Refugee Olympic Team at the Olympics

Last updated

Refugee Olympic Team at the
Olympics
Olympic flag.svg
Athletes compete under the Olympic flag.
IOC code EOR
Medals
Gold
0
Silver
0
Bronze
1
Total
1
Summer appearances

The Refugee Olympic Team is a group made up of independent Olympic participants who are refugees. In March 2016, International Olympic Committee (IOC) President Thomas Bach announced the creation of the Refugee Olympic Athletes Team, as a symbol of hope for all refugees in the world in order to raise global awareness of the scale of the migrant crisis in Europe. In September 2017, the IOC established the Olympic Refuge Foundation to supporting refugees over the long term. [1] [2]

Contents

The Olympic flag and the Olympic Hymn are used as team symbols. The participating athletes marched in the opening ceremony of the 2016 Summer Olympics, with the team entering the stadium as the penultimate delegation, just before the host country. At the 2020 and 2024 Summer Olympics, the team entered the stadium second after Greece. [3]

At the 2016 Summer Olympics, the team used the IOC country code ROT. At the 2020 Summer Olympics, it was changed to EOR (an abbreviation of the French Équipe olympique des réfugiés). As of 2024, no refugee Olympic athletes had participated in the Winter Olympic Games, nor Youth Olympic Games (regardless of Summer or Winter).

The team was awarded the 2022 Princess of Asturias Award for Sport for giving athletes the opportunity in conflict zones and places where human rights are violated, preventing them from performing their sporting and personal activities. [4]

Cindy Ngamba became the first person to win an Olympic medal for the Refugee Olympic Team, winning a bronze medal in the women's 75kg boxing event at the 2024 Summer Olympics. [5] Kimia Alizadeh, who represented the Refugee Olympic Team at the 2020 Summer Olympics, won bronze at the 2022 European Taekwondo Championships while representing the Refugee Team, after previously winning bronze for Iran at the 2016 Summer Olympics, and before winning bronze for Bulgaria at the 2024 Summer Olympics.

Medal tables

Medals by Summer Games

GamesAthletesGoldSilverBronzeTotal Rank
2016 Rio de Janeiro 10 0000
2020 Tokyo 29 0000
2024 Paris 37 0011 84
2028 Los Angeles future event
2032 Brisbane
Total0011 151

List of medalists

MedalNameGamesSportEvent
Bronze medal icon.svg Bronze Cindy Ngamba 2024 Paris Boxing pictogram.svg Boxing Women's middleweight

Participations

This category was created in March 2016. The selection criteria include the sporting level, the official refugee status verified by the United Nations, the personal situation, and the background of each athlete.

2016 Summer Olympics

AthleteCountry of originHost NOCSportEvent
James Chiengjiek Flag of South Sudan.svg  South Sudan Flag of Kenya.svg  Kenya Athletics 400 m
Yiech Biel Flag of South Sudan.svg  South Sudan Flag of Kenya.svg  Kenya Athletics 800 m
Paulo Lokoro Flag of South Sudan.svg  South Sudan Flag of Kenya.svg  Kenya Athletics 1500 m
Yonas Kinde Flag of Ethiopia.svg  Ethiopia Flag of Luxembourg.svg  Luxembourg Athletics Marathon
Popole Misenga Flag of the Democratic Republic of the Congo.svg  Democratic Republic of Congo Flag of Brazil.svg  Brazil Judo 90 kg
Rami Anis Flag of Syria.svg  Syria Flag of Belgium (civil).svg  Belgium Swimming 100 m butterfly
Rose Lokonyen Flag of South Sudan.svg  South Sudan Flag of Kenya.svg  Kenya Athletics 800 m
Anjelina Lohalith Flag of South Sudan.svg  South Sudan Flag of Kenya.svg  Kenya Athletics 1500 m
Yolande Mabika Flag of the Democratic Republic of the Congo.svg  Democratic Republic of Congo Flag of Brazil.svg  Brazil Judo 70 kg
Yusra Mardini Flag of Syria.svg  Syria Flag of Germany.svg  Germany Swimming 100 m butterfly

2020 Summer Olympics

At its meeting in Buenos Aires in October 2018, the International Olympic Committee decided to establish the Refugee Olympic Team (EOR) for the 2020 Summer Olympics. This decision built on the legacy of the Refugee Olympic Team in 2016 and was part of the IOC's commitment to play its part in addressing the global refugee crisis and in carrying the message of solidarity and hope to millions of refugee athletes around the world.

