The non-independent territories of the Caribbean and Pacific : continuity or change?

Abstract

Those observing the dazzling opening ceremony of the London 2012 Olympic Games may have noticed that not all athletes were marching proudly behind their national flag. There were at least two ‘independent athletes’ marching behind the Olympic five-circle flag: Philippe van Aanholt (sailing) and Reginald de Windt (judo). They are from the former country of the Netherlands Antilles, which was ‘dissolved’ on 10 October 2010; and so the Netherlands Antilles Olympic Committee had its membership in the International Olympic Committee (IOC) withdrawn. That would have left these two Olympic-standard athletes without a nation to compete for in London. And so, Philippe and Reginald were allowed to participate in the Games as independent athletes, even though they could have chosen to compete for Aruba or the Netherlands, as they both have Dutch nationality.