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Yusra Mardini

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Yusra Mardini (born in 1997 or 1998) is a Syrian swimmer, who now resides in Berlin, Germany, and may be representing a small team of Refugees under the Olympic flag, at the 2016 Summer Olympics in Rio de Janeiro.[1]

Growing up in Damascus, Mardini trained in swimming with the support of the Syrian Olympic Committee. Mardini and her sister, Sarah, left their home to flee the Syrian Civil War in August 2015. They reached Lebanon, and then Turkey, where they arranged to be smuggled into Greece by boat with 20 other refugees. After their motor stopped working and their dinghy began took on water in the Aegean Sea, Mardini, her sister, and another person who was able to swim, got into the water and pushed the boat until it reached Lesbos. They then traveled to Germany, settling in September 2015. Mardini continued her training with Wasserfreunde Spandau 04, in hopes of qualifying for the Olympics.[2][3]

Though her participation in the Olympics is still undecided, it is being discussed by the IOC, “We help them to make their dream of sporting excellence come true, even when they have to flee war and violence,” said IOC president Thomas Bach.

References

  1. ^ Fahey, Ciaran (2016-03-18). "Swimmer Yusra Mardini hopes to compete at Rio Games for refugee squad in hopes of inspiring other Syrians". The Toronto Star. ISSN 0319-0781. Retrieved 2016-03-19.
  2. ^ http://www.npr.org/sections/thetwo-way/2016/03/20/471180243/after-surviving-aegean-sea-syrian-swimmer-hopes-for-spot-in-olympics
  3. ^ http://www.theguardian.com/sport/2016/mar/18/syria-rio-refugee-yusra-mardini-olympic-swimming