The IOC Session tasked Olympic Solidarity with establishing the conditions of participation and defining the team identification and selection process. These elements were carried out in close collaboration with the National Olympic Committees (NOCs), the International Sports Federations, the Tokyo 2020 Organizing Committee, and the United Nations Refugee Agency (UNHCR). On 20 June 2019, the IOC released the list of Refugee Athlete Scholarship holders who wished to join the IOC Refugee Olympic Team, Tokyo 2020. This announcement was made on World Athlete Day, celebrated every year on 20 June.

The 56 Refugee Athlete Scholarship holders include the 10 athletes who were part of the first Refugee Olympic Team in 2016, new individual athletes, and a group of athletes preparing at the Tegla Loroupe Refugee Training Center in Kenya. All were assisted by Olympic Solidarity as part of its support program for refugee athletes. The IOC Refugee Olympic Team at the 2020 Tokyo Games consisted of 29 athletes—19 men and 10 women—hailing from 11 nations: Afghanistan, Cameroon, Congo, Eritrea, Ethiopia, Iraq, Iran, South Sudan, Sudan, Syria, and Venezuela. These athletes competed across 12 sports: athletics, badminton, boxing, cycling, canoeing, judo, karate, shooting, swimming, taekwondo, weightlifting, and wrestling. [6]

Swimmer Yusra Mardini, who competed in the 2016 Rio Games as part of the first-ever Refugee Olympic Team, and marathon runner Tachlowini Gabriyesos were selected as flag bearers for the IOC Refugee Olympic Team at the 2020 Tokyo Games. [7]

