Low Population Countries and Sporting Excellence

[stavros]

That's one way of looking at it.

If you're very sneaky you can say England have won more World Cups than Germany, who's 1954, 1974 and 1990 wins were all as West Germany.

 

[gorski]

0) Totally agree, Slovenia recently for qualifying for Euro 2000 and WC 2002 -- a fantastic achievement.

1) There hasn't been an awful lot more though, to be honest, has there. Some skiers, Debevc, the rowers. The current "fastest white man in the world" or some such racist nonsense.

2) Hungarian-American composer Sigmund Romberg?

0) Sure and much more - basketball and onwards. Team sports and individually, sure...

1) Well, they always have some outstanding athlete, women or men... From Cerar to Rok Petrovich and then that sprinter, whatshername etc.

2) Indeed, that's the one! [American? Hmmmm...]

3) Can you imagine a 7000 weak population with so many Olympians and world/EU etc. champions? Well, I grew up in one...

But, I mean, Croatia is not bad right now... Swimming, handball, water polo, football, tennis, some athletes [high-jump etc.] and so on....

I call such places a Harlem/ghetto of EU - you can only get out by sport, gangsterism and suchlike...

 

[Johnny Canuck3]

That doesn't really tell the whole story though, you would be better looking at the number of registered players rather than the population. If you did that you would probably view Sweden as the giants of hockey as they have a sixth of your players.

Sweden's population is about a third of ours. That means they should have a third of our players. Seeing as how they have only one half that many, it makes them veritable hockey midgets.

 

[BlackArab]

This was caused by Moons' Grandad with slave tattoo thread.
Jamaica and Australia must be the most most successful countries for poplulation and sporting medals.
Is it possible that the hardships that the previous populations endurered getting to Jamaica and Austaralia resulted in a Eugenics by survival?

On that note, I remember seeing a 100m final years ago where the top three consisted of three Jamaicans, although two were running for the countries they had migrated including our Linford.