TASHKENT, Uzbekistan

The Paris 2024 Summer Olympic Games have become the pinnacle of Uzbekistan's sports history, marking the country's most successful Olympic performance to date.

At the 33rd Summer Olympic Games in Paris, Uzbekistan made a historic impact by securing 13 podium finishes, including eight gold, two silver, and three bronze medals, with 90 athletes representing the nation across 19 sports.

Speaking to Anadolu, Oybek Kasimov, secretary general of the National Olympic Committee of the Republic of Uzbekistan, highlighted the comprehensive preparation efforts leading up to the Paris 2024 Olympics. Kasimov emphasized the extensive preparation camps held both domestically and abroad, with the involvement of high-level foreign coaches.

“The number of sports in which Uzbek athletes participate in the Olympics has increased, and the country was represented for the first time in football, archery, women's wrestling, and diving,” Kasimov noted.

He also mentioned that Uzbek boxers started their training in Paris 15 days before the Olympics, preparing for the Games by competing with athletes from other countries.

Three Uzbek athletes achieve Olympic Glory for second time

Uzbek athletes won five gold medals in boxing, one gold each in judo, freestyle wrestling, and taekwondo at the 2024 Paris Olympics. Additionally, they secured one silver medal each in athletics and taekwondo, along with three bronze medals in judo and freestyle wrestling, making it the most successful Olympic campaign in Uzbekistan's history.

Notably, Uzbek boxers Bahadir Calalov and Hasanboy Dusmatov, along with taekwondo athlete Ulugbek Rashitov, became Olympic champions for the second time with their gold medals at these Games.

Uzbekistan's Olympic journey

Uzbekistan first competed as an independent nation at the Atlanta 1996 Olympics, finishing 58th with one silver and one bronze medal. The nation's Olympic performance has shown notable progression over the years. In the Sydney 2000 Olympics, Uzbekistan ranked 43rd with one gold, one silver, and two bronze medals. They improved to 34th place at the Athens 2004 Olympics with two gold, one silver, and two bronze medals. At the Beijing 2008 Olympics, Uzbekistan ranked 62nd with one silver and three bronze medals, and dropped to 75th in the London 2012 Olympics with three bronze medals.

However, the Rio 2016 Olympics marked a significant breakthrough for Uzbekistan, where they finished 21st with four gold, two silver, and seven bronze medals. The nation continued its upward trajectory at the Tokyo 2020 Olympics, finishing 32nd with three gold and two bronze medals.

In a remarkable leap at the Paris 2024 Olympics, Uzbekistan climbed 19 places to achieve 13th in the world, securing a total of 13 medals, making it their most successful Olympic campaign to date.

*Writing by Emre Asikci in Istanbul