Nicaragua (NCA)

Although the International Olympic Committee (IOC) recognized their National Olympic Committee (formed in 1959) on 25 May 1959, at the IOC session in Munich, Nicaragua did not compete at the 1960 or 1964 Olympics. It was not until 1968 that they first competed at the Olympic Games. Apart from boycotting the 1988 Olympics in Seoul, Nicaragua’s Olympic participation has been continuous since 1968. The country has never competed at the Olympic Winter Games and has never won an Olympic medal.

Its best Olympic performance occurred in 1996, fittingly in the country’s national sport, baseball. The Nicaraguan team made the semi-finals, and eventually placed fourth. Several Nicaraguan baseball players have played in the Major Leagues, most notably Dennis Martínez (a non-Olympian), who pitched for various clubs from 1976-98, winning 245 games. The country’s best individual Olympic performance was by weightlifter Lucía Castañeda, who finished sixth in the 2012 women’s middleweight class.