Santo Domingo.- The London 2012 Olympic Games begin Friday and Dominican Republic’s 35 athletes who‘ll compete in ten disciplines have high hopes of medals in four.

Luguelin Santos is a medal hopeful in the 400 meters; Yudelkis Contreras in weightlifting, Gabriel Mercedes in taekwondo and Yamilet Peña in freestyle gymnastics.

Among the locals who’ll debut Saturday stand out Lin Ju in table tennis; Dorian McMenemy, swimming, Willian Encarnacion and Junior Castillo, Boxing, Beatriz Piron, weightlifting and women's volleyball team, all competitions are eliminatory.

Throughout Olympic Games history Dominican Republic has participated in 12, winning medals in three, with Beijing 2008 its best; Felix Diaz’s gold in boxing with and Gabriel Mercedes’ silver in taekwondo.

In the 2004 Athens Games Felix Sanchez’s 400 meter hurdles victory was the country’s first ever Olympic gold, while Pedro Julio Nolasco won the boxing bronze in Los Angeles in 1984.