Cook Islands at the 2008 Summer Olympics events (with the exception of weightlifting, where the first round was the only round) and did not go on to win medals. Pera was the nation's flag bearer at the ceremonies. The Cook Islands are a collection of fifteen islands lying in the South Pacific Ocean that are governed under a single parliamentary entity. Some 10,000 people live in the dependency. The country is in a free association with New Zealand, who handles the nation's external affairs. The Cook Islands became self-governing in 1965. 23 years later, the Cook Islands sent their first delegation to the Olympics at the 1988
Cook Islands at the 2016 Summer Olympics than male athletes at an Olympic circuit. The Cook Islands roster featured three returning Olympians from London 2012, including sprinter Patricia Taea (women's 100 m), weightlifter Luisa Peters (women's +75 kg), and slalom kayaker Ella Nicholas, who accepted the honor of being the nation's flag bearer in the opening ceremony, along with her older brother Bryden. Cook Islands, however, has yet to win an Olympic medal. Cook Islands has received universality slots from IAAF to send two athletes (one male and one female) to the Olympics. Cook Islands canoeists have qualified a maximum of one boat in each of the