Since the nation's official debut in 1960, Sammarinese athletes have appeared in every edition of the Summer Olympic Games, except for a single occasion.

San Marino National Olympic Committee (Italian: Comitato Olimpico Nazionale Sammarinese, CONS) sent a team of four athletes, two per gender, to compete only in athletics and shooting at the Games, matching the nation's roster size with four previous editions, including London 2012.

[2] All of them made their Olympic debut in Rio de Janeiro, except for trap shooter and London 2012 fourth-place finalist Alessandra Perilli, who only returned for her second Games as the most experienced competitor.

Meanwhile, Alessandra's older sister Arianna Perilli led the delegation as San Marino's flag bearer in the opening ceremony.

[3][4][5] Sammarinese shooters have achieved quota places for the following events by virtue of their best finishes at the 2014 and 2015 ISSF World Championships, the 2015 ISSF World Cup series, and European Championships or Games, as long as they obtained a minimum qualifying standard (MQS) by March 31, 2016.