London Olympics 2012: Countries Who Will Shock the World

The Summer Olympics always feature several twists and turns and the 2012 London Games will certainly have a few surprises.

Countries such as the United States and China will lead the overall medal count, and the popular events such as basketball and football will all be won by traditional powers.

But the Olympics feature athletes from 204 different countries competing in 26 sports. 

During every Olympiad, a tiny nation wins a medal against all odds. Here are the three countries that will be the biggest surprises this summer.

Estonia

This tiny Eastern European nation has a population of roughly 1.3 million people, but it boasts an Olympic roster of 34 athletes.

The most successful of all the Estonians in London is Gerd Kanter, who won the gold medal for the discus in 2008. He took silver at the 2011 World Championships and the 2012 European Championships, giving him an excellent shot at gold this summer.

The Estonians will likely feel out of place, considering that London holds around seven times as many people as their entire country.

Kanter will almost certainly medal and one of his 33 teammates may have a surprise in store. Estonia will be one of the smallest nations to earn a medal, and if Kanter wins gold again, they will likely be the tiniest country to put an athlete on the tallest podium.

Iceland

Iceland’s handball team made a surprising run to earn a silver medal in 2008, and the team is hoping to cause a similar stir in London.

Winning a silver medal in a team competition is a nearly unfathomable accomplishment for a country that has just 320,000 people. The city of Bakersfield, California has more people. 

The handball team makes up a significant portion the nation’s 28 Olympians. The team will be returning all three players who were named to the tournament’s All-Star team in Beijing. 

They will once again face monumental odds, but these underdogs could shock the world and win a medal for an incredibly tiny country.

South Sudan

Technically, South Sudan will not be represented in the Olympics, but Guor Marial knows who he is running for.

Marial will run the marathon and will officially compete under the Olympic flag, but he was born in the world’s newest country and refused to represent the fledgling nation's northern neighbor. 

The people of South Sudan voted in a 2011 referendum on a proposed break from the Khartoum government it was tied to, and over 99 percent of the population favored independence.

The country of South Sudan has already shocked the world by gaining its independence. It is still one of the poorest areas of the world, and Marial’s performance in London will likely be an inspiration to all able to watch him.