Athens hosted the Games of the XXVIII Olympiad from 13 to 29 August 2004, returning the Olympics to Greece, the birthplace of both the ancient Games and the modern movement launched in Athens in 1896. The shot put was staged at ancient Olympia and the marathon followed the historic route into the Panathenaic Stadium, giving the edition a strong sense of heritage.

Around 10,600 athletes from a record 201 delegations competed across 28 sports and 301 events. Security and preparation dominated the build-up, but the Games passed off successfully and were widely praised for their symbolism. Qatar entered 15 athletes at Athens across disciplines including athletics, shooting and weightlifting.

The country's best result came from skeet shooter Nasser Al-Attiyah, who finished fourth, narrowly missing the podium in an event in which he would later win a medal at London. Although Qatar did not win a medal in Athens, the delegation continued the nation's unbroken Olympic participation and reflected a widening base of athletes competing at the highest level. The experience gained by Qatari competitors in Greece fed into the country's longer-term ambitions in Olympic sport.