[2] It was the nation's largest ever delegation sent to the Olympics in its independent history, beating the record of 53 athletes who attended the London Games four years earlier.

Of the returnees, nine of them won Olympic medals in London, including defending wrestling champions Toghrul Asgarov and Sharif Sharifov, freestyle wrestlers Mariya Stadnik and Yuliya Ratkevich, four-time kayak sprint medalist Inna Osypenko-Radomska, who represented her native Ukraine at four previous editions (2000 to 2012) before transferring her allegiance to Azerbaijan in 2014, and boxers Magomedrasul Majidov (super heavyweight) and European Games champion Teymur Mammadov (light heavyweight), who was selected by the committee to lead the delegation as the flag bearer in the opening ceremony.

[1][5] Azerbaijan left Rio de Janeiro with a total of 18 medals (1 gold, 7 silver, and 10 bronze), signifying the nation's most successful Olympic outcome in its independent history.

Among the nation's medalists were Stadnik, who managed to repeat her silver from London; Osypenko-Radomska, who extended her career haul with a bronze medal and fifth overall, and taekwondo fighter Radik Isayev (men's +80 kg), who secured Azerbaijan's only gold-medal triumph at the Games.

[10] Five further boxers (Chalabiyev, Sotomayor, Abdullayev, Majidov, and Alekseevna) had claimed their Olympic spots at the 2016 European Qualification Tournament in Samsun, Turkey.

[15] One additional spot was awarded to the Azerbaijani cyclist in the women's road race by virtue of her top 100 individual placement in the 2016 UCI World Rankings.

2012 Olympian Sabina Mikina had claimed the sole Olympic spot as the winner of the women's sabre at the European Zonal Qualifier in Prague, Czech Republic.

[18] Azerbaijan has qualified a total of six judokas for each of the following weight classes at the Games by virtue of their top 22 national finish for men in the IJF World Ranking List of 30 May 2016.