Independent Olympic Athletes have been competing under the Olympic flag for a plethora of reasons since the concept was instituted in 1992. Yugoslav athletes competing in Barcelona in 1992 won a silver and two bronze medals during those Games competing under the flag, and no Olympian has ever won a medal in this situation since…until today.
Fehaid Al-Deehani is a Kuwaiti athlete competing under the Olympic flag this year, as his country’s NOC is suspended due to government interference. Not only did he win the first medal for athlete competing as an Independent Athlete since 1992, he won gold, making him the first Independent Olympic Athlete to ever win gold.
The Independent Olympic Athletes have their first Gold medal EVER, Fehaid Al-Deehani wins in Men's Double Trap. pic.twitter.com/pEp8tHfrP6
— NBC Olympics & Paralympics (@NBCOlympics) August 10, 2016
In 2000, Al-Deehani, then competing under the Kuwaiti flag, won Kuwait’s first ever Olympic medal, a bronze in double trap. Four years ago, he won bronze in the single trap competition. Those are the only two ever Olympic medals won by a Kuwaiti athlete, and he’s now made some more history at age 50 as the first-ever gold medalist for the Independent Olympic Athletes.
No doubt he’d want to officially represent his country with this medal, but winning it at age 50 and overcoming all he has had to overcome is incredibly impressive. Congratulations!
