The Maldives competed at the 2004 Summer Olympics in Athens, Greece, from 13 to 29 August 2004. The delegation's participation in the Athens Olympics marked the Maldives' fifth appearance at the Summer Olympics since their debut at the 1988 Summer Olympics in Seoul, South Korea. Four athletes competed across two sports; Sultan Saeed and Shifana Ali in track and field, and Hassan Mubah and Aminath Rouya Hussain in swimming. None of the track or swimming athletes advanced past the first round in their events, and no Maldivian has won a medal in any events. Sultan Saeed bore the Maldives' flag during the parade of nations of the opening ceremony. Background The Maldives is an archipelagic country located in Southern Asia, situated in the Indian Ocean. Formerly a protectorate of the United Kingdom, it gained independence in 1965. The Maldives Olympic Committee was formed in 1985, and was recognized by the International Olympic Committee the same year. The Maldives have participated in every Summer Olympics since its debut in the 1988 Summer Olympics in Seoul. The highest number of Maldivians participating at any single Summer Games was seven at the 1988 Games and the 1992 Games in Barcelona, Spain. No Maldivian has ever won a medal at the Olympics. The 2004 Summer Olympics were held from 13 to 29 August 2004. For the 2004 Summer Olympics, the Maldives sent a delegation of four athletes. The Maldivian team at the 2004 Games featured two track and field athletes and two swimmers. Sprinters Sultan Saeed and Shifana Ali were chosen to compete in the men's 100 metres and women's 400 metres respectively. Swimmers Hassan Mubah and Aminath Rouya Hussain participated in the men's 50 metre freestyle and women's 50 metre freestyle respectively. Hassan Mubah was the only returning athlete from the 2000 Summer Olympics in Sydney, Australia. Sprinter Sultan Saeed was the flagbearer for the Maldives during the parade of nations of the opening ceremony. Athletics Making his Summer Olympics debut, Sultan Saeed carried the Maldivian flag at the opening ceremony. He was the oldest person to represent the nation at the 2004 games at the age of 28. Saeed qualified for the 2004 Athens Games as a wildcard, without competing in any notable sporting event. He competed in the 100 metres on 21 August in Heat 3 against eight other athletes. He ran a time of 11.72 seconds, finishing last of the