:Independent Olympic Athletes at the 2012 Summer Olympics
{{infobox country at games
| NOC = IOA
| NOCname =
| games = Summer Olympics
| year = 2012
| flagcaption = Olympic Flag
| oldcode =
| website =
| location = London
| competitors = 4
| sports = 3
| flagbearer = Brooklyn Kerlin
| rank =
| gold =
| silver =
| bronze =
| officials =
| appearances = auto
| app_begin_year =
| app_end_year =
| summerappearances =
| winterappearances =
| seealso = {{flagIOC|AHO}} (1952–2008)
{{flagIOC|SUD}} (1960–2008)
{{flagIOC|ARU}} (2016–)
{{flagIOC|NED}} (2016–)
{{flagicon|SSD}} South Sudan (2016–)
}}
Four independent Olympic Athletes competed at the 2012 Summer Olympics in London, the United Kingdom.{{cite web |url=http://www.london2012.com/country/independent-olympic-athletes/index.html |title=Independent Olympic Athletes |website=London2012.com |publisher=London 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games |url-status=dead |archive-url=http://webarchive.nationalarchives.gov.uk/20130228101332/http://www.london2012.com/country/independent-olympic-athletes/index.html |archive-date=2013-02-28}} These were athletes from the former Netherlands Antilles, and from the newly formed state of South Sudan. This was the third time that athletes had competed as independent participants in the Olympics.{{cite web |title=Independent Olympic Athletes: Olympians Without A Country |url=http://freakyphenomena.com/article/independent-olympic-athletes-olympians-without-country |website=FreakyPhenomena.com |access-date=7 August 2012 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120808233700/http://freakyphenomena.com/article/independent-olympic-athletes-olympians-without-country |archive-date=8 August 2012 |url-status=live |df=dmy-all }}{{cite web |title=Independent Independent / Individual Olympic Participants |url=http://www.topendsports.com/events/summer/countries/independent.htm |website=TopEndSports.com |access-date=7 August 2012 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120504181239/http://www.topendsports.com/events/summer/countries/independent.htm |archive-date=2012-05-04}} None of the athletes won an Olympic medal.
Background
=Netherlands Antilles=
The Netherlands Antilles Olympic Committee, which had planned to continue functioning after the dissolution of the Netherlands Antilles in October 2010, had its membership withdrawn by the IOC Executive Committee at the IOC session of July 2011. However, athletes from the former Netherlands Antilles who qualified for the 2012 Olympics were allowed to participate independently under the Olympic flag, in addition to the possibility of competing for the Netherlands (as for example Churandy Martina did) or Aruba (because they have Dutch nationality).{{cite web |title=Curtain comes down on 123rd IOC Session |url=http://www.olympic.org/ioc?articlenewsgroup=-1&articleid=133159 |website=Olympic.org |publisher=International Olympic Committee |access-date=11 July 2011 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120815031443/http://www.olympic.org/ioc?articlenewsgroup=-1&articleid=133159 |archive-date=2012-08-15}} Ultimately, three athletes from the Netherlands Antilles participated as independent Olympic athletes.
