Shaun Gill is “The Most Famous Man” in Belize

As the only athlete sent by his country to the Olympics in Paris, sprinter Shaun Gill has been revelling in his temporary status as “the most famous man” in Belize.

He is one of four athletes sent to the 2024 Games as their nations' sole representative. It is a responsibility that brings pride - and some extra anxiety. Solo competitors told the BBC their jobs could be lonely, but being their nation’s default flagbearer during the opening ceremony had been exhilarating.

As a result of Gill's sudden celebrity, others in the athletes’ village have been chasing his autograph, the 31-year-old told the BBC. “I had a joke with one of my friends that I may need a security detail,” he laughed.

The larger Olympic delegations – such as those sent by the US and the UK – are able to choose their flagbearers from groups of hundreds of athletes. But Belize, a Central American nation with a population of less than half a million, had only one candidate - as did Liechtenstein, Nauru and Somalia. Gill waved his country’s flag with all the patriotic zeal he could muster, as he and other athletes paraded along the River Seine in boats. He went viral for his impassioned efforts in the driving rain.

Carrying the hopes of a nation was pressurising, Gill admitted. He did not advance to the men’s 100m final, and reflected that jet lag had left him unable to run as fast as he hoped.

“When the performance is lacking, I’m like, ‘Man, I hope I didn’t make you all disappointed,’” he said. But in a digital age, a deluge of support is capable of becoming a distraction when the sportsmen want to focus on delivering for their countries.

Gill said he had received “thousands” of well-wishes. “My phone freezes, my Instagram freezes,” he said. “I had to turn it off at one point because I couldn’t even have a moment of peace to myself... I do appreciate it, but I guess I had to just learn how to manage it real quick.”