Contents

Algeria at the 2020 Summer Olympics

Algeria at the 2020 Summer Olympics
IOC code	ALG
NOC	Algerian Olympic Committee
Website	www.coa.dz
inTokyo, Japan July 23, 2021 (2021-07-23) – August 8, 2021 (2021-08-08)
Competitors	41 (28 men and 13 women) in 14 sports
Flag bearers (opening)	Mohamed Flissi Amel Melih[2]
Flag bearer (closing)	Imane Khelif[1]
Medals	Gold 0 Silver 0 Bronze 0 Total 0
Summer Olympics appearances (overview)
1964 1968 1972 1976 1980 1984 1988 1992 1996 2000 2004 2008 2012 2016 2020 2024
Other related appearances
France (1896–1960)

Algeria competed at the 2020 Summer OlympicsinTokyo. Originally scheduled to take place in the summer of 2020, the Games were postponed to 23 July to 8 August 2021, because of the COVID-19 pandemic.^[3] Since the nation's debut in 1964, Algerian athletes have appeared in every edition of the Summer Olympic Games, with the exception of the 1976 Summer Olympics in Montreal because of the African boycott. Unlike Algeria's previous successes in the Summer Olympics, they failed to secure a single medal.

Competitors[edit]

The following is the list of number of competitors in the Games.

Athletics[edit]

Algerian athletes achieved the entry standards, either by qualifying time or by world ranking, in the following track and field events (up to a maximum of 3 athletes in each event):^[4][5]

Key

• Note–Ranks given for track events are within the athlete's heat only
• Q = Qualified for the next round
• q = Qualified for the next round as a fastest loser or, in field events, by position without achieving the qualifying target
• NR = National record
• N/A = Round not applicable for the event
• Bye = Athlete not required to compete in round

Track & road events

Field events

Boxing[edit]

Algeria entered eight boxers (five men and three women) into the Olympic tournament. Mohamed Flissi (men's flyweight), Chouaib Bouloudinat (men's super heavyweight), and three-time Olympian Abdelhafid Benchabla (men's heavyweight), along with four rookies (Nemouchi, Houmri, Boualam, and Khelif), secured their spots by advancing to the final match of their respective weight divisions at the 2020 African Qualification TournamentinDiamniadio, Senegal.^[6] Ichrak Chaib completed the nation's boxing lineup by topping the list of eligible boxers from Africa in the women's middleweight division of the IOC's Boxing Task Force Rankings.

Men

Athlete	Event	Round of 32	Round of 16	Quarterfinals	Semifinals	Final
		Opposition Result	Opposition Result	Opposition Result	Opposition Result	Opposition Result	Rank
Mohamed Flissi	Flyweight	Bye	Paalam (PHI) L 0–5	Did not advance
Younes Nemouchi	Middleweight	Ssemujju (UGA) W 5–0	Marcial (PHI) L RSC–I	Did not advance
Mohammed Houmri	Light heavyweight	Korbaj (VEN) W 3–2	López (CUB) L 0–5	Did not advance
Abdelhafid Benchabla	Heavyweight	Tursunov (UZB) W 4–1	Gadzhimagomedov (ROC) L 0–5	Did not advance
Chouaib Bouloudinat	Super heavyweight	Bye	Torrez (USA) L 0–5	Did not advance

Women

Athlete	Event	Round of 32	Round of 16	Quarterfinals	Semifinals	Final
		Opposition Result	Opposition Result	Opposition Result	Opposition Result	Opposition Result	Rank
Roumaysa Boualam	Flyweight	Jitpong (THA) L 0–5	Did not advance
Imane Khelif	Lightweight	—	Homrani (TUN) W 5–0	Harrington (IRL) L 0–5	Did not advance
Ichrak Chaib	Middleweight	—	Rani (IND) L 0–5	Did not advance

Canoeing[edit]

Sprint[edit]

Algeria qualified a single boat (women's K-1 200 m) for the Games by receiving a spare berth freed up by South Africa at the 2019 African GamesinRabat, Morocco, marking the country's Olympic debut in this sporting discipline.^[7]

Qualification Legend: FA = Qualify to final (medal); FB = Qualify to final B (non-medal)

Cycling[edit]

Road[edit]

Algeria entered two riders to compete in the men's Olympic road race, by virtue of their top 50 national finish (for men) in the UCI World Ranking.^[8]

Fencing[edit]

