6. Dana Abdulrazak - most heroic runner

Iraq's Dana Hussein Abdulrazak compete during the women's 100m heat 2 at the "Bird's Nest" National Stadium as part of the 2008 Beijing Olympic Games on August 16, 2008. [Agencies]

Iraqi women runner Dana Abdul-Razzaq has received as loud applause as champions. The Iraqi team's only woman faced many obstacles to reach Beijing, from a sniper's bullets to a lack of training facilities and religious and cultural opposition to female athletes.

Before the Olympics, she was told that Iraq was shut out of the international sports gala. When her coach consoled her by saying that she could take part in the 2012 Olympics, she broke into tears, "who knows if I could live that long!"