AthleteCountry of originHost NOCSportEvent
Alaa Maso Flag of Syria.svg  Syria Flag of Germany.svg  Germany Swimming 50 m freestyle
Yusra Mardini Flag of Syria.svg  Syria Flag of Germany.svg  Germany Swimming 100 m butterfly
Dorian Keletela Flag of the Republic of the Congo.svg  Congo Flag of Portugal.svg  Portugal Athletics 100 m
Rose Lokonyen Flag of South Sudan.svg  South Sudan Flag of Kenya.svg  Kenya Athletics 800 m
James Chiengjiek Flag of South Sudan.svg  South Sudan Flag of Kenya.svg  Kenya Athletics 800 m
Anjelina Lohalith Flag of South Sudan.svg  South Sudan Flag of Kenya.svg  Kenya Athletics 1500 m
Paulo Amotun Lokoro Flag of South Sudan.svg  South Sudan Flag of Kenya.svg  Kenya Athletics 1500 m
Jamal Abdelmaji Eisa Mohammed Flag of Sudan.svg  Sudan Flag of Israel.svg  Israel Athletics 5000 m
Tachlowini Gabriyesos Flag of Eritrea.svg  Eritrea Flag of Israel.svg  Israel Athletics Marathon
Aram Mahmoud Flag of Syria.svg  Syria Flag of the Netherlands.svg  Netherlands Badminton Men's singles
Wessam Salamana Flag of Syria.svg  Syria Flag of Germany.svg  Germany Boxing 63 kg
Eldric Sella Flag of Venezuela.svg  Venezuela Flag of Trinidad and Tobago.svg  Trinidad and Tobago Boxing 75 kg
Saeid Fazloula Flag of Iran.svg  Iran Flag of Germany.svg  Germany Canoeing K-1 1000 m
Masomah Ali Zada Flag of Afghanistan (2013-2021).svg  Afghanistan Flag of France.svg  France Cycling Time Trial
Ahmad Wais Flag of Syria.svg  Syria Flag of Switzerland (Pantone).svg   Switzerland Cycling Time Trial
Sanda Aldass Flag of Syria.svg  Syria Flag of the Netherlands.svg  Netherlands Judo Mixed team
Ahmad Alikaj Flag of Syria.svg  Syria Flag of Germany.svg  Germany Judo Mixed team
Muna Dahouk Flag of Syria.svg  Syria Flag of the Netherlands.svg  Netherlands Judo Mixed team
Javad Mahjoub Flag of Iran.svg  Iran Flag of Canada (Pantone).svg  Canada Judo Mixed team
Popole Misenga Flag of the Democratic Republic of the Congo.svg  DR Congo Flag of Brazil.svg  Brazil Judo Mixed team
Nigara Shaheen Flag of Afghanistan (2013-2021).svg  Afghanistan Flag of Russia.svg  Russia Judo Mixed team
Wael Shueb Flag of Syria.svg  Syria Flag of Germany.svg  Germany Karate Kata
Hamoon Derafshipour Flag of Iran.svg  Iran Flag of Canada (Pantone).svg  Canada Karate Kumite
Luna Solomon Flag of Eritrea.svg  Eritrea Flag of Switzerland (Pantone).svg   Switzerland Shooting 10 m air rifle
Dina Pouryounes Flag of Iran.svg  Iran Flag of the Netherlands.svg  Netherlands Taekwondo 49 kg
Kimia Alizadeh Flag of Iran.svg  Iran Flag of Germany.svg  Germany Taekwondo 57 kg
Abdullah Sediqi Flag of Afghanistan (2013-2021).svg  Afghanistan Flag of Belgium (civil).svg  Belgium Taekwondo 68 kg
Cyrille Fagat Tchatchet II Flag of Cameroon.svg  Cameroon Flag of the United Kingdom.svg  Great Britain Weightlifting 96 kg
Aker Al-Obaidi Flag of Iraq.svg  Iraq Flag of Austria.svg  Austria Wrestling 67 kg