Algeria entered four fencers into the Olympic competition. Salim Heroui (men's foil), Akram Bounabi (men's sabre), Meriem Mebarki (women's foil), and Kaouther Mohamed Belkebir secured places on the Algerian team with a top finish in their respective individual events at the African Zonal Qualifier in Cairo, Egypt.^[9]

Athlete	Event	Round of 64	Round of 32	Round of 16	Quarterfinal	Semifinal	Final / BM
		Opposition Score	Opposition Score	Opposition Score	Opposition Score	Opposition Score	Opposition Score	Rank
Salim Heroui	Men's foil	Mylnikov (ROC) L 6–15	Did not advance
Akram Bounabi	Men's sabre	Streets (JPN) L 9–15	Did not advance
Meriem Mebarki	Women's foil	Pásztor (HUN) L 8–15	Did not advance
Kaouther Mohamed Belkebir	Women's sabre	Yang Hy (CHN) L 1–15	Did not advance

Judo[edit]

Algeria qualified two judoka (one per gender) for each of the following weight classes at the Games. Fethi Nourine (men's lightweight, 73 kg) accepted a continental berth from Africa as the nation's top-ranked judoka outside of direct qualifying position based on the IJF World Ranking List of June 28, 2021, with two-time Olympian Sonia Asselah (women's heavyweight, +78 kg) receiving an additional slot to the nation's roster as the next highest-ranked judoka vying for qualification in her assigned weight category.^[10]

Fethi Nourine withdrew, saying it was to avoid the prospect of possibly facing an Israeli judoka. If he had won against Mohamed AbdalarasoolofSudan in the round of 64, he would have faced Israeli judoka Tohar Butbul, who was ranked # 5 in the tournament. Nourine withdrew to support Palestine in the Israeli–Palestinian conflict. In response, the International Judo Federation immediately suspended both Nourine and his coach Amar Benikhlef, and sent them back from Tokyo to Algeria.^[11][12] The Federation explained:

"According to the IJF rules, in line with the Olympic Charter and especially with rule 50.2 that provides for the protection of the neutrality of sport at the Olympic Games and the neutrality of the Games themselves, which states that 'no kind of demonstration or political, religious or racial propaganda is permitted in any Olympic sites, venues or other areas,' Fethi Nourine and Amar Benikhlef are now suspended and will face a decision by the IJF Disciplinary Commission, as well as disciplinary sanctions by the National Olympic Committee of Algeria back in their country.'"^[13]

It continued: "Judo sport is based on a strong moral code, including respect and friendship, to foster solidarity and we will not tolerate any discrimination, as it goes against the core values and principles of our sport."^[13] The Federation Disciplinary Commission will handle final sanctioning beyond the Olympics.^[13][14]

Athlete	Event	Round of 64	Round of 32	Round of 16	Quarterfinals	Semifinals	Repechage	Final / BM
		Opposition Result	Opposition Result	Opposition Result	Opposition Result	Opposition Result	Opposition Result	Opposition Result	Rank
Fethi Nourine	Men's −73 kg	Abdalarasool (SUD) L WO	Did not advance
Sonia Asselah	Women's +78 kg	—	Kalanina (UKR) L 002–100	Did not advance

Karate[edit]

Algeria entered one karateka into the inaugural Olympic tournament. Lamya Matoub secured a place in the women's kumite +61-kg category, as the highest-ranked karateka vying for qualification from the African zone based on the WKD Olympic Rankings.^[15]

Athlete	Event	Round robin					Semifinals	Final
		Opposition Result	Opposition Result	Opposition Result	Opposition Result	Rank	Opposition Result	Opposition Result	Rank
Lamya Matoub	Women's +61 kg	Quirici (SUI) L 1–2	Abbasali (IRI) L 0–4	Gong L (CHN) L 0–4	Abdelaziz (EGY) D 0–0	5	Did not advance

Rowing[edit]

Algeria qualified one boat in the men's lightweight double sculls for the Games by winning the gold medal and securing an outright berth at the 2019 FISA African Olympic Qualification Regatta in Tunis, Tunisia.^[16][17]

Qualification Legend: FA=Final A (medal); FB=Final B (non-medal); FC=Final C (non-medal); FD=Final D (non-medal); FE=Final E (non-medal); FF=Final F (non-medal); SA/B=Semifinals A/B; SC/D=Semifinals C/D; SE/F=Semifinals E/F; QF=Quarterfinals; R=Repechage

Sailing[edit]

