Algeria at the 1964 Summer Olympics
| Algeria at the 1964 Summer Olympics | |
|---|---|
| IOC code | ALG (AGR[1] used at these Games) |
| NOC | Algerian Olympic Committee |
| in Tokyo | |
| Competitors | 1 in 1 sport |
| Flag bearer | Mohamed Lazhari |
| Medals |
|
| Summer Olympics appearances (overview) | |
| Other related appearances | |
| France (1896–1960) | |
Algeria sent a delegation to compete at the 1964 Summer Olympics in Tokyo, Japan, from 10 to 24 October 1964. This was the first time Algeria participated in the Olympics Games after gaining independence from France in 1962. Before independence, during the French Algeria period, Algerian athletes participated in the French team. The delegation consisted of one athlete, gymnast Mohamed Lazhari. He participated in the men's artistic individual all-around and finished in 91st position.
Background
Algeria gained independence from France on 5 July 1962 after the Algerian War. Prior to this, Algerian athletes competed as part of French delegations. The Algerian Olympic Committee (COA) was established on 18 October 1963[2] and gained International Olympic Committee (IOC) recognition on 27 January 1964 during the IOC session in Innsbruck, Austria,[2] just months before the Tokyo Games. This allowed Algeria to make its Olympic debut as an independent nation.[3] Algeria's delegation in 1964 consisted of a single athlete, gymnast Mohamed Lazhari,[4] who also served as the flag bearer during the opening ceremony on 10 October 1964.[1][5][6]
Competitors
The following is a list of the number of competitors participating at the Games per sport/discipline.
| Sport | Men | Women | Total |
|---|---|---|---|
| Gymnastics | 1 | 0 | 1 |
| Total | 1 | 0 | 1[4] |
Gymnastics
- Men's individual all-around
Mohamed Lazhari was 26 years old at the time of Tokyo Olympics.[7] He had previously competed for the French team at the 1960 Rome Olympics.[7][8] After Algeria's independence, Lazhari chose to represent his birth country, becoming its first Olympic athlete.[6] In Tokyo, he competed in the men's individual all-around on 18–20 October 1964 at the Tokyo Metropolitan Gymnasium, but did not advance to any apparatus finals as only top six of each apparatus would qualify.[9] His best result was 60th in the rings with the score 18 out of 20, tied with Georgi Mirtchev from Bulgaria.[4][9]
Lazhari's younger brother, Larbi Lazhari, would represent Algeria in the 1968 Mexico Olympics.[10]
| Athlete | Event | F | V | PB | HB | R | PH | Final | Rank | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mohamed Lazhari | Result | 17.40 | 18.65 | 18.20 | 16.70 | 18.00 | 18.00 | 106.95 | 91 | [4] |
| Rank | 99 | 77 | 79 | 111 | 60 | 72 |
References
- ^ a b The Organizing Committee for the Games of the XVIII Olympiad (ed.). Official Report of the Games of the XVIII Olympiad, Tokyo 1964.
- ^ a b "Olympedia – Algeria (ALG)". www.olympedia.org. Retrieved 2025-08-28.
- ^ "Algeria at the Olympic Games". www.topendsports.com. Retrieved 2025-08-28.
- ^ a b c d "Olympedia – Algeria at the 1964 Summer Olympics". www.olympedia.org. Retrieved 2025-08-28.
- ^ "Mohamed Lazhari (à droite) - Premier Algérien aux JO". vitaminedz.com (in French). Retrieved 2025-08-28.
- ^ a b Service, Algérie Presse. "Sport: Mohamed Yamani, premier représentant du sport algérien aux JO". www.aps.dz (in French). Archived from the original on 2025-06-17. Retrieved 2025-08-28.
- ^ a b "Olympedia – Mohamed Lazhari". www.olympedia.org. Retrieved 2025-08-28.
- ^ "Mohamed Lazhari". olympics.com. Retrieved 28 August 2025.
- ^ a b "Olympedia – Individual All-Around, Men". www.olympedia.org. Retrieved 2025-08-28.
- ^ "Olympedia – Larbi Lazhari". www.olympedia.org. Retrieved 2025-08-28.