Nagmeldin Ali Abubakr - Athletics

Kitted out in gear donated by a British aid agency and training in a half-finished stadium in Darfur, this Sudanese speedster has done it tough. He has faced civil war for most of his life although largely brought on by the Darfuris, which his Zaghawa tribe was a member of. Many believe the Sudanese should not be part of the Olympic Games because of the supposed genocide that has torn his country apart but his camp believes Ali running will help his and many other Sudanese families.

Liu Xiang Hurdles

The pin up boy of Chinese athletics. Liu Xiang became the first Chinese athlete to hold the ''triple crown'' of athletics world record holder, world champion and Olympic champion concurrently, when he claimed the world title in Osaka last year. But even though he has been the dominant force in the 110m hurdles since his shock gold at the Athens Olympics, the 25-year-old is virtually an unknown in Australia. That will change if he can match his Athens feat on home soil.

Federica Pellegrini Swimming

Italy's 200m freestyle champion is bound to make headlines in Beijing and not just for her athletic prowess. The 19-year-old is part of a poolside love triangle involving fellow Italian swimmer Luca Marin and his former fiance and French freestyle queen Laure Manaudou. Not only did Pellegrini hook up with Marin after he was dumped by Manaudou in 2007, she also broke her world record in the semi-finals of a meet in Melbourne that same year. Manaudou bounced back to win the final, setting the stage for an intriguing Olympic final in Beijing.

Donna MacFarlane Steeplechase

Women's steeplechase makes its Olympic debut at Beijing and this 31-year-old Hobart mum could well finish on the podium. A former Australian junior champion, MacFarlane retired from athletics in 2000 to have a family. After six years away from the sport she won the bronze medal at the 2006 Commonwealth Games in Melbourne. This year she has been in great form and finished third at the IAAF Oslo Golden League to demolish the Australian record by six seconds, running 9.18.35. Her long-term coach Max Cherry died of a heart attack on April 28 aged 81. She is now being advised by Peter Fortune and he is looking to erase the disappointment of withdrawing mid-race with a sore and bloody foot after losing her shoe during the 2007 world championships.

Natalie du Toit

Open-water swimming

Du Toit will become just the second amputee ever to compete in an Olympic Games and while she is unlikely to win a medal, she is sure to win plenty of admirers. The 24-year-old had her left leg amputated at the knee in 2001 after she was involved in a car accident while riding home from swimming training on a scooter. She now swims without the aid of a prosthetic limb and also qualified for the Paralympics.

Blanka Vlasic High jump

The current high jump world champion is just 24, but Beijing will be her third Olympics. After failing to medal at her last two attempts she is desperate to add to the gold she claimed at the world championships last year. Blanka was named after Casablanca, a city where her father competed at the 1983 Mediterranean Games around the time of her birth. Vlasic has an unbeaten streak of 34 competitions and has a reputation for striking poses after she clears a height, something that could win or lose her fans in Beijing, but only time will tell.

By David Jean, Daniel MacDonald