Countries and Territories That Cannot Compete at the Olympics

The Olympic Games are made up of athletes from 206 National Olympic Committees (NOCs), but a number of countries and territories have their own sporting organisations and would like to compete separately. Because they do not have an IOC-recognised NOC, their athletes cannot currently compete at the Olympics under their own flag.

Under current rules, these countries and territories are not allowed to compete, as the IOC tightened its rules for recognising new National Olympic Committees in the 1990s. In general, new NOCs must represent an independent state recognised by the international community. There are already territories that had IOC recognition before the rules changed and have been allowed to retain their separate Olympic status, such as Bermuda, Puerto Rico and Guam.

10 Countries/Territories That Cannot Compete at the Olympics

1. Greenland – An autonomous territory within the Kingdom of Denmark. Greenland has its own sporting organisations and has sought separate Olympic representation, but the IOC says Olympic team status is currently limited to independent states recognised by the international community. Greenlandic athletes compete for Denmark.
2. Faroe Islands – Another self-governing territory within the Kingdom of Denmark. The Faroe Islands have their own sports organisations and have pursued Olympic recognition, but the IOC does not recognise a separate Faroese NOC. Athletes from here compete for Denmark at the Olympics.
3. Gibraltar – A British Overseas Territory at the southern tip of the Iberian Peninsula. Gibraltar has its own Olympic committee and has sought IOC recognition, but it does not send a separate Olympic team.
4. Macau – A Special Administrative Region of China. Macau has its own sporting identity and participates separately at events such as the Asian Games, but its Olympic committee is not recognised by the IOC, so Macau cannot send a separate Olympic team.
5. Catalonia – An autonomous community of Spain with its own sporting organisations and a long-running campaign for separate international sporting representation. The Catalan Olympic Committee is not recognised by the IOC, so Catalan athletes compete for Spain at the Olympics.
6. New Caledonia – A French territory in the Pacific with its own sporting organisations. It has no IOC-recognised NOC, so athletes from New Caledonia compete under France at the Olympic Games.
7. French Polynesia – An overseas collectivity of France that includes Tahiti. It has its own sports organisations and competes separately in some international competitions, but does not have an IOC-recognised NOC and therefore cannot compete as a separate Olympic team.
8. Curaçao – A constituent country of the Kingdom of the Netherlands. Curaçao has its own sporting organisations but does not have an IOC-recognised NOC. Its athletes therefore compete for the Netherlands at the Olympics.
9. Niue – A self-governing state in free association with New Zealand. Niue participates independently in some international sporting organisations, but it does not currently have an IOC-recognised NOC and has never competed at the Olympics as a separate team.
10. Northern Cyprus – A self-declared state recognised internationally only by Turkey. It has its own sporting organisations and competes separately in some international events, but its Olympic committee is not recognised by the IOC and it cannot compete at the Olympics as a separate team.

Summer Olympic Games

• Summer Olympics Lists
• All hosts
• Sports
• Medal tallies
• Event winners
• Countries
• Venues (2024)

Where to next? ...

• List of Past Participating Countries at the Summer Olympics
• Olympic Games (summer) winners lists
• Countries that have sent athletes to every Summer Olympic Games
• Olympic Host Cities