2016XXXI Summer Olympic Games - Rio - First Day Cover

The XXXI summer Olympic Games will take place from August 5 to August 21 in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. This will be the first time for a city of the South American continent to receive the summer Olympic Games. There will be 10,500 sportsmen from 206 countries taking part in the games and 306 sets of olympic medals will be handed out. In all there will be competitions in 28 sports and on 38 sport arenas and 306 sets of olympic medals will be handed out. Over a longer period of time golf and rugby will be once again in the Olympic program. The first Estonian to win an Olympic medal was the wrestler Martin Klein in 1912 in Stockholm; he then represented tsarist Russia. The weightlifter Alfred Neuland was crowned as the first sportsman of the Republic of Estonia at the 1920 games in Antwerpen. In all Estonian sportsmen have brought back home a total of 21 gold medals, 21 silver medals and 27 bronze medals from Summer Olympic Games. The most entitled Estonian sportsman at Rio 2016 is the many time title competitions medallist, discus throw Olympic winner and World title holder, Gerd Kanter. The Estonian team is made special by the meeting of the Olympic requirements of the women’s marathon team of the three sisters, Lily, Liina and Leila. They will be the first triplets to race at the Olympic Games. Besides Estonia will be represented in Rio in fencing and men’s rowing.