GTL x LOA Presents: The Olympian Spotlight series. Read More
July 28, 2022
The modern Olympics have been around since 1894 and Liberia has attended since 1956. Wow!
When I first discovered that Liberia had an Olympic team, I was overly impressed. It was 2008 and my good childhood friend Jangy Addy had been recruited for the team as a track and field athlete.
I was excited for Jangy, but even more excited for Liberia. As far as I knew, the 2008 Beijing Olympics was the first time Liberia had sent a team to the Summer Games. But I was wrong.
Liberia had attended the Olympics in 2004. 2000. 1996. The years extend as far back as the 1956 Melbourne Games in Australia — before my mother was even born.
Despite Liberia’s decades competing at the Olympics, many Liberians still don’t know much about our Olympians. Yet, it’s never too late to learn about the past.
Go Team Liberia and the Liberia Olympians Association have not been able to confirm any of the 1956 Team’s whereabouts. If they’re still present, the athletes who repped Liberia at the 1956 Melbourne Olympics should all be well within their 80s.
Though we haven’t had the opportunity to speak with any of them, we can share a bit about Team Liberia’s 1956 Olympic debut.
Listen to one of our favorite classic Liberian tunes and read five quick facts about Liberia’s first-ever Olympic Team.
Liberia’s first Olympic Team competed at the 1956 Melbourne Olympics.
Only four athletes competed for Team Liberia in 1956.
Liberia sent a seven-person all male delegation to the 1956 Summer Olympics in Melbourne, Australia. From that group, five were athletes, but only four competed.
Emmanuel Putu, James Roberts, George H. Johnson, and Edward Martins were the four competitors.
Liberia’s first Olympic appearance was in athletics.
Athletics, or track and field, has always been Liberia’s go-to Olympic sport. in 1956 the Liberian team competed in the men’s 100m, 200m, 400m, 800m, 4×100 relay, and long jump.
The 1956 Liberian 4×100 Team competed against Team USA.
In the past, GTL has mistakenly attributed the 1996 men’s 4×100 team as the first relay team to represent Liberia. Now we know, that Liberia showcased its men’s 4×100 relay team during its Olympic debut.
Liberia ran in round one against USA, Great Britain, Pakistan, and Venezuela. The team placed last in its heat and ran 44.7.
Three out of the four 1956 team members returned in 1960.
Putu, Roberts, and Johnson returned to the Olympics the following year to represent Liberia in the men’s 100m, 200m, 400m and 800m.
The 1960 Olympics were held in Rome, Italy. During that Game, Ethiopian marathon runner Abebe Bikila became the first Black African to win an Olympic gold.
The team’s Opening Ceremony look was super fresh.
Thanks to Opening Ceremony videos, Liberians can admire the 1956 team’s opening look.
We don’t know who styled the 1956 Liberia Olympic Team, but kudos to them. The team wore navy blue blazers and white dress pants with a white vest and red necktie. The blue and red lines outlining the v-neck vests and the custom flat-top Tremont hats gave the team a classic and timeless look.
Readers can keep up with Liberia’s Olympians on Go Team Liberia and the Liberia Olympians social media pages— @goteamliberia and @liberiaolympians.
The Olympian Spotlight Series is a monthly project that features the journeys and lives of Liberia’s Olympians. Not only does the project highlight their lives as athletes, it expresses their views as Liberians and showcases life after professional sports. Its goal is to honor these athletes and encourage readers who may want to support or become an Olympian themselves.
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The modern Olympics have been around since 1894 and Liberia has attended since 1956. Wow!
When I first discovered that Liberia had an Olympic team, I was overly impressed. It was 2008 and my good childhood friend Jangy Addy had been recruited for the team as a track and field athlete.
I was excited for Jangy, but even more excited for Liberia. As far as I knew, the 2008 Beijing Olympics was the first time Liberia had sent a team to the Summer Games. But I was wrong.
Liberia had attended the Olympics in 2004. 2000. 1996. The years extend as far back as the 1956 Melbourne Games in Australia— before my mother was even born.
Despite Liberia’s decades competing at the Olympics, many Liberians still don’t know much about our Olympians. Yet, it’s never too late to learn about the past.
Go Team Liberia and the Liberia Olympians Association have not been able to confirm any of the 1956 Team’s whereabouts. If they’re still present, the athletes who repped Liberia at the 1956 Melbourne Olympics should all be well within their 80s.
Though we haven’t had the opportunity to speak with any of them, we can share a bit about Team Liberia’s 1956 Olympic debut.
Listen to one of our favorite classic Liberian tunes and read five quick facts about Liberia’s first-ever Olympic Team.
Liberia’s first Olympic Team competed at the 1956 Melbourne Olympics.
Only four athletes competed for Team Liberia in 1956.
Liberia sent a seven-person all male delegation to the 1956 Summer Olympics in Melbourne, Australia. From that group, five were athletes, but only four competed.
Emmanuel Putu, James Roberts, George H. Johnson, and Edward Martins were the four competitors.
Liberia’s first Olympic appearance was in athletics.
Athletics, or track and field, has always been Liberia’s go-to Olympic sport. in 1956 the Liberian team competed in the men’s 100m, 200m, 400m, 800m, 4×100 relay, and long jump.
The 1956 Liberian 4×100 Team competed against Team USA.
In the past, GTL has mistakenly attributed the 1996 men’s 4×100 team as the first relay team to represent Liberia. Now we know, that Liberia showcased its men’s 4×100 relay team during its Olympic debut.
Liberia ran in round one against USA, Great Britain, Pakistan, and Venezuela. The team placed last in its heat and ran 44.7.
Three out of the four 1956 team members returned in 1960.
Putu, Roberts, and Johnson returned to the Olympics the following year to represent Liberia in the men’s 100m, 200m, 400m and 800m.
The 1960 Olympics were held in Rome, Italy. During that Game, Ethiopian marathon runner Abebe Bikila became the first Black African to win an Olympic gold.
The team’s Opening Ceremony look was super fresh.
Thanks to Opening Ceremony videos, Liberians can admire the 1956 team’s opening look.
We don’t know who styled the 1956 Liberia Olympic Team, but kudos to them. The team wore navy blue blazers and white dress pants with a white vest and red necktie. The blue and red lines outlining the v-neck vests and the custom flat-top Tremont hats gave the team a classic and timeless look.
Readers can keep up with Liberia’s Olympians on Go Team Liberia and the Liberia Olympians social media pages— @goteamliberia and @liberiaolympians.
The Olympian Spotlight Series is a monthly project that features the journeys and lives of Liberia’s Olympians. Not only does the project highlight their lives as athletes, it expresses their views as Liberians and showcases life after professional sports. Its goal is to honor these athletes and encourage readers who may want to support or become an Olympian themselves.