# Did anyone with an NOC not come to Athens?
**URL:** https://boards.straightdope.com/t/did-anyone-with-an-noc-not-come-to-athens/259849
**Category:** Factual Questions
**Created:** [August 14, 2004, 5:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/did-anyone-with-an-noc-not-come-to-athens/259849 "2004-08-14T17:43:00Z")
**Posts on this page:** 9
**Page:** 1
### Author:  [@BobT](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BobT)
#### Post date: [August 14, 2004, 5:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/did-anyone-with-an-noc-not-come-to-athens/259849/1 "2004-08-14T17:43:00Z")
Is there anyone sitting out this Olympics? Iraq and Afghanistan made it in. Sudan made it. Timor-Leste made it. Palestine made it.
Any sovereign entities, besides the Vatican, not send a team? (And I don’t believe the Vatican is represented in the IOC anyway?)
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### Author:  [@dqa](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dqa)
#### Post date: [August 14, 2004, 6:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/did-anyone-with-an-noc-not-come-to-athens/259849/2 "2004-08-14T18:15:57Z")
Well, according to [this site](http://www.olympic.org/uk/organisation/noc/index_uk.asp?id_assoc=6), there are currently 202 NOCs. Assuming the [alphabetical country listing](http://www.athens2004.com/Files/pdf/NOC_marching_order.pdf) for the opening ceremonies accurately lists those countries that participated, then the 202 on its list seems to indicate participation by every NOC.
The ceremonies list shows Greece twice, but North Korea (PRK) did not march separetely from South Korea (KOR), so their total should still be correct.
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### Author:  [@smiling\_bandit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/smiling_bandit)
#### Post date: [August 14, 2004, 6:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/did-anyone-with-an-noc-not-come-to-athens/259849/3 "2004-08-14T18:46:37Z")
I’m pretty sure that guy who lives on an oil rig off the coast of England didn’t come.
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### Author:  [@jovan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jovan)
#### Post date: [August 14, 2004, 6:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/did-anyone-with-an-noc-not-come-to-athens/259849/4 "2004-08-14T18:56:15Z")
The local commentators here mentionned that no nation refused their invitation for a record 202 participants, so it would seem the answer is “no, everyone showed up”.
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### Author:  [@BobT](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BobT)
#### Post date: [August 14, 2004, 9:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/did-anyone-with-an-noc-not-come-to-athens/259849/5 "2004-08-14T21:03:09Z")
That’s a pretty good attendance record then.
Just need the Vatican to get its act together and get some world-class athletes to move in.
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### Author:  [@Northern\_Piper](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Northern_Piper)
#### Post date: [August 14, 2004, 9:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/did-anyone-with-an-noc-not-come-to-athens/259849/6 "2004-08-14T21:10:58Z")
I think they’d be pretty good in the walking-on-water event.
😃
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### Author:  [@Hooleehootoo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hooleehootoo)
#### Post date: [August 17, 2004, 5:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/did-anyone-with-an-noc-not-come-to-athens/259849/7 "2004-08-17T05:13:04Z")
I have looked for a list of atheletes by country and sport, without success. If anyone knows of such, would you please post a link
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### Author:  [@BobT](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BobT)
#### Post date: [August 17, 2004, 5:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/did-anyone-with-an-noc-not-come-to-athens/259849/8 "2004-08-17T05:14:26Z")
[Try this](http://www.athens2004.com/en/ParticipantsAthletes/newParticipants)
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### Author:  [@Princhester](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Princhester)
#### Post date: [August 17, 2004, 7:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/did-anyone-with-an-noc-not-come-to-athens/259849/9 "2004-08-17T07:36:45Z")
Before I opened this thread I thought it was going to be a sarcastic question concerning the seemingly minimal number of spectators at some events.