Algerian sailors qualified one boat in each of the following classes through the class-associated World Championships and the continental regattas.^[18]

M = Medal race; EL = Eliminated – did not advance into the medal race

Shooting[edit]

Algeria received an invitation from ISSF to send a shooter in the women's 10 m air rifle to the Olympics, following the disqualification of Egypt's Shimaa Hashad from the 2019 African Championships over a doping offense.^[19] The athlete named to the team must have obtained a minimum qualifying score (MQS) by 31 May 2020^[20]

Swimming[edit]

Algerian swimmers further achieved qualifying standards in the following events (up to a maximum of 2 swimmers in each event at the Olympic Qualifying Time (OQT), and potentially 1 at the Olympic Selection Time (OST)):^[21][22]

Table tennis[edit]

Algeria entered one athlete into the table tennis competition at the Games. Larbi Bouriah scored a semifinal victory to occupy one of the four available spots in the men's singles at the 2020 African Olympic Qualification Tournament in Tunis, Tunisia.^[23]

Athlete	Event	Preliminary	Round 1	Round 2	Round 3	Round of 16	Quarterfinals	Semifinals	Final / BM
		Opposition Result	Opposition Result	Opposition Result	Opposition Result	Opposition Result	Opposition Result	Opposition Result	Opposition Result	Rank
Larbi Bouriah	Men's singles	Majoros (HUN) L 0–4	Did not advance

Weightlifting[edit]

Algeria entered one male weightlifter into the Olympic competition. Two-time Olympian Walid Bidani topped the list of weightlifters from Africa in the men's +109 kg category based on the IWF Absolute Continental Rankings.

Wrestling[edit]

Algeria qualified eight wrestlers for each of the following classes into the Olympic competition; all of whom advanced to the top two finals to book Olympic spots in the men's freestyle (57, 86, 97, and 125 kg) and men's Greco-Roman wrestling (60, 67, 87, and 97 kg) at the 2021 African & Oceania Qualification TournamentinHammamet, Tunisia.^[24][25]

Key:

• VT (ranking points: 5–0 or 0–5) – Victory by fall.
• VB (ranking points: 5–0 or 0–5) – Victory by injury (VF for forfeit, VA for withdrawal or disqualification)
• PP (ranking points: 3–1 or 1–3) – Decision by points – the loser with technical points.
• PO (ranking points: 3–0 or 0–3) – Decision by points – the loser without technical points.
• ST (ranking points: 4–0 or 0–4) – Great superiority – the loser without technical points and a margin of victory of at least 8 (Greco-Roman) or 10 (freestyle) points.
• SP (ranking points: 4–1 or 1–4) – Technical superiority – the loser with technical points and a margin of victory of at least 8 (Greco-Roman) or 10 (freestyle) points.

Freestyle

Athlete	Event	Round of 16	Quarterfinal	Semifinal	Repechage	Final / BM
		Opposition Result	Opposition Result	Opposition Result	Opposition Result	Opposition Result	Rank
Abdelhak Kherbache	Men's −57 kg	Vangelov (BUL) L 0–4 ST	Did not advance				16
Fateh Benferdjallah	Men's −86 kg	Reichmuth (SUI) L 1–3 PP	Did not advance				11
Mohammed Fardj	Men's −97 kg	Yergali (KAZ) L 0–5 VA	Did not advance				16
Djahid Berrahal	Men's −125 kg	Shala (KOS) L 0–5 VT	Did not advance				14

Greco-Roman

Athlete	Event	Qualification	Round of 16	Quarterfinal	Semifinal	Repechage	Final / BM
		Opposition Result	Opposition Result	Opposition Result	Opposition Result	Opposition Result	Opposition Result	Rank
Abdelkarim Fergat	Men's −60 kg	—	Funita (JPN) L 0–3 PO	Did not advance		Walihan (CHN) L 1–3 PP	Did not advance	13
Abdelmalek Merabet	Men's −67 kg	Ryu H-s (KOR) L 0–4 ST	Did not advance					16
Bachir Sid Azara	Men's −87 kg	—	Peng F (CHN) W 4–1 SP	Beleniuk (UKR) L 1–3 PP	Did not advance	Datunashvili (SRB) L 1–3 PP	Did not advance	7
Adem Boudjemline	Men's −97 kg	—	Saravi (IRI) L 0–4 ST	Did not advance				15

References[edit]

External links[edit]

• Algeria at the 2020 Summer OlympicsatOlympedia