BEIJING — An Iraqi sprinter whose coach had to bribe militiamen so she could train. A Palestinian swimmer unable to use the Olympic-size pool nearest her home. A pioneering runner from war-wracked Afghanistan who placed last in the 100 meters.

No medals await athletes like these, from beleaguered nations with scant sports resources. In some cases, their compatriots back home received only sketchy accounts — if any — about their performances.

Yet out of the spotlight, most of these long shots savor their Olympic moments as gratefully as any champion.

"It has been my dream," said the Palestinian swimmer, Zakia Nassar, after posting a 50-meter time nearly eight seconds off the pace in the early heats. "It's fine to be here."

She is one of two women on the four-member Palestinian team, along with sprinter Ghadir Ghurouf. Dubbed "The Gazelle of Jericho" by Palestinian newspapers, Ghurouf finished 71st in the 100-meter heats in 13.07, fast enough to set a Palestinian record.

Nassar, a 21-year-old dentistry student, is one of the few women from her region ever to swim in the Olympics. She did most of her training — sporadically and without a coach — in a 12-meter pool.