Palau at the 2008 Summer Olympics

Infobox Olympics Palau
games=2008 Summer
competitors= 5
sports= 3
officials = 7
flagbearer=Elgin Loren Elwais

Palau competed at the 2008 Summer Olympics in Beijing, China. Palau's Olympic delegation consisted of five athletes, three team officials and four coaches, and was lead by Frank Kyota, the President of the Palau National Olympic Committee. cite news |first=David |last=Miho|title=Six Palauan Athletes In China For Olympics
url=http://www.pacificmagazine.net/news/2008/08/06/six-palauan-athletes-in-china-for-olympics|work= Pacific Magazine |publisher=|date=2008-08-06 |accessdate=2008-08-08] This was an increase on the nation's two previous appearances at Summer Olympic Games; four athletes had been sent to both the Sydney and Athens Games. The team was one of the 117 that won no medals at the Games.

The 2008 Summer Olympics marked the first time that Palauans were able to watch complete Olympic television coverage of all events in their own country. Palau's in-depth television coverage was due to a special agreement between TV New Zealand and Palau National Communications Corporation.

Opening & Closing Ceremonies

Palau was the 119th country to enter the Beijing National Stadium in the parade of nations during the Opening Ceremony. The country's flag bearer was freestyle wrestler Elgin Loren Elwais,cite web|url= http://multimedia.olympic.org/pdf/en_report_1344.pdf|title=List of Flagbearers Beijing 2008|publisher=www.olympic.org|format=PDF|accessdate=2008-08-08] the first Palauan athlete to have qualified for a Games based on his own performances. The other members of the team, who marched in the parade were; sprinters Peoria Koshiba and Jesse Tamangrow; swimmer Amber Sikosang Yobech, who would participate in the 50-metres freestyle; and Greco-Roman wrestler Florian Skilang.

At the Closing Ceremony athletes entered in a less formal style, led by the flag bearers of all the competing nations. [cite web |title=Beijing bids farewell to Olympics |date=2008-08-24 |publisher=BBC Sport |url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/olympics/7578133.stm |accessdate=2008-10-01] The Palauan flag was carried by Amber Yobech. [cite web|url= http://multimedia.olympic.org/pdf/en_report_1362.pdf|title=Closing Ceremony Flag Bearers|publisher=www.olympic.org|format=PDF|accessdate=2008-10-01]

Athletics (Track & Field)

Palau had two competitors in the sport of athletics, one in each of the men's and women's 100 m sprints. Jesse Tamangrow finished seventh out of eight competitors in a heat which included eventual bronze medallist Walter Dix. Despite setting a new personal best time of 11.38 seconds he did not advance to the quarterfinals of the competition. [cite web |title=Results Men's 100m Round 1 - Heat 7 |publisher=The Official Website of the Beijing 2008 Olympic Games |url=http://results.beijing2008.cn/WRM/ENG/INF/AT/C73A/ATM001907.shtml#ATM001907 |accessdate=2008-10-01] In the women's event Peoria Koshiba finished eighth out of nine athletes in the first heat and did not advance to the next round. [cite web |title=Results Women's 100m Round 1 - Heat 1 |publisher=The Official Website of the Beijing 2008 Olympic Games |url=http://results.beijing2008.cn/WRM/ENG/INF/AT/C73A/ATW001901.shtml#ATW001901 |accessdate=2008-10-01]

;Men's Greco-Roman

References