Tokyo 2021: the great performances of the Olympic refugee team

Yusra Mardini quickly dried her tears. On July 24, 2021, the young 24-year-old swimmer finished in last place in the 100m butterfly qualifications. “I think I need a break […] I am not satisfied with my performance “, she admits at the microphone ofEurosport, at the exit of the basin. But the young Syrian, who almost drowned on the road to exile in the Aegean Sea, quickly changes the subject. And prefers to talk about the Olympic refugee team of which she is part for the second time.

“In this team, each person has their own story, their own struggles, and pursues their dreams, even after losing a lot,” she says. “That’s why this team is so special. It is proof that you can go through something really difficult and keep moving forward. “This is the message that the 29 members of the” Refugee wanted to convey throughout these fifteen days of competition. Olympic Team “, which for some come back all the same with good results.

Good performance in combat sports

While proving to the world that “refugees are not bad people”, Aker El Obaidi, Greco-Roman wrestling athlete fails in the quarterfinals but signs a nice 8th place, out of 17 participants, in the under 67 kg category. With this ranking, the 21-year-old Iraqi, originally from Mosul and living in Austria for six years, won his bet: “Show that foreign people can do beautiful things, even be good at sport”, assures- he at the site Olympics.

In karate, the athlete Hamoon Derafshipour can also be satisfied with its Games. The 28-year-old, born in the Iranian province of Kermanshah near the border with Iraq, won several fights, before failing at the gates of the semi-finals against the French Steven Da Costa, who will win the medal of ‘gold the same evening. He finished 5th in his category, that of less than 67 kg.

A place similar to that obtained by the Taekwondo champion Kimia alizadeh. The 23-year-old Iranian fails in the bronze medal fight against Turkey’s Hatice Kubra Ilgun, but managed the feat of knocking out two-time British Olympic champion and competition favorite Jade Jones before the quarterfinals. final. “Hot, it’s true that it’s hard to accept to fail so close to the podium, but looking back, I’m really satisfied with my journey in this tournament, she told InfoMigrants at day after his elimination. […] and I show all the women of Iran that we must always fight, despite the headwinds. “

>> To (re) read: Tokyo Olympics: taekwondoist Kimia Alizadeh, in constant combat

The other taekwondoist Dina Pouryounes, who also fled Iran, finished 11th in her under 49 kg category. After passing qualifying, she finally lost to China’s Wu Jingyu.

Long-distance athletes in progress

In athletics, although no medals were awarded for their efforts, members of the Refugee Olympic team improved their times. The South Sudanese runner Jamal Abdelmaji Eisa Mohammed, 13th out of 18 in the 5,000-meter, set his personal best in Tokyo with a stopwatch of 13: 42.98.

Tachlowini GabriyesosHe completed the Tokyo Games marathon in 2: 14.02. A good performance for the Eritrean rider based in Tel Aviv, Israel, who took 16th place in the event, out of 76 starters. A relief also for the athlete who, due to a visa problem, was prevented from participating in the World Half Marathon Championships in Gdynia, Poland, last October.

Paulo Amotun Lokoro, a former cattle breeder in South Sudan, has also made great strides this year. In Tokyo, he ran the 1,500 meters in 3: 51.78, the best time of the season for the refugee athlete. It’s even twelve seconds less than five years ago in Rio.

>> To (re) read: Afghan cyclist Masomah Alizada selected for refugee Olympic team

In a completely different sport, weightlifting, Cyrille Tchatchet won 10th place in his category, that of the under 96 kg. “I did not achieve the performance I was hoping for, but the 10th place at the Olympics is still incredible,” he commented after his trials. For this 26-year-old Cameroonian refugee, participating in the Olympic Games was a dream that was almost elusive a few years ago.

After moving to Brighton, UK, in 2014, Cyrille Tchatchet was forced to sleep on the streets for many months. At this time, he suffered from severe depression, to the point of thinking about suicide. But thanks to weightlifting training and the support of associations on site, the athlete has taken his life back in hand. Until the Tokyo Olympics.

These encouraging results bode well for Paris 2024, where the team will, for the third time, also fight against the negative image that refugees suffer from. People who, for Yusra Madrini “are just people who seek refuge and a safe place to stay”.