Monegasque Olympic team named

Monaco however, has a proud and impressive Olympic record to uphold and the attendance of three top athletes who will represent the Principality of Monaco has been well received. Both Royals, Princess Charlene and Prince Albert, are former Olympians so this event is close to their hearts. Princess Charlene is a 38-year-old former Olympic swimmer who represented South Africa in Sydney in 2000.

Much like his wife, Prince Albert is a keen sportsman participating in cross country, javelin throwing, handball, judo, swimming, tennis, rowing, sailing, skiing, squash and fencing. He is also a patron of Monaco's football teams. Prince Albert competed in the bobsleigh at five consecutive Winter Olympics for Monaco, taking part in both the two-man and four-man events. His highest finish was in the two-man bobsleigh where he finished 25th at the 1988 games in Calgary. The Prince was also Monaco's flag bearer at the 1988, 1994, and 1998 Winter Olympics.

The athletes who will be representing Monaco in 2016 are artistic gymnast Kevin Crovetto, 800 metre runner Brice Etes and judoka Yann Siccardi. Crovetto has been representing the national team at events since 2014, however his participation is especially significant as the last time an artistic gymnast represented Monaco in the Olympic Games was in 1920.

Brice Etes took part in the London Olympics in 2012 and currently holds the national record for the 800 metres. Yann Siccardi will compete in the men’s 60kg judo, and has previously competed at both the London Olympics and the Beijing Olympics. This year, he will be the flag bearer for Monaco.

Despite their enthusiasm for the sporting event, neither of the Royals will be attending the Olympic Games. Several other Royal personalities and athletes from other countries, including the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge, have also pulled out of attending, mainly due to the unknown risks involved with the Zika virus.

We wish our athletes the best of luck in Rio 2016!