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Puerto Rico at the Olympics and tennis
Why the island competes under its own flag, the uneven history of Olympic tennis, and the moment that changed everything in 2016.
Puerto Rico competes at the Olympics with its own delegation, flag and anthem, despite not being an independent country. It is an unusual situation and it is why the 2016 gold meant what it meant.
How it works
The International Olympic Committee recognizes national olympic committees that do not always correspond to sovereign states. Puerto Rico has had its own for decades and competes separately from the United States.
That means a Puerto Rican athlete can choose which flag to compete under, and that decision has shaped several careers across different sports.
Olympic tennis has an uneven history
Tennis was in the first modern Games, disappeared from the Olympic program for much of the twentieth century, and returned as a medal sport at Seoul 1988.
Early on many professionals did not prioritize it, since it awards no ranking points like a Grand Slam. That changed over the years, and today an Olympic medal is among the most valued things in a career precisely because the chance comes only every four years.
2016: the moment
Monica Puig won gold in women's singles in Rio de Janeiro. It was Puerto Rico's first gold medal in its entire Olympic history, in any sport, and the first time La Borinquena played at an Olympic medal ceremony.
The full story is in Monica Puig and the Rio 2016 gold.
The other side: Gigi Fernandez
Gigi Fernandez, born in San Juan, represented Puerto Rico at Seoul 1988 and later won two Olympic golds in doubles, at Barcelona 1992 and Atlanta 1996, competing for the United States. Her case illustrates the choice many Puerto Rican athletes face.