Caribbean and Latin American athletic aspirations.

• Author: Atance, Christian

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The personal effort required is immense, there is little outside support, and rewards are few. In fact, the only prize most athletes will take home from the Vancouver Winter Olympics in 2010 will be the satisfaction that they made it there at all. Still, a few hope to make a place for themselves in history.

In 1928, a group of well-heeled and fearless Argentines who vacationed in Switzerland took up an interest in the bobsleigh and decided to try their luck at the II Winter Games in Saint Moritz. Against all odds, the Argentina I sled finished fourth, just seven-tenths of a second away from the bronze medal. More than 80 years later, no Latin American or Caribbean country has yet placed higher at the Winter Games.

Countries from the region have not participated in the Winter Olympics very often, and when they have joined the fray, they have not often been very competitive. Only one quarter of the region's 40 nations expect to be represented at the upcoming winter games in Vancouver 2010.

The biggest obstacle for many athletes is the lack of economic resources. "Winter sports are not popular in our countries," Werner Hoeger, a Venezuelan and two-time Olympian in luge concedes. "Sports authorities don't have much interest in promoting them because they can't really be practiced in our climates. And since only a few people participate in them, it's hard to drum up much economic support." With a very few exceptions, it has also been very difficult to find support from the private sector in the form of sponsorships.

The comparison with teams from the stronger countries is stark. Latin American and Caribbean athletes often travel alone, hunting for the cheapest plane fares and lodging. "I don't have the resources for a coach, a personal trainer, a nutritionist, an equipment tech, or any of the other support systems that a lot of teams have in place," says Korath Wright, a snowboarder from the Bahamas who hopes to compete in Vancouver. His situation is similar to that of many other athletes in the region.

Another limiting factor is the complete lack of infrastructure for winter sports, for both economic and climatic reasons. Athletes interested in winter sports have to travels thousands of miles to tram or compete, so it's not surprising that almost half of all Latin American and Caribbean winter Olympic representatives live outside of the region, near winter training centers.

It is very hard for Latin American athletes to qualify for the Winter Games. Since there are no regional or continental qualifying rounds, they must compete with athletes representing countries from Europe, Asia, and North America. In some cases, they have to finish among the 30. 50. or 100 best ranked athletes in the world...