Samoa sent a delegation to compete at the 2008 Summer Olympics in Beijing, China. The country was represented by a total of six athletes."Pacific leaders to attend Beijing Olympics", ABC Radio Australia, August 4, 2008 The country's flagbearer during the Games' opening ceremony was weightlifter Ele Opeloge."Tears instead of dreams for Samoan", Reuters, August 16, 2008 Samoa won its first Olympic medal due to medals reallocation after the IOC's retesting of doping samples in 2016. Medalists Medal Name Sport Event Date Ele Opeloge Weightlifting Women's +75 kg August 16
Archery
Samoa sent an archer to the Olympics for the first time. Joseph Muaausa earned the nation's first Olympic archery qualifying spot, in the men's competition, by placing second in the 2008 Oceanian championship.FITA Olympic Qualification - Men
AthleteEventRanking roundRound of 64Round of 32Round of 16QuarterfinalsSemifinalsFinal / ScoreSeedOppositionScoreOppositionScoreOppositionScoreOppositionScoreOppositionScoreOppositionScoreRankJoseph MuaausaMen's individual56364 (1)L 88–116Did not advance
Athletics
Aunese Curreen set a national record in the men's 800 metres, with a time of 1:47.45."Lessons learned by Pacific athletes from world's best" , ABC Radio Australia, August 21, 2008
Men AthleteEventHeatSemifinalFinalResultRankResultRankResultRankAunese Curreen800 m1:47.45 NR6Did not advance
Women AthleteEventQualificationFinalDistancePositionDistancePositionSerafina AkeliJavelin throw49.2649Did not advance
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
Boxing
Samoa qualified one boxer for the Olympic boxing tournament. Satupaitea Farani Tavui earned Oceania's qualifying spot in the light heavyweight class by winning the Oceanian continental qualifying tournament. Tavui lost his first match against Croatia's Marijo Šivolija, being eliminated by knockout. He had to be taken to hospital."Samoa's Tavui suffers severe knockout." Reuters. 9 August 2008. Accessed 9 August 2008.
AthleteEventRound of 32Round of 16QuarterfinalsSemifinalsFinalOppositionResultOppositionResultOppositionResultOppositionResultOppositionResultRankSatupaitea Farani TavuiLight heavyweightL Did not advance
Canoeing
Sprint AthleteEventHeatsSemifinalsFinalTimeRankTimeRankTimeRankRudolph Berking-WilliamsMen's K-1 500 m1:47.8398 QSDid not advanceMen's K-1 1000 m4:00.7847 QS4:04.6589Did not advance Qualification Legend: QS = Qualify to semi-final; QF = Qualify directly to final
Weightlifting
AthleteEventSnatchClean & JerkTotalRankResultRankResultRankEle Opeloge"Hale to Olympics", Solomon Star, July 14, 2008Women's +75 kg11921503269
References