Eight Turkmen athletes made their debut in Rio de Janeiro, with hammer thrower Amanmurad Hommadov headed to his second Games as the oldest and most experienced competitor (aged 29).

Meanwhile, breaststroke swimmer Darya Semyonova established history for the Turkmens as the youngest ever Olympian (aged 14), beating the record previously held by Yelena Rojkova twelve years earlier in Athens.

Other notable athletes featured world's top-ranked judoka Gulbadam Babamuratova in the women's 52 kg category, and backstroke swimmer Merdan Ataýew, the tallest of the team (standing at 6 ft 5 in), who was selected to become Turkmenistan's flag bearer in the opening ceremony.

Arslanbek Achilov had claimed an Olympic spot with a quarterfinal victory at the 2016 AIBA World Qualifying Tournament in Baku, Azerbaijan.

Gulbadam Babamuratova was ranked among the top 14 eligible judokas for women in the IJF World Ranking List of May 30, 2016, while Rushana Nurjavova at women's lightweight (57 kg) earned a continental quota spot from the Asian region as Turkmenistan's top-ranked judoka outside of direct qualifying position.