Marshall Islands at the 2024 Summer Olympics

The games were held from 26 July to 11 August 2024, in the city of Paris, France.^[1] This edition of the games marked the Marshall Islands' fifth appearance at the Summer Olympics since its debut at the 2008 Summer Olympics in Beijing, China. No athlete from the Marshall Islands had ever won a medal at the Olympics, the best performance was the eleventh place of weightlifter Mattie Sasser in the women's 58 kg event at the 2016 Summer Olympics in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.^[2]

In the lead-up to the games, the Australian Government announced a collaboration with the Australian Olympic Committee to assist over 230 athletes from 13 Pacific nations^[a] for the 2024 Summer Olympics and 2024 Summer Paralympics, which included the Marshall Islands. The collaboration was made to create opportunities for said nations to compete in international competition, gain access to coaching, and to develop sports diplomacy. On 21 March, Australian Ambassador to the Marshall Islands Paul Wilson invited Marshall Islands National Olympic Committee (MINOC) president Anthony Muller and MINOC secretary general Amy Sasser at the Australian Embassy in the Marshall Islands to recognize Australia's support for the athletes of the nation.^[4][3] The delegation went to a training camp in Divonne-les-Bains with other Pacific athletes for their preparations for the games.^[5]

The Marshall Islands delegation came in 118th out of the 205 National Olympic Committees (NOCs) in the 2024 Summer Olympics Parade of Nations within the opening ceremony. Reed and Sasser held the flag for the delegation.^[6] At the closing ceremony, Kinono and Sasser were the flag bearers.^[7]

The Marshall Islands was eligible for a universality slot to send an athletics competitor to the games, which allows a National Olympic Committee (NOC) to send athletes despite not meeting the standard qualification criteria.^[8] The Marshall Islands sent sprinter William Reed, who would compete in the men's 100 meters. The lead-up to the games saw Reed compete at the 2023 Oceania Athletics Cup in Saipan, Northern Mariana Islands, and 2024 Micronesian Games in Majuro, Marshall Islands. He set the national record in the high jump at the former with 1.90 meters.^[9] He was coached by his father, Geary Reed.^{[‡ 1]}

Making his Olympic debut, Reed competed in his event on 2 August 2024 at 10:35 a.m., which was held at the Stade de France. He raced in the first heat of the preliminary round against seven other competitors. He finished with a time of 11.29 seconds, placed sixth in the heat, and did not progress further. Despite not progressing, he set a new personal best and a national under-20 record in the event.^[9][10][11] Noah Lyles of the United States eventually won the gold in a time of 9.784 seconds.^[12]

The Marshall Islands were eligible for universality slots to send swimmers to the games.^[8] The nation selected Kayla Hepler and Phillip Kinono, who would compete in the women's 50 meter freestyle and men's 50 meter freestyle respectively.^[13] Kinono also competed at the 2020 Summer Olympics in the same event, where he placed 70th,^[14] while Hepler's sister, Ann-Marie Hepler, competed at the 2012 Summer Olympics in the same event as hers, placing 49th.^[15][16] Kinono initially trained in a saltwater pool located in the nation before moving to the United States five years before the games for his training and for his studies at Iowa Lakes Community College.^[17] Hepler trained in Florida for a month before the games, where she was coached by her mother, Amy LaCost, the chef de mission of the Marshall Islands at the 2020 Summer Olympics.^[18][19]

Kinono first competed in his event on 1 August 2024 at 11:21 p.m., which was held in the Paris La Défense Arena. He competed in the second of the heats and swam a new personal best time of 27.43 seconds. He placed first out of the seven swimmers in his heat,^[17] though finished with a time not fast enough to progress to later rounds, and placed 64th overall. The eventual winner of the event was Cameron McEvoy of Australia with a time of 21.25 seconds.^[20][21] After he competed in his event, he expressed his thanks for representing the nation at the games.^[17]

Hepler competed in her event on 3 August 2024 at 11:03 a.m., making her Olympic debut. She competed in the second of the heats and swam a personal best time of 30.33 seconds.^[18] She placed second out of the eight swimmers in her heat, finished with a time not enough to progress to later rounds, and placed 62nd overall. The eventual winner of the event was Sarah Sjöström of Sweden with a time of 23.71 seconds.^[22][23] After Hepler competed in her event, she praised the people and athletes she met during her stint at the games.^[15]