Small countries that punch above their weight

[malks222]

gshughes said:

After their recent win in the America's Cup and the continuing excellence of the All Blacks, the argument can be made that in international sport New Zealand punch above the weight of their small population. On another thread someone wondered what other countries were similar or better. I'm Scottish, so put together a list off the top of my head of Scottish world class performers and it is a long one (and probably loads I have missed), possibly better than New Zealand. Does anyone have any similar lists for other small countries? The Netherlands is one that springs to mind. Australia have lots of sporting stars but a relatively large population at 23 million:

Ecurie Ecosse (1956 and 1957 Le Mans Winners)
Jackie Stewart (three times F1 Drivers Champion)
Jim Clark (twice F1 Drivers Champion)
The Lisbon Lions (Celtic European Cup Winners 1967)
David Wilkie
Alan Wells
Liz McColgan
Kenny Dalgleish
Graham Souness
Sandy Lyle
Colin McRae
Louise Aitken-Walker
Dario Franchitti
David Coulthard
Steve Hislop
Paul di Resta
Graeme Obree
Robert Millar
David Millar
Chris Hoy
Mark Beaumont
Callum Skinner
Kathryn Grainger
Stephen Hendry (is snooker a sport?)
Jocky Wilson (ditto darts!)
The Rugby Union Team (currently 5th in the IRB World Rankings, would include such as Gavin Hastings, John Jeffery and a few others who would have got into world teams of their era, arguably Stewart Hogg in a few years if he can improve his defence)
Andy Murray
Jamie Murray

can I add in:

campbell walsh- canoe slalom silver athens olympics, numerous other medals along the way
David florence- as above- double olympic medals (beijing and london)
tim baillie- canoe slalom- gold at london

shirley robertson- olympic sailing

eve muirhead- curling
david murdoch- curling

michael jamieson- swimming
robbie renwick- swimming

alan baxter- skiing?!?!?!

[gshughes]

I'll add some of those folk in when I'm on a PC. I edited my list to add John Cleland as I watched an old round of the World Touring Car championship the other day, and he was leading at one point till he was punted off.

Wasn't Alan Baxter the first Brit to win a Winter Olympics medal until he was unluckily stripped of it for using the wrong kind of Vicks nasal medication? The stuff he usually used at home would have been fine.

Edited by gshughes on Friday 24th November 15:40