One Ping Only

After 12 days of Olympic competition, there are 22 countries which have earned but one medal. Of those 22, only 5 have garnered the elusive gold as their lone medal. So, of course, we'll highlight them and ignore the loser silver and bronze solo medalists. That's the breaks. I imagine for the five below, if the Olympics ended today, they'd be national heroes? (or at least I think they would...I must admit I'm not entirely familiar with the reception a Women's Triple Jump gold medalist might get in Cameroon**)

Bahrain - Rashid Ramzi
Track and Field/Men's 1500m
All Mr. Ramzi did was win Bahrain its first Olympic medal...ever. They've been entering Olympics since 1984 and coming home each year with nothing but Rod Roddy's parting gifts to show for it. And you know Morocco's gotta be pissed...Ramzi is Moroccan born. He and Bahrain have one GOLD medal. Morocco? One little bronze. Point Bahrain.

Cameroon - Francoise Mbango Etone
Track and Field/Women's Triple Jump
Francoise Mbango Etone of Cameroon has been here before. In 2004 in Athens she won Cameroon's first gold medal (again, ever) in this very same event. In fact, this time around she set an Olympic Record to boot: 15.39 meters (seems pretty damn far to me).
**Well, based on this, I'd say she does indeed get a heroes welcome:
“Yesterday was Cameroon’s day of glory at the Beijing Olympic Games,” wrote the Cameroon Tribune. “The green-red-yellow flag was paraded around the capacity full Beijing Olympic stadium by the nation’s golden girl.”

Panama - Irving Jahir Saladino Aranda
Track and Field/Men's Long Jump
Irving just won Panama their first gold medal...ever. Seems to be a recurring theme. Maybe he and Rashid should hang out, play Risk or something. Total number of medals Panama has in the history of the modern Olympics? Three.

Thailand - Prapawadee Jaroenrattanatarakoon
Weightlifting/Women's 53kg
Come on, honestly, take a look at that name again? That has to be the best name in the 2008 Olympic Games, bar none. I mean, seriously? That is awesome. It's no secret that certain members of this editorial staff really like their female weightlifters, so they'll be happy to know Prap Jar (for short) set an Olympics record with her 126kg lift in the second clean & jerk. She finished with a 221kg total after topping out at 95kg in the snatch. Typing those things make me laugh.

Tunisia - Oussama Mellouli
Swimming/Men's 1500m Freestyle
Oh good, the redemption story of our group, someone get Mary Carillo out of her pod. Mellouli won the 1500m free on Sunday to claim Tunisia's first gold medal since the '68 Mexico City games. The kicker - he won this gold after returning from a doping ban. It's the Olympics, second chances for all. Oussama got banned for 18 months for popping greenies, but that's all behind him now. Tunisia has gold again.