In profile

Field and track Maryam Yusuf Jamal (women's 1,500m) - Age 23. A middle distance runner who has been compared to Britain's gold medallist Dame Kelly Holmes, Maryam is Ethiopian by birth but was refused permission to represent her homeland by the Ethiopian Athletic Federation.

She and her husband and trainer Tareq were granted Bahraini citizenship in 2005 and, though she has had many other triumphs including a world championship title, she now has one thought in her mind "To win the Olympics for Bahrain".

Ruqaya Mansoor Al Ghasra (women's 200m) - Age 25

The sprinter, who set a new Arab record in the women's 200m at the Golden Gala meeting in Rome last month, has been hailed as a role model for all Arab and Muslim women for her practice of running in a hijab with her arms and legs covered... and winning.

Nadia Mohamed Idrees Al Jafini (women's marathon) - Age 28

The Moroccan-born Bahraini national has been competing internationally since the age of 18 when she ran the 5,000m and took fourth ranking at the World Junior Championships at Annecy, France.

She has since gone on to compete all over the world in distances including 10,000m, half marathon and marathon.

Rasheed Abdulqader Ramzi (men's 1,500, 5,000m) - Age 28

In the past Ramzi has competed for Morocco but he is now a Bahraini citizen.

In 2005, he became the first athlete in history to win gold medals in the 800m and 1,500m in the same World Championship, and the first man to perform this feat in a global championship (World Championship or Olympic Games) since Peter Snell in 1964.

Yusuf Saad Kamel (men's 800, 1,500m) - Age 25

Born Gregory Konchellah, in Narok, Kenya, Kamel took an Arabic name and now represents Bahrain.

He comes from a famous running family - his father being a double World Championship gold medal winner.

He is coached by Ricky Simms and was bronze medal winner at the World Indoor Championships in Valencia earlier this year.

Tarek Mubarek Salem Taher (men's 3,000m steeplechase) - Age 20

A middle distance runner who represents Bahrain after changing nationality from Kenya.

His personal best time of 8:07.12 minutes is also the Bahraini national record and he is 14th in the world rankings.

Belal Mansoor Ali (men's 800, 1,500m) - Age 19

Another former Kenyan, he took silver at the 2006 Asian Games in the 1,500m and has personal bests of 1:44:02 in the 800m and 3:31:49 in the 1,500m.

Mahboob Ali Hasan Mahboob (men's 5,000, 10,000m) - Age 26

Kenyan-born Mahboob became a Bahraini ahead of the 2006 season.

In his early career he concentrated on road running and his debut in track racing came at the 2006 Asian Games where he won the 10,000m.

He took a bronze medal at the 2007 Asian Championships and his personal best times are 13:18:98 at 5,000m and 27:24:46 at 10,000m, both achieved within the last few months.

Aadam Ismaeel Khamis (men's 5,000m) - Age 19

Another former Kenyan, in 2006 Khamis won a bronze medal over 3,000m at the Asian Indoor Athletics Championships.

At the World Junior Championships in Beijing the same year he won a bronze at 10,000m and finished fifth in the 5,000m. His personal best in the 5,000m is 13:19:27 achieved in July last year.

Al Mustafa Mohamed Riadh (men's marathon) - Age 32

Moroccan-born Riyadh now competes for Bahrain and ran a personal best of 2:11:41 in Dusseldorf earlier this year.

Abdulhak Elgorche Zakariya (men's marathon) - Age 34

The Moroccan-born runner also now competes for Bahrain and ran a personal best slightly faster than his team mate at 2:11:37 in Dusseldorf in May.

Stephen Laruna Kamar (men's marathon) - 30

Former Kenyan who won the Hong Kong Marathon in 2007 with a time of 2:17:03 and took Bahraini citizenship a month later.

He ran a personal best of 2:13:22 in Dusseldorf earlier this year.

Swimming

Sameera Zeid Waled Al Bitar (women's 50m freestyle) - Age 18

Al Bitar has just graduated from Bahrain School and will be attending George Washington University, in Washington DC, where she hopes to make the swim team.

She took part in the 2004 Athens Olympics and broke her own record at the Asian Games clocking 1:05:00 in the 100m freestyle and 30:58 seconds in the 50m which she hopes to better in Beijing.

Omar Yusuf Mohamed Jassim (men's 50m freestyle) - Age 17

See Pages 24-25

Shooting

Salman Zaman (men's 50m rifle prone) - Age 28

Zaman has competed at many international events. At the World Cup 2006 at Fort Benning, Georgia, US, he took 597 points out of a possible 600 and has achieved second place at the Six Nations Gulf Cup in Doha in 2004, 2005 and 2006.

- Compiled by Liz O'Reilly