Iraqis delighted just to be here

Not all Olympic dreams are about winning gold medals. For some competitors, like the three who represented Iraq at the Beijing Games, simply taking part is reward enough.

"It is the dream of every Iraqi athlete and a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to be part of the Games," Tiras Anwaya, chef de mission of the Iraqi team, told China Daily yesterday.

"We have done our best," he said.