Small wonder

Event: 200m

Country: Erstwhile Dutch Antilles

Area: 800 sq km

Population: 175,000

The autonomous Caribbean nation within the Kingdom of Netherlands,like many other island nations between the Americas,is famous for its beaches and sprinters. And one of its best sprinting exports had a brief but eventually frustrating brush with Olympic glory. For a country of its size and population,the Dutch Antilles has had a surprisingly countinous representation at the Games. Since their first appearance in 1952,they have had their athletes compete in 13 of 15 Games and even have a medal to show for their efforts.

In Seoul 1988,Jan Boersma won silver in sailing,and 20 years later,the island nation almost doubled its tally. After coming close in the 100m event,when he finished fourth,Churandy Martina,Dutch Antilles flag-bearer,seemed to have won his countrys second medal at the games when he came in second behind Usain Bolt in the 200m final. However,review of the footage found that Martina had stepped on the inside lanes,and was disqualified. This meant that Martina had to forego his medal. In 2010,the Dutch Antilles was dissolved and reconstituted into two separate entities Curaçao and Sint Maarten,while other islands joined the Netherlands as municipalities. Martina chose to participate in his third Olympic Games in a row in Dutch colours. Raakesh Natraj

Ricardo 8220;Ric8221; Blas Jr.

Event: Judo,100 category

Country: Guam

Area: 541 sq km

Population: 159,358

When a 210-kg man admits to freezing up in a judo match,that is a lot of frozen bulk out there for all to see. Beijing was the first to witness Ricardo Blas Jr,Guams judoka in the unlimited weight divisions,who set the record for the heaviest competitor at any modern Games. Running away from Georgian Lasha Gujejiani,the usually immovable mountain was penalised for stalling when this brain freeze happened. The Georgian had contemplated lifting him on the shoulders,even. Better sense prevailed,and then the big man froze. He is back in London,though he is not any littler,weighing in at 218 kg this time. His size doesnt shatter for he lost all his bouts,including the repechage.

Blas Jr had entered the Bird8217;s Nest stadium as flag-bearer for Guams team of six,and exited with baby-faced bawling tears,later apologising to his countrymen for,first,letting them down,and next,baring his emotions. Its his lifes goal to compete in the Olympic Games,because his father and cousins before him did too. He sincerely believes that everyone in this world has unlimited potential. The heavier the better and it generally takes another man mountain to move that bit of his faith. Though it takes some persuasion to convince his fans that he reads more than most people would think.

Mostly fantasy Terry Good,J.K. Rowling,Jack Whyte,Christopher Paolini,R.A. Salvatore. He likes tales where Goliath battles Goliath 2,and no stereotypical David runs away with the heroic mentions. SHIVANI NAIK

Derek Horton

Event: Mountain bike racing

Country: Guam

His growing up life revolved around such quaint cycling races as Stick N Back Super Sprint or Two Lovers Point MTB Duathlon bike/run/bike or Hell of The Marianas Saipan. For many of his countrymen from this Pacific island the important days in history were commemorated with cycle-runs involving family. So,Derek Horton,Guams 40-year-old qualifier in mountain biking at the London Olympics,marked his calendar on Martin Luther King Day or Labour Day and even Liberation Day when they freed themselves from Japans WW2 occuptaion as well as the mystical Summer Solstice Day by hopping onto a race bike around the mountain trails of the island. But 12 years ago,the Oceania cyclist made the cut for Sydney 2000 from where he returned with a DNF.

He qualified at the 2012 Oceania Mountain Bike Championships in Rotorua,New Zealand in March,finishing 13 out of the 16 pros,and receiving handy 55 points simply for finishing.

Continental points nudged him into his second Olympics. Qualification was the easier part. I work full-time,45-50 hours a week,taking care of the family,pay for house and cars and theres no paycheque for a while if I have to focus on training, he told an Oceania sports website.

A local businessman had gifted him a bike shipped into the island solely to help him qualify. He put in 10-15 hours a week into training,but the rains in Manchester meant he had hardly hit the steep inclines. It helps that wife Monessa Horton is also a recreational biker,and loves riding as much as or more even. SHIVANI NAIK

Ruben Sanca

Event: 5000m

Country: Cape Verde

Area: 4033 sq km

Population: 567,000

Despite being unpopulated until the 15th century,the island off the coast of West Africa has made tremendous strides over the last few decades,and is currently classified as a developing nation. One of the main sources of income for the island nation is the remittances from citizens living abroad,whose number exceed the population of Cape Verde.

It is not just the economy that benefits from the exodus,but also Cape Verde8217;s Olympic contingent. Ruben Sanca,who is just one among three athletes who will represent the country at the Games,emigrated to the United States when he was 12. Sanca was a middle distance runner for the University of Massachusetts Lowell,and his timings were good for a semi-professional but not anywhere near Olympic standards. But his performances caught the eye of Cape Verde8217;s Olympic Association and the organisation granted the 24-year old a wild card in the 5000m discipline. Sanca is realistic about his chances at London and says his target would be to better my personal best by going out there and giving myself a shot to qualify for the next round. For me to make the finals would be almost like winning the gold medal, he said. He knows any performance of note will only make a positive ripple back home. Raakesh Natraj

Itte Detenamo

Event: Weightlifting

Country: Republic of Nauru

Area: 21 sq km

Population: 9,378

An island nation several thousand miles to the north and east of Australia,Nauru is so small that it does not appear on any standard edition of the world map. In fact,Nauru is the world8217;s smallest republic and with around 9,000 denizens,the second least populated. The country,whose economy depends almost entirely on phosphate deposits that derive from the droppings of sea birds,is also home to a medal prospect at London. Mighty Itte Detenamo a weightlifter in the men8217;s 105 kg category,is a two-time medal winner at the Commonwealth Games and will be Nauru8217;s sole representative at the Games.

Despite being Nauru8217;s foremost sportsperson and their best medal hope,the five-foot-seven,140 kg lifter is not a pioneer. In fact,the countrys first Olympian Marcus Stephen was a 12-time Commonwealth Games medal winner and is currently the country8217;s president. Paul Coffa, who was the weightlifting coach of the Oceania Weightlifting Federation and has been Nauru8217;s coach for close to two decades now,says there is nothing surprising about the country8217;s performance at the highest level. 8220;The Pacific nations record is an incredible story. Their build,with strong shoulders and legs,means they have tremendous potential in weightlifting and rugby,8221; he says. Raakesh Natraj

Asenate Manoa

Event: 100m

Country: Tuvalu

Area: 26 sq km

Population: 10,544

When the then 16-year old Asenate Manoa finished last in her 100m heats at the Beijing Olympics,she still had a first to her name. This was her country8217;s first appearance at the Olympics and Manoa was the first female representative of Tuvalu at the Games. Tuvalu,the third least populous nation in the world,is,to state the obvious,small. And it is getting smaller. Tuvalu,at its highest point,is about four meters above sea level shorter than the leap of a pole-vaulter and rising sea-levels,experts say,will completely submerge the island nation within half a century.

The landspread is such that there are very few flat-lands and athletes like Manoa often train on the tarmacs of the Funafati International Airport. And the economy is sustained by a rather unusual model. Though nobody in the island is in possession of one,it is the 8216;tv8217; that is Tuvalu8217;s primary source of income. The domain name .tv to be precise,which is the internet top-level-domain for Tuvalu,is sold to media houses across the world. It was described that when Manoa competed in Beijing,she saw tall buildings for the first time,and wanted to just stay back. She might just have been joking,but if she did,it would have put a serious dent in her country8217;s population figures,if not its hopes on the field.

Raakesh Natraj