There was only a single competitor in badminton, canoeing, equestrian, artistic and trampoline gymnastics, triathlon, and wrestling, which made its official Olympic comeback after an eight-year absence.

Twenty-four Portuguese athletes had previously competed in Sydney, including two returning Olympic medalists: long-distance runner and former champion Fernanda Ribeiro and lightweight judoka Nuno Delgado, who later became the nation's flag bearer in the opening ceremony.

[1] Mistral windsurfer and multiple-time European champion João Rodrigues and middle-distance runner Carla Sacramento shared their experiences at these Games as the only athletes who made their fourth Olympic appearance.

Among the Portuguese athletes on the team, two of them had acquired dual citizenship to compete for Portugal: former hurdler Naide Gomes from São Tomé and Príncipe in the women's heptathlon, and sprinter Francis Obikwelu on his third Olympic bid after he previously joined the Nigerian squad in Atlanta and Sydney.

The highlight of the Games for the Portuguese team came on the first day with a historic milestone for Sérgio Paulinho, as the nation's first-ever cyclist to claim a silver medal in the men's road race.