Among the sports represented by its athletes, Finland made its Olympic debut in golf (new to the 2016 Games), table tennis, and women's wrestling, as well as its return to archery, boxing, equestrian eventing, and rhythmic gymnastics after long years of absence.

[5] Other notable competitors on the Finnish roster included the country's fastest freestyle swimmer Ari-Pekka Liukkonen, sailing brothers Joonas and Niklas Lindgren in the 470 class, and hammer thrower David Söderberg.

[3] Finland left Rio de Janeiro with only a bronze medal, won by boxer Mira Potkonen in the women's lightweight event, conquered on the 12th day of the Games, when virtually all other Finnish athletes had ended their participation.

One Finnish archer has qualified for the men's individual recurve at the Games by securing one of three available Olympic spots at the 2016 European Championships in Nottingham, Great Britain, signifying the nation's comeback to the sport after an eight-year hiatus.

[7] Meanwhile, another Finnish archer was added to the squad by virtue of a top six national finish in the women's individual recurve at the 2016 Archery World Cup meet in Antalya, Turkey.

Juho Reinvall earned a continental quota spot from the European region as the highest-ranked Finnish judoka outside of direct qualifying position in the IJF World Ranking List of 30 May 2016.

[24] On 13 October 2015, the Finnish Olympic Committee had officially announced the first five sailors competing in the Finn, Laser Radial, men's 470, and women's RS:X at the Rio regatta.

2012 Olympian Suvi Mikkonen secured a spot in the women's lightweight category (57 kg) by virtue of her top two finish at the 2016 European Qualification Tournament in Istanbul, Turkey.

[34][35] One more wrestler had claimed the remaining Olympic slot in the men's Greco-Roman 66 kg to round out the Finnish roster at the initial meet of the World Qualification Tournament in Ulaanbaatar.