What does it feel like to be your country’s only Olympic athlete?

As the only athlete sent by his country to the Paris Olympics, sprinter Shaun Gill is enjoying his temporary status as the “most famous man” in Belize.

He is one of four athletes sent to the 2024 Olympics as the sole representative of his country, a responsibility that brings pride – and a little anxiety.

Solo athletes told the BBC that their job can be lonely, but being the default flag bearer for their country at the opening ceremony is really exciting.

The 31-year-old told the BBC that following Gill’s sudden rise to fame, other people in the sports community ran up to him to ask for his autograph.

“I joked with a friend that I might need a security team,” he laughs.

Larger Olympic delegations – such as those sent by the United States and Great Britain – can choose their flag bearers from a pool of hundreds of athletes.

But Belize, a Central American country with a population of less than half a million, has only one candidate — as do Liechtenstein, Nauru and Somalia.

Gill waved his country’s flag with all the patriotic fervor he could muster as he and other athletes paraded along the Seine River in boats. He became famous for his spirited efforts in the pouring rain.

Gill admitted that carrying the hopes of a nation was a pressure. He failed to progress to the men’s 100m final and blamed jet lag for not running as fast as he had hoped.

“When the performance is not good, I think, ‘Well, hopefully I don’t let people down,'” he said.

Somali runner Ali Idow Hassan is hoping he can do what Gill failed to do: win a medal at the Stade de France.

If Hassan is fast enough in the men’s 800m on Wednesday, he will advance to the semi-finals.

Otherwise, the East African nation’s Olympic medal hopes will be dashed in just over 100 seconds: the time it takes Hassan and his rivals to sprint down the track.

Some of the world’s smaller nations benefit from common rules designed to ensure diverse representation of nations throughout sporting competition.

Hassan, 26, told the BBC he was “very happy” to be his country’s sole envoy to Paris 2024, but admitted there was a downside: “I feel very sad being alone.”

But Hassan has made friends with athletes from other African countries. The experience of staying in the athletes’ village has been less isolating than expected, the athletes agree.

Romano Püntener, a mountain biker representing Liechtenstein, was chased right at the complex by none other than Andy Murray.

The tennis player wanted to exchange pin badges with Püntener, knowing that pin badges from Liechtenstein are rare. Pin badges are often exchanged between athletes when on international tours.

Liechtenstein is a small, landlocked country located between Austria and Switzerland, with a population of 38,000. Top athletes are few and far between.

The Olympics were an “unforgettable memory” for Püntener, who said he was delighted to receive the huge investment as his country’s only hope at the 2024 Games.

“That just helps me,” Püntener reflects. “We can really build the whole team around me, and I can decide who I want to have with me—and who I don’t want to have.”

The 20-year-old finished 28th in last week’s race, his first at the Olympics. But since he was not expected to win a medal, he was able to enjoy and appreciate the support of the 20 or 30 compatriots who came to cheer him on. Among them was the country’s prime minister.

But in the digital age, excessive support can become a distraction when athletes want to focus on serving their country.

“I feel like I get a message from every citizen living in Liechtenstein,” said Püntener.

Gill said he received “thousands” of well-wishes. “My phone crashed, my Instagram crashed,” he said. “I had to turn it off at some point because I couldn’t even get a moment of peace to myself… I really appreciate it, but I guess I’ve had to learn to manage it really quickly.”

Despite the huge support, these lone contenders are still facing difficulties in many ways.

Winzar Kakiouea competed in the men’s 100m for Nauru, a Pacific island that is the world’s smallest republic and heavily dependent on aid.

He told the New York Times that many people he met had never heard of his country (population: 11,000), where there isn’t even a real racetrack, just a “dirt track.”

When the Olympics are over and the attention turns to other things, these athletes will return to lives that may be very different from those of world sports superstars.

Gill has decided to retire from major racing and will now focus on training the next generation of athletes in Belize, as well as his future career as an engineer.

Püntener will return home to Schaan, in the mountains of Liechtenstein, a perfect place for cross-country cycling. “It feels like a big town to me,” he says.

Hassan will return to training in Ethiopia, although he hopes to one day live in his birth city of Mogadishu.

Speaking ahead of the men’s 800m race, he hoped that improved security in Somalia could help send more delegates to future Olympics.

Somalia has a population of 17 million people, but has suffered from civil war for decades.

“One day, there will be more athletes,” Nassan predicted. “Ten athletes, 100 athletes will be here.”