During the closing ceremony of the Advanced Sports Management Course in Ivandry, NOC Madagascar Secretary General, Jean Alex Harinelina RANDRIAMANARIVO announced that out of the seven Malagasy athletes to compete at the Games, three qualified directly and four by invitation, noting that:
‘‘These athletes had to compete in six to ten qualifying rounds to be ranked higher and qualify.’’
Weightlifter Rosina RANDAFIARISON was the first to qualify in the -49kg category. The African champion in Egypt and runner-up at the world championships in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, in September 2023, obtained the requisite points to qualify for the world championships in Phuket, Thailand, at the beginning of April. The second to grab her spot for the Olympics was Judoka Laura Aina Rasoanaivo RAZAFY in the -70 kg category. Ranked world No. 2 juniors -70 kg, she recently won a bronze medal at the African Championship in Egypt. Prior to participating in the World Table Tennis Championships, RAKOTOARIMANANA, for his part, won his qualification in Kigali, Rwanda, as two-time African champion and East African champion. He became the first table tennis star in the history of Madagascar to qualify for the Olympic Games. Two swimmers, Harivony Jonathan RAHARVEL and Idealy TENDRINAVALONA, are holders of World Aquatics’ Wild Cards. Athletics qualifiers are still open, so the two representatives for this sport are still to be confirmed. Female athlete Sidonie FIADANANTSOA from the Dakar centre in Senegal, a gold medallist at the recent African Games, is very close to qualifying, just like sprinter Claudine NOMENJANAHARY. Male athletes include Rija Gardiner VATOMANGA and Patrice REMANDRO.
In 2021 in Tokyo, Madagascar was represented by 6 athletes at the Olympics, thus fewer than this year, 2024.