2024 Summer Olympics

AthleteCountry of originHost NOCSportEvent
Dorian Keletela Flag of the Republic of the Congo.svg  Republic of the Congo Flag of France.svg  France Athletics Men's 100 m
Musa Suliman Flag of Sudan.svg  Sudan Flag of Switzerland (Pantone).svg   Switzerland Athletics Men's 800 m
Dominic Lokinyomo Lobalu Flag of South Sudan.svg  South Sudan Flag of Switzerland (Pantone).svg   Switzerland Athletics Men's 5000 m
Jamal Abdelmaji Eisa Mohammed Flag of Sudan.svg  Sudan Flag of Israel.svg  Israel Athletics Men's 10,000 m
Tachlowini Gabriyesos Flag of Eritrea.svg  Eritrea Flag of Israel.svg  Israel Athletics Men's marathon
Mohammad Amin Alsalami Flag of Syria.svg  Syria Flag of Germany.svg  Germany Athletics Men's long jump
Perina Lokure Nakang Flag of South Sudan.svg  South Sudan Flag of Kenya.svg  Kenya Athletics Women's 800 m
Farida Abaroge Flag of Ethiopia.svg  Ethiopia Flag of France.svg  France Athletics Women's 1500 m
Dorsa Yavarivafa Flag of Iran.svg  Iran Flag of the United Kingdom.svg  Great Britain Badminton Women's singles
Omid Ahmadisafa Flag of Iran.svg  Iran Flag of Germany.svg  Germany Boxing Men's flyweight (51 kg)
Cindy Ngamba Flag of Cameroon.svg  Cameroon Flag of the United Kingdom.svg  Great Britain Boxing Women's middleweight (75 kg)
Manizha Talash Flag of Afghanistan (2013-2021).svg  Afghanistan Flag of Spain.svg  Spain Breaking B-Girls
Amir Rezanejad Flag of Iran.svg  Iran Flag of Germany.svg  Germany Canoeing Men's slalom C-1
Fernando Jorge Flag of Cuba.svg  Cuba Flag of the United States.svg  United States Canoeing Men's sprint C-1 1000 m
Saeid Fazloula Flag of Iran.svg  Iran Flag of Germany.svg  Germany Canoeing Men's sprint K-1 1000 m
Saman Soltani Flag of Iran.svg  Iran Flag of Austria.svg  Austria Canoeing Women's sprint K-1 500 m
Amir Ansari Flag of Afghanistan (2013-2021).svg  Afghanistan Flag of the United Kingdom.svg  Great Britain Cycling Men's road time trial
Eyeru Tesfoam Gebru Flag of Ethiopia.svg  Ethiopia Flag of France.svg  France Cycling Women's road race
Mohammad Rashnonezhad Flag of Iran.svg  Iran Flag of the Netherlands.svg  Netherlands Judo Men's −60 kg, Mixed team
Arab Sibghatullah Flag of Afghanistan (2013-2021).svg  Afghanistan Flag of Germany.svg  Germany Judo Men's −81 kg, Mixed team
Adnan Khankan Flag of Syria.svg  Syria Flag of Germany.svg  Germany Judo Men's −100 kg, Mixed team
Muna Dahouk Flag of Syria.svg  Syria Flag of the Netherlands.svg  Netherlands Judo Women's −57 kg, Mixed team
Nigara Shaheen Flag of Afghanistan (2013-2021).svg  Afghanistan Flag of Canada (Pantone).svg  Canada Judo Women's −63 kg, Mixed team
Mahboubeh Barbari Zharfi Flag of Iran.svg  Iran Flag of Germany.svg  Germany Judo Women's +78 kg, Mixed team
Edilio Centeno Nieves Flag of Venezuela.svg  Venezuela Flag of Mexico.svg  Mexico Shooting Men's 10 m air pistol
Luna Solomon Flag of Eritrea.svg  Eritrea Flag of Switzerland (Pantone).svg   Switzerland Shooting Women's 10 m air rifle
Alaa Maso Flag of Syria.svg  Syria Flag of Germany.svg  Germany Swimming Men's 50 m freestyle
Matin Balsini Flag of Iran.svg  Iran Flag of the United Kingdom.svg  Great Britain Swimming Men's 200 m butterfly
Hadi Tiranvalipour Flag of Iran.svg  Iran Flag of Italy.svg  Italy Taekwondo Men's −58 kg
Yahya Al Ghotany Flag of Syria.svg  Syria Flag of Jordan.svg  Jordan Taekwondo Men's −68 kg
Farzad Mansouri Flag of Afghanistan (2013-2021).svg  Afghanistan Flag of the United Kingdom.svg  Great Britain Taekwondo Men's −80 kg
Kasra Mehdipournejad Flag of Iran.svg  Iran Flag of Germany.svg  Germany Taekwondo Men's +80 kg
Dina Pouryounes Flag of Iran.svg  Iran Flag of the Netherlands.svg  Netherlands Taekwondo Women's −49 kg
Ramiro Mora Romero Flag of Cuba.svg  Cuba Flag of the United Kingdom.svg  Great Britain Weightlifting Men's −102 kg
Yekta Jamali Flag of Iran.svg  Iran Flag of Germany.svg  Germany Weightlifting Women's −81 kg
Iman Mahdavi Flag of Iran.svg  Iran Flag of Italy.svg  Italy Wrestling Men's freestyle −74 kg
Jamal Valizadeh Flag of Iran.svg  Iran Flag of France.svg  France Wrestling Men's Greco-Roman −60 kg

See also

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Canada at the Summer Olympics</span> Sporting event delegation

