San Marino is the third smallest state in Europe after the Holy See and Monaco, about 0.3 times the size of Washington, DC. It is landlocked, totally surrounded by Italy, which will be hosting the Winter Olympics next month. The population is 28,880, and they are hoping one of those people will be able to compete in the games. Their sole remaining hope is Marino Cardelli, an 18-year-old skier who has been trying desperately to raise his world rankings to a qualifying level. According to the W$J,

He started skiing at age 4 and competing at 6, but he began thinking seriously about making a run for the Olympics only a year ago. He skipped some school for extra training and spent part of his summer vacation skiing at high altitudes in the Alps.

He placed high in competitions at the end of last season, putting him within a hair of qualifying for Turin. But in the first race of this season, in November, he wiped out and suffered a shoulder injury that sidelined him for a month. When he picked up training again, he sliced his hand open while waxing his skis and needed 10 stitches.

After that he entered a few small races, hoping for just one strong finish -- which will give him a shot at qualifying. Last Wednesday he washed out, placing 66th.

Cardelli has done better recently, and his strong finishes in his last races may put him over the hump. He will find out soon, perhaps as early as today. There are 202 national Olympic Committees in the world, but fewer than 50 countries will compete in Turin. I hope San Marino is one of them.

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