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Explainer: Why are there four Olympic athletes with no country?

There’s four athletes competing under the Olympic flag, with no country to represent. Here’s how that came about.

Updated, July 30*

YOU MAY HAVE noticed in this evening’s Opening Ceremony at the 2012 Olympic Games that there are four athletes participating in this year’s games without a country.

In the ceremony tonight they walked in behind the Olympic flag itself, and – on the off-chance that they win – will have the Olympic flag, and the Olympic anthem, displayed and played.

So how’d that come about? How, in a competition of 204 nations, are there athletes without a country?

Let us explain.

Three of the four athletes would, in previous years, have represented the Netherlands Antilles – a country you might have come across because of its prowess in sprinting.

The Netherlands Antilles only ever won one medal, a silver in sailing in 1988 – but it should have been two. Churandy Martina came second to Usain Bolt in that 200m final in 2008 but the Americans had him disqualified for stepping on the boundary of his lane.

Anyway, the Netherlands Antilles are no more – in 2010 it was dissolved into two smaller countries, Curaçao and Sint Maarten, and a collection of smaller territories. The national Olympic committee tried to hang around – asking to at least remain in place until the end of the 2012 games, but no dice: the IOC kicked it out in 2011.

However, any athletes who reached the qualifying standards after this point – of where there were three (Liemarvin Bonevacia in the men’s 400m, Reginald de Windt in men’s judo, and Philipine van Aanholt in women’s sailing) – were permitted to participate, though as independent athletes competing under the IOC flag and anthem.

The fourth independent participant is Guor Marial, who is from the world’s youngest country of South Sudan. He’s 28, but hasn’t been in Sudan since 1992 when he fled the Sudanese civil war as an eight-year-old and took refuge in the United States.

He’s fast enough to qualify for the marathon – but he’s not entitled to American citizenship, meaning can’t represent the US, and would therefore have to represent Sudan. Naturally he obviously wasn’t keen to do so, having fled from the country two decades previously.

This presented some problems for the IOC – which decided, last Friday, to do the right thing. Marial will run in the men’s marathon as a stateless athlete, a refugee participating under the international flag of the Olympic games.

And really, isn’t that what it’s all about?

* Update: This piece originally – and incorrectly – stated that the three athletes from the former Netherlands Antilles had qualified for the games prior to the dissolution of that country. In fact, the three qualified after Curaçao became an independent country within the Kingdom of the Netherlands. We are happy to correct this error.

LIVE: London 2012, Olympic Games opening ceremony

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37 Comments
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    Mute Irish Mule
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    Jul 27th 2012, 11:30 PM

    great read thanks Gavin, and on a Friday night too. Pay rise i think

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    Mute vv7k7Z3c
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    Jul 27th 2012, 11:53 PM

    Sending that comment straight to the editor, thankyouverymuch…

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    Mute Westmeath
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    Jul 28th 2012, 1:51 AM

    Irish Mule

    A pay rise? That is Gavan’s Job to give us this information.

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    Mute Betty-Lou maguire
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    Jul 28th 2012, 8:00 AM

    Don’t you know pay risers are banned

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    Mute Katie Does
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    Jul 27th 2012, 11:26 PM

    Thanks for that, I wondered what it was about.

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    Mute Les Rock
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    Jul 27th 2012, 11:35 PM

    Gavan Reilly working overtime to educate us.

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    Mute Thosj Carroll
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    Jul 28th 2012, 12:10 AM

    It’s good to see many women carrying flags & this message should send a warning to Saudi Arabia & hardline Islamic countries that the treatment of women will not be tolerated.

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    Mute Tony Stanley
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    Jul 28th 2012, 2:00 AM

    Not tolerated by who exactly?
    Saudi have female contestants this year but that doesnt mean they are going to change their ways once the games are over!
    Vile nation!

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    Mute Steve
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    Jul 28th 2012, 11:37 AM

    You’d be surprised what can be tolerated for trillion dollar oil and weapons contracts.

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    Mute Andrea Meyer
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    Jul 27th 2012, 11:43 PM

    Inspiring to see how far they’ve come, and how motivated they must be!

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    Mute John Phelan
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    Jul 28th 2012, 12:00 AM

    Good knowledge – thanks for that!

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    Mute Sinead Kiely
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    Jul 28th 2012, 12:10 AM

    Why is the opening ceremony looking like Teletubby land?

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    Mute Gerry Campbell
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    Jul 28th 2012, 12:51 AM

    Great explanation, now for great expectation, looking forward to seeing Katie under the Irish flag again and the anthem playing, best of luck to all our Olympians,

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    Mute Annemarie Vaughan
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    Jul 28th 2012, 1:03 AM

    Yaaaa get some

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    Mute John O'Neill
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    Jul 28th 2012, 1:03 AM

    Very interesting if you could explain to us why militarism had to be present in the opening ceremony in the form of flag bearers from the various British Armed forces. Why not previous gold medal winners or anybody rather than Captain Jingo and his buddies?