Canada has competed at 28 Summer Olympic Games, missing only the inaugural 1896 Summer Olympics and the boycotted 1980 Summer Olympics. This count includes the 1906 Olympic Games, deemed unofficial 43 years after they were held. The nation made its debut at the 1900 Summer Olympics. Canada competes under the IOC country code CAN.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Boxing at the Summer Olympics</span>

Boxing has been contested at every Summer Olympic Games since its introduction to the program at the 1904 Summer Olympics, except for the 1912 Summer Olympics in Stockholm, because Swedish law banned the sport at the time. The 2008 Summer Olympics were the final games with boxing as a male only event. Since the 2012 Summer Olympics, women's boxing is part of the program.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">2016 Summer Olympics medal table</span> Award

The 2016 Summer Olympics, officially known as the Games of the XXXI Olympiad, and officially branded as Rio 2016, were an international multi-sport event held from 5 to 21 August 2016 in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, with preliminary events in some sports beginning on 3 August. A total of 11,238 athletes representing 207 National Olympic Committees (NOCs) participated, including first-time entrants Kosovo, South Sudan, and the Refugee Olympic Team. The games featured 306 events in 28 sports and 41 disciplines. The 2016 Summer Games were the first Olympics to be held in South America.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">2012 Summer Olympics medal table</span> Award

The 2012 Summer Olympics, officially known as the Games of the XXX Olympiad, was a summer multi-sport event held in London, the capital of the United Kingdom, from 27 July to 12 August. A total of 10,768 athletes from 204 nations participated in 302 events in 26 sports across 39 different disciplines.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Independent Olympians at the Olympic Games</span> Sporting event delegation

Athletes have competed as independent Olympians at the Olympic Games for various reasons, including political transition, international sanctions, suspensions of National Olympic Committees, and compassion. Independent athletes have come from North Macedonia, East Timor, South Sudan and Curaçao following geopolitical changes in the years before the Olympics, from the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia as a result of international sanctions, from India and Kuwait due to the suspensions of their National Olympic Committees, and from Russia for mass violations of anti-doping rules and, in addition to Belarus, the Russian Invasion of Ukraine.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Syria at the 2016 Summer Olympics</span> Sporting event delegation

Syria competed at the 2016 Summer Olympics in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, from 5 to 21 August 2016. It was the nation's thirteenth appearance at the Summer Olympics since its debut in 1948.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">South Sudan at the Olympics</span> Sporting event delegation

South Sudan competed in the Olympic Games for the first time at the 2016 Summer Olympics in Rio de Janeiro. The South Sudan National Olympic Committee (NOC) was admitted by the International Olympic Committee (IOC) at the 128th IOC Session on 2 August 2015.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Yusra Mardini</span> Syrian competition swimmer (born 1998)

Yusra Mardini OLY is a Syrian former competition swimmer and refugee of the Syrian civil war. She was a member of the Refugee Olympic Athletes Team (ROT) that competed under the Olympic flag at the 2016 Summer Olympics in Rio de Janeiro. On 27 April 2017, Mardini was appointed a UNHCR Goodwill Ambassador. She also competed in the 2020 Summer Olympics in Tokyo with the Refugee Olympic Team (EOR). She was named one of the 100 most influential people in the world by Time magazine in 2023, alongside her sister, Sarah.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Refugee Olympic Team at the 2016 Summer Olympics</span> Sporting event delegation

The Refugee Olympic Team competed at the 2016 Summer Olympics in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, from 5 to 21 August 2016, as independent Olympic participants.

