoor triple jump (51 feet,11 1/4 inches) and outdoor triple jump ( 53 feet, 7 1/2 inches). He will be competing in the Triple Jump. |
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Linouse Desravine, 21, is the lone Haitian Olympian that was actually born in Haiti. She will be competing in Judoka. |
As a nation, we wish them the best and that they strive for excellence. We are very grateful and proud that Haiti’s well represented in the London Olympics.
Quick Facts:
How does Haiti compare to other Caribbean Countries participating in the 2012 Olympics?
| Country | Population | Number of Olympians |
|---|---|---|
| Haiti | 10,123,787 (2011) World Bank | 5 |
| Dominican Republic | 9,378,818 | 35 |
| Honduras | 8,296,693 (July 2012 est.) | 31 |
| Jamaica | 2,889,187 (July 2011 est.) | 50 |
| Dominica | 71,293 | 2 |
How does Haiti’s Olympic Committee’s Budget compare to that of a leading nation?
| Country | Olympic Committee Budget |
|---|---|
| USA | $170 Million |
| Haiti | $400,000 |
What year did Haiti first compete in the Olympic Games?
1900
What year did Haiti win it’s first Olympic medal?
1924. Haiti won the Bronze medal in the Team Rifle Competition
Who is the first and only individual to have won an Olympic medal for Haiti?
Sylvio Cator. He won the Silver medal in the men’s Long Jump.
Since 1900, up to now, Haiti has only missed 11 Olympic games (1904, 1908, 1912, 1920, 1936, 1948, 1952, 1956, 1964, 1968, 1980).
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