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    Mute Davy Soup
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    Jul 28th 2012, 1:12 AM

    The English love war & all that jazz. Just look at Central London. Statues erected to old Generals and soldiers everywhere. It’s in their DNA at this stage. Let them be. Great opening ceremony. Congrats all round.

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    Mute Annemarie Vaughan
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    Jul 28th 2012, 1:26 AM

    I agree,but they are members of the”world police”.It’s an extension of their manhood,the American’s are far worse at showing off their pecker.

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    Mute Clive Solas
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    Jul 28th 2012, 1:50 AM

    I thought they could have done without that alright, no need for a display of millitarism like that. Can’t remember if the Chinese did same last time round or even if the Americans did so when they hosted. The only millitarism I can remember being displayed at Olympics is Germany 1936.

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    Mute Graham Carrick
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    Jul 28th 2012, 9:58 AM

    Because the military is the reason the country exists. Otherwise the ceremony would have been in German with nazis everywhere

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    Mute jonathan kerr
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    Jul 28th 2012, 12:25 AM

    thanx for explaining that.. it was confuseing me and my mates… good read…

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    Mute plato
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    Jul 28th 2012, 12:48 AM

    Thanks.. A very well written article with a clear explanation of why there were independent athletes :-)

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    Mute Brian D. Brady
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    Jul 28th 2012, 12:50 AM

    Thanks, a story of the True Olympic Spirit

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    Mute mikeobrien4FM
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    Jul 28th 2012, 2:53 AM

    It’s these sort of articles that make the journal a great read. Well done Gavin.

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    Mute Wes Freeman
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    Jul 28th 2012, 12:50 AM

    what idiots vote some of these comments down?!

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    Mute Deborah Nolan Gregory
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    Jul 28th 2012, 12:53 AM

    Because they ARE idiots!!!

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    Mute Wes Freeman
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    Jul 28th 2012, 12:54 AM

    ah 2 more!

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    Mute jonathan kerr
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    Jul 28th 2012, 12:55 AM

    the rejects that always came last on their school sports day and are layed up at home 2 stoned to do anything.. cant wait 4 da game to start…. come on ireland .

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    Mute Cpm
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    Jul 28th 2012, 9:44 AM

    Is that English, Jonathan?

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    Mute Colin Byrne
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    Jul 28th 2012, 11:32 AM

    Can people please stop reacting to thumbs down. It’s always happened and always will. Reacting will not stop it!

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    Mute Deborah Nolan Gregory
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    Jul 28th 2012, 12:21 AM

    What happened to Kosovo? Did I miss them in the parade or did they get HOC recognition?

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    Mute Annemarie Vaughan
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    Jul 28th 2012, 12:50 AM

    Kosovo has been recognized by 91 countries. This isn’t enough to gain a seat at the UN and it makes it impossible for athletes to compete at the Olympics.The journal had an article on the issue last month.

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    Mute Stephen Mc Devitt
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    Jul 28th 2012, 7:49 AM

    Watched that last night wondering where the hell where these guys from! After reading your explanation I realised not only do I know but I’ve been there! Sint (Saint) Maarten is one of the most beautiful places on this earth, we stopped there while on a Carribean cruise! Met Hulk Hogan there!!! Cheers Gavan

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    Mute Patrick Kennedy
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    Jul 28th 2012, 4:07 AM

    Fantasic great to.see that if any them when.gold what anthem be played??

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    Mute Alanna Kennedy
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    Jul 28th 2012, 7:26 AM

    Patrick read the article again. It clearly states what happens.

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    Mute Rahim Abraham
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    Jul 28th 2012, 2:04 PM

    The five-ringed symbol “represents the UNION of the five continents and the meeting of athletes from throughout the world at the Olympic Games.” Baron Pierre de Coubertin conceived both the symbol and the flag. Not coincidentally, Coubertin was the founder of the modern Olympic Movement………………………………………………………..IOC, CURACAO is happy for the Athletes, but deeply disappointed our FLAG could not represent them in the games unifying the 5 Continents. Curacao was born 10-10-2010 and feels already not unified to the Continents

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    Mute Eamon Aylward
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    Jul 29th 2012, 7:43 AM

    Another question: Why are Hong Kong and China two separate teams?

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    Mute Lorraine Ní Bhealatúin
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    Jul 29th 2012, 12:07 PM

    When Hong Kong was returned from British to Chinese sovereignty in 1997, it was under the “one country, two systems” principle so Hong Kong is a Special Autonomous Region of the PR Chine, and retains many of the attributes of an independent country including its own currency and its own Olympic Committee. Same as Macau.

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