Raheleh Asemani is an Iranian-born taekwondo practitioner who competes internationally for Belgium. She participated at the 2016 Summer Olympics. She has a history of participating in the Asian games.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">James Chiengjiek</span> South Sudanese sprinter

James Nyang Chiengjiek is a runner originally from South Sudan, but now living and training in Kenya. He was selected by the International Olympic Committee (IOC) to compete for the Refugee Olympic Team (ROT) at the 2016 Summer Olympics. He placed last in his 400 m heat. He was also qualified to the 2020 Tokyo Olympics ROT, and placed last in his 800 m heat after tripping due to a fellow competitor's involuntary touch.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Yiech Biel</span> South Sudanese middle-distance runner

Yiech Pur Biel is a track and field athlete and UNHCR goodwill ambassador originally from Nasir, South Sudan, but now living and training in the United States. He was selected by the International Olympic Committee (IOC) to compete for the Refugee Olympic Team in the 800 m event at the 2016 Summer Olympics. He placed last in his heat.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Refugee Olympic Team at the 2020 Summer Olympics</span> Refugee team in the summer Olympics

The IOC Refugee Olympic Team competed at the 2020 Summer Olympics in Tokyo, Japan, as independent Olympic participants.

Farzad Mansouri is an Afghan taekwondo practitioner. At the 2020 Summer Olympics, Mansouri and Kamia Yousufi carried Afghanistan's flag at the Opening Ceremony.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Dina Pouryounes</span> Iranian Taekwondo athlete

Dina Pouryounes Langeroudi is a taekwondo athlete from Iran, who competes for the Netherlands. She participated in the 2020 Tokyo Olympics and 2024 Paris Olympics.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Iran at the 2024 Summer Olympics</span> Sporting event delegation

Iran competed at the 2024 Summer Olympics in Paris from 26 July to 11 August 2024. Since the nation's return in 1948 after having made their debut in 1900, Iranian athletes have appeared in every edition of the Summer Olympic Games except for Moscow 1980 and Los Angeles 1984, citing political reasons.

Cindy Winner Djankeu Ngamba is a Cameroonian boxer who competed for the EOC Refugee Team at the 2023 European Games. She is the first-ever medalist for the Refugee Olympic Team at the Olympics, having won bronze in women's 75 kg boxing at the 2024 Summer Olympics.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Refugee Olympic Team at the 2024 Summer Olympics</span> Refugee team in the summer Olympics

The IOC Refugee Olympic Team competed at the 2024 Summer Olympics in Paris, France. 37 athletes from 11 countries of origin represented the Refugee Olympic Team at the 2024 Summer Olympics in 12 sports, with 14 of the 37 athletes being Iranian.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">2024 Summer Olympics medal table</span> Award listing

The 2024 Summer Olympics, officially known as the Games of the XXXIII Olympiad, were an international multi-sport event held in Paris, France from 26 July to 11 August 2024, with preliminary events in some sports beginning on 24 July. Athletes representing 206 National Olympic Committees (NOCs) participated in the games. The games featured 329 events across 32 sports and 48 disciplines. Breaking (breakdancing) made its Olympic debut as an optional sport, while skateboarding, sport climbing, and surfing returned to the programme, having debuted at the 2020 Summer Olympics.

Yahya Al Ghotany is a Syrian taekwondo practitioner. A refugee in Jordan, he was selected to compete at the 2024 Summer Olympics and was named the flag bearer for the Refugee Olympic Team.

References

  1. "IOC Refugee Olympic Team". International Olympic Committee . Retrieved 24 July 2021.
  2. "Refugee Olympic Team to Shine Spotlight On Worldwide Refugee Crisis". International Olympic Committee. 3 June 2016. Archived from the original on 3 June 2016. Retrieved 3 June 2016.
  3. "Paris 2024 Opening Ceremony: The magical moments". Inside The Games.
  4. "Refugee Olympic team awarded prestigious Spanish prize". The Washington Post . 25 May 2022. Retrieved 2 June 2022.
  5. "Paris 2024: Cindy Ngamba makes history as first refugee to secure Olympic medal, reaches boxing semi-finals". Olympics. 4 August 2024.
  6. "IOC Refugee Olympic Team Tokyo 2020" (PDF).
  7. "Yusra Mardini and Tachlowini Gabriyesos announced as flagbearers of the IOC Refugee Olympic Team". International Olympic Committee. 22 July 2021. Retrieved 5 August 2024.