=South Sudan=
South Sudan gained its independence from Sudan in July 2011. As of the 2012 Summer Olympics, it had not formed a National Olympic Committee.{{cite web |title=Shaheen Urges IOC to Allow New Hampshire Runner and Sudan Refugee to Compete in Olympics As an Independent Athlete |url=http://www.shaheen.senate.gov/news/press/release/?id=e06abcd3-1cf1-4049-bc14-fc90748d83ba |website=Shaheen.Senate.gov |publisher=Office of Senator Jeanne Shaheen |access-date=14 February 2014 |quote=However, South Sudan is only a year old and has yet to form a National Olympic Committee of its own. |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140222185323/http://www.shaheen.senate.gov/news/press/release/?id=e06abcd3-1cf1-4049-bc14-fc90748d83ba |archive-date=22 February 2014 |df=dmy-all |url-status=live }} Athletes from this nation were therefore unable to enter with a National Olympic Committee (NOC). Guor Marial qualified for the men's marathon and competed as an independent Olympian.{{cite web |title=Runner without country to compete at Olympics |url=https://www.espn.com/olympics/summer/2012/trackandfield/story/_/id/8186507/2012-olympics-runner-country-compete-olympics |website=ESPN.go.com |publisher=Associated Press |access-date=21 July 2012}}{{cite web |title=Passport-less athlete approved to compete |url=http://www.olympic.org/news/ioc-executive-board-meets-ahead-of-london-games/168640 |website=Olympic.org |publisher=International Olympic Committee |access-date=21 July 2012}}
Opening ceremony
Brooklyn Kerlin was the flag bearer of the athletes during the opening ceremony. She was chosen by her peers to represent the "makers of the Olympics".{{cite web |url=http://www.podium.ac.uk/news/view/950/richmond-upon-thames-college-alumnus-flag-bearer-for-independent-olympic-athletes-in-the-opening-ceremony |title=Richmond upon Thames College alumnus flag bearer for Independent Olympic Athletes in the Opening Ceremony |website=Podium.ac.uk |access-date=3 August 2012 |date=29 July 2012 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120801113002/http://www.podium.ac.uk/news/view/950/richmond-upon-thames-college-alumnus-flag-bearer-for-independent-olympic-athletes-in-the-opening-ceremony |archive-date=1 August 2012 }} Hannah Bailes, a London 2012 Ceremonies Cast Member, who was also a volunteer, was selected to carry the Independent Olympic Athletes placard.
Sports
=Athletics=
{{main|Athletics at the 2012 Summer Olympics}}
{{smalldiv|1=
;Key
- Note–Ranks given for track events are within the athlete's heat only
- Q = Qualified for the next round
- N/A = Round not applicable for the event}}
;Men
| class="wikitable" style="font-size:95%" |
| rowspan="2"|Athlete
!rowspan="2"|From !rowspan="2"|Event !colspan="2"|Heat !colspan="2"|Semifinal !colspan="2"|Final |
|---|
| style="font-size:90%"
!Result !Rank !Result !Rank !Result !Rank |
| align=center
|align=left|Liemarvin Bonevacia |align=left|{{flagicon|Curaçao}} Curaçao |align=left|400 m |45.60 |3 Q |1:36.42 |8 |colspan=2|Did not advance |
| align=center
|align=left|Guor Marial |align=left|{{flagicon|South Sudan}} South Sudan |align=left|Marathon |colspan=4 {{n/a}} |2:19:32 |47 |
=Judo=
{{main|Judo at the 2012 Summer Olympics}}
| class="wikitable" style="font-size:95%"
!rowspan="2"|Athlete !rowspan="2"|From !rowspan="2"|Event !Round of 64 !Round of 32 !Round of 16 !Quarterfinals !Semifinals !Repechage !colspan=2|Final / {{abbr|BM|Bronze medal match}} |
| style="font-size:90%"
!Opposition !Opposition !Opposition !Opposition !Opposition !Opposition !Opposition !Rank |
| align=center
|align=left|Reginald de Windt{{cite web |url=http://www.intjudo.eu/upload/2012_05/09/133654270342666461/ijf_qualification_list_olympic_games_2012___by_category.pdf |title=Qualification summary |website=IntJudo.eu |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130619190543/http://www.intjudo.eu/upload/2012_05/09/133654270342666461/ijf_qualification_list_olympic_games_2012___by_category.pdf |archive-date=2013-06-19 }} |align=left|{{flagicon|Curaçao}} Curaçao |align=left|Men's −81 kg |{{n/a|Bye}} |{{flagIOCathlete|Nifontov|RUS|2012 Summer}} |colspan=6|Did not advance |
=Sailing=
{{main|Sailing at the 2012 Summer Olympics}}
;Women
| class="wikitable" style="font-size:95%"
!rowspan="2"|Athlete !rowspan="2"|From !rowspan="2"|Event !colspan=11|Race !rowspan=2|Net points !rowspan=2|Final rank |
| style="font-size:90%"
!1 !2 !3 !4 !5 !6 !7 !8 !9 !10 !M* |
| align=center
|align=left|Philipine van Aanholt |align=left|{{flagicon|Curaçao}} Curaçao |align=left|Laser Radial |36 | |38 |29 |33 |37 |16 |27 |42 |37 |EL |291 |36 |
M = Medal race; EL = Eliminated – did not advance into the medal race;