Which countries are yet to participate at Summer Olympics?

France is hosting the Summer Olympics for the third time.

The 2024 Summer Olympics officially began on July 26 in Paris, marking the third time France has hosted the event, exactly 100 years after it last did in 1924. This year’s Parade of Nations included 206 countries, despite the current suspensions of one National Olympic Committee (NOC) and a temporary ban on another.

The International Olympic Committee (IOC) oversees 206 recognized “Olympic Nations,” which can be represented by an NOC. However, some NOCs operate independent of their governments, adding complexity to the list of participating countries.

Some non-UN members like Taiwan (“Chinese Taipei”), Palestine and Kosovo participate at the Olympics due to historical and political arrangements. Since the 2016 Rio Games, no new Olympic nations have been approved by the IOC, although there have been name changes for countries like Eswatini and North Macedonia.

Vatican City remains the only UN-recognized independent country never to be eligible for the Olympic Games, focusing instead on promoting peace and Christian values through sports.

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Despite attempts to join the 2024 Summer Olympics in Paris, Vatican City remains outside the membership of the IOC due to the lack of necessary infrastructure to establish an NOC. To qualify, a country’s sports federations must be active both domestically and internationally and affiliate with at least five international federations that govern Olympic sports.

By May 2024, Vatican City’s sports federations for cycling and taekwondo had secured affiliations with the Union Cycliste Internationale and World Taekwondo respectively.

As the smallest independent state in the world, Vatican City is not recognized by the IOC and thus does not compete at the Olympic Games. The IOC only acknowledges NOCs from sovereign states, a status Vatican City does not hold in the conventional sense. Despite having a national football team and participating in other international sporting events, the Vatican has not sought IOC membership or Olympic participation.

In conclusion, Vatican City’s absence from the Summer Olympics underscores its distinct role as a religious and administrative hub rather than a participant in global sporting events.

While many nations around the world celebrate their athletic achievements on the Olympic stage, Vatican City’s unique priorities and circumstances keep it apart from this international tradition. However, this may change in the future as the nation shows increasing interest and participation in sports.

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