Yomi Omogbeja (17/08/2004)

American college graduate Roberto Caracciolo will be hoping to quash forever the legend of compatriot Eric ‘The Eel’ Moussambani when he compete for Equatorial Guinea in Athens.

The 22-year-old psychology graduate from the University of Albany in New York was selected to run the 1500m after missing out on his specialty, the 3000m steeplechase, due to eligibility rules for smaller nations.

Born in Barcelona to a US diplomat, Rob had lived in the United States for 13 years and has never even met Moussambani.

But he knows the focus of the world will be on him on Friday, as he was always going to be compared to his countryman who made Olympic history in Sydney when he struggled to finish a 100m swimming heat.

Eric couldn’t make the games this time around because officials misplaced his passport photograph, so the hope of the country lies on his shoulder.

Rob told BBC sport in Athens that if Eric had made it to the Olympics he would had taken some of the heat off him.

He said: "I always give 110% and I hope that I can squash the 'Eric the Eel' comparisons.

"But I can't fault him too much. He just did his own thing and, like myself, he jumped at the opportunity that was given to him.

"He did not know the repercussions. Unfortunately it's something the rest of us are going to have to live with for many, many years."

However he had no illusions about his task on Friday. Coached by Steve Clarke, Rob has been toughening himself mentally and physically to deal with it.

He wrote in his personal web log: “I have no fears of taking the lead if they decided to turn the race into a sit and kick affair.

“I clearly don't have the finishing speed of the top guys and can't afford to let the pace dwindle to a 2:04 or slower at the half way point.”

He only qualified to run for Equatorial Guinea because his mother Nuria was born there and he lived there briefly when he was a child.

Rob excelled in steeplechase, cross country and distance running while at college and he was a runner-up in the American East Conference championships in 2004.