[PHOTOS] Here's A Look At Malaysia's Olympic Outfits Over The Years
Which fit is your favourite?
By Tamara Jayne — 28 Jun 2024, 12:41 PM
1. 1956 Summer Olympics in Melbourne, Australia
The Federation of Malaya participated in the 1956 Summer Olympics in Melbourne, Australia, marking our first appearance on the Olympic stage.
The country sent a contingent of 32 athletes, with 31 men and one woman, competing across five different sports — hockey, shooting, swimming, athletics, and weightlifting.
2. 1992 Summer Olympic Games in Barcelona, Spain
The 1992 Barcelona Olympics was a landmark for Malaysian sports, with badminton included for the first time.
This presented a medal opportunity for Malaysian athletes. And they delivered! The Sidek brothers, Razif and Jalani, won the bronze medal in Men's Doubles, bringing home Malaysia's first ever Olympic medal.
3. 1996 Summer Olympics in Atlanta, US
36 athletes competed across eight sports in the 1996 Summer Olympics, marking our debut in canoeing (Sal Ayob) and sailing (Kelvin Lim).
Malaysia achieved its first-ever Olympic silver medal through the badminton men's doubles pair Yap Kim Hock and Cheah Soon Kit, as well as a bronze medal in the badminton men's singles category by Rashid Sidek.
4. 2000 Summer Olympics in Sydney, Australia
40 athletes across nine different sports represented Malaysia at the 2000 Summer Olympics. The sports included athletics, badminton, diving, gymnastics (artistic), hockey, sailing, shooting, swimming, and taekwondo.
5. 2004 Olympic Games in Athens, Greece
A total of 26 athletes competed, with 18 men and eight women at the 2004 Athens Olympic Games.
They participated in 11 sports, including badminton, diving, sailing, shooting, swimming, weightlifting, athletics, bowling, cycling, archery, and taekwondo.
6. 2008 Summer Olympics in Beijing, China
The opening ceremony of the XXIX Olympic Games in Beijing on 8 August 2008.
Image via Olympic Council of MalaysiaAt the 2008 Beijing Olympics, Malaysia ended a 12-year medal drought when Lee Chong Wei won silver in Men's Singles badminton.
Though he lost to Lin Dan, it was the first time a Malaysian athlete reached an Olympic badminton final in a singles event, making it a historic moment for Malaysian badminton.
7. 2012 London Olympic Games in the UK
Pandelela Rinong Pamg carried Malaysia's flag during the opening ceremony of the London 2012 Olympic Games.
Image via Olympic Council of Malaysia
Malaysia secured two medals, a silver and a bronze, ranking 65th overall.
Lee Chong Wei earned his second consecutive Olympic silver in Men's Singles badminton, losing to China's Lin Dan.
Pandelela Rinong made history as the first Malaysian woman to win an Olympic medal and the first to win a medal outside of badminton, taking bronze in Women's 10m Platform Diving.
8. 2016 Summer Olympics in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
The Malaysian contingent at the opening ceremony in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, on 5 August 2016.
Image via Reuters/New Straits Times
The 2016 Summer Olympics in Rio de Janeiro was Malaysia's most successful, with the team winning five medals – four silver and one bronze – doubling our previous record.
Three silver medals came from badminton:
- Lee Chong Wei: Men's Singles
- Goh V Shem and Tan Wee Kiong: Men's Doubles
- Chan Peng Soon and Goh Liu Ying: Mixed Doubles
In diving, Pandelela Rinong and Cheong Jun Hoong won silver in the Women's Synchronised 10m Platform. Meanwhile, Azizulhasni Awang brought home a bronze medal from the Men's Keirin event in cycling.
9. Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games in Japan
Malaysia participated in 10 sports at the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games:
- Badminton
- Cycling
- Diving
- Gymnastics (artistic)
- Sailing
- Shooting
- Swimming
- Archery
- Badminton
- Golf
The country sent a delegation of 30 athletes, with an interesting fact being that for the first time ever, there were more women (18) than men (12) on the Malaysian team.
