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Your support makes all the difference.Q. Which country has won the most Olympic medals per head of population? I would guess that New Zealand, with a population of just over 3,000,000, would be a front-runner.
A. Up to and including the summer and winter Olympic Games of 1984 for which I have figures, relatively small and affluent countries head the list of medals per head of population.
With eight medals and a population of about 28,000, Liechtenstein comes in first, thanks to the skiing medals of Hanni and Andreas Wenzel - the equivalent of 288.8 medals per million of population. The principality is followed by Finland (80.3), Norway (70.7) and Sweden (63.0), all boosted by winter success. Next comes Hungary, Switzerland, Denmark and the former East Germany. New Zealand comes in 15th with 11.8 and Britain leads the list of "big" nations with 10.4 in 17th place. The respective figures for France, Germany, the US and the former Soviet Union are 9.5, 9.2, 7.4 and 3.7. - Dominic A Kirk, Frome
Q. West Bromwich Albion must be sick of Stoke City after their 1-0 defeat by the Potters in December. Since beating Stoke 6-0 on 18 December 1988 at the Hawthorns, WBA have failed to win in any of the next 13 meetings. Can any other club justify the title of "the mother of all bogey teams"?
A. Preston's recent record against Blackpool makes a mockery of the theory that derby matches are tight affairs. North End are unbeaten at home in the derby since 1974, and have won seven of those 10 league and cup games. In the same period, they have won two and drawn two of their six visits to Bloomfield Road.
In the last encounter, in 1992, Tony Ellis scored a match-winning hat- trick for Preston, securing their first win there since 1960. He ended 1992-93 with six goals in three games against the Tangerines but left Deepdale later to join ... Blackpool. - Gavin Willacy, St Albans
Q. Who was the first boxer to win world titles at different weights?
A. On 30 July 1884 Jack Dempsey, the "Nonpareil" from Co Kildare beat George Fulljames, of Toronto, in 22 rounds at Great Kills, Staten Island, New York, to win the vacant world middleweight title. Because both men scaled well within the welterweight limit, Dempsey was able to to claim that title as well. The welterweight title was also vacant, having laid dormant for several years. Interestingly, the Dempsey-Fulljames bout was the first world championship fought with gloves and under the Queensberry rules. - Sam Stephen, London NW3
A. The first man to hold titles at three weights simultaneously was Henry "Homicide Hank" Armstrong (1912-88). The American was featherweight, lightweight and welterweight champion between August and December 1938. It is possible, however, that Barney Ross (1909-67), another American, was the lightweight, junior-welterweight and welterweight champion between 28 May and 17 September 1934, though there is doubt as to when he relinquished his lightweight title. - Tim Mickleburgh, Grimsby
ANSWERS PLEASE
Q. What has become of the stadiums previously used by football teams such as Millwall, Middlesbrough and Huddersfield, who have moved on? - Adrian Brodkin, London N2
Q. Is Tranmere Rovers the only senior British football club without a supporters' club (official or otherwise) or a fanzine? - Steve McKeown, Nottingham Q. What is the longest time a League football club has gone without being awarded a penalty? - Martin Steenson, London W6
Q. The United States will stage the Olympics this year just 12 years after it last did. Is this a record? And which country has has had most unsuccessful applications to hold the Games? - Richard Shipley, Otley
If you know the answers to any of these questions or have a question of your own, write to: Q & A, Sports Desk, Independent on Sunday, 1 Canada Square, London E14 5DL. Fax 0171-293 2894
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