Peru (PER)

The National Olympic Committee of Peru was formed on 9 October 1924. But their first Olympian was Carlos de Candamo, who competed as a fencer in the 1900 Olympic Games. In 1905 he also became Peru’s first International Olympic Committee (IOC) member. Peru’s next Olympic appearance was in 1936. It has since missed only the 1952 Games in Helsinki.

Peru has won four Olympic medals, with one gold. Three of these were won in shooting, including the only gold medal won by Edwin Vásquez in the men’s free pistol 50 metres in 1948. The remaining medal, a silver, was won by the women’s volleyball team in 1988.

The Andean nation sent its first athletes to the Olympic Winter Games in Vancouver (2010), also competing at Sochi 2014 and at Beijing 2022. In the nation’s first two appearances, Peru was represented by three athletes – the brother/sister tandem of Manfred Oettl and Ornella Oettl in Alpine skiing, and cross-country skier Roberto Carcelén. Ornella Oettl returned to compete in 2022, achieving the country’s best result so far, a 44th position in the slalom event.