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'{{Short description|Syrian swimmer}} {{Use dmy dates|date=March 2016}} {{Infobox sportsperson | honorific_prefix = | name = Yusra Mardini | image = Yusra_Mardini_portrait.png | image_size = | alt = | caption = Mardini in 2016 | headercolor = | birth_name = Yusra Mardini | birth_date = {{birth date and age|1998|3|5|df=yes}} | birth_place = [[Darayya]], [[Damascus]], Syria | occupation = Swimmer | height = 5 feet 5 inches | spouse = | country = Syria<br>[[Refugee Olympic Team]] | sport = [[Freestyle swimming]], [[Butterfly stroke]] | coach = | retired = | coaching = | nationals = | olympics = | commonwealth = | highestranking = | pb = | module = <!-- Sport --> | module2 = <!-- Achievements and titles --> | textcolor = }} '''Yusra Mardini''' ({{lang-ar|يسرى مارديني}}; born 5 March 1998) is a Syrian [[Swimming (sport)|swimmer]] currently living in [[Hamburg]], Germany. She was a member of the [[Refugee Olympic Team at the 2016 Summer Olympics|Refugee Olympic Athletes Team]] (ROT), that competed under the Olympic flag at the [[2016 Summer Olympics]] in [[Rio de Janeiro]].<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.thestar.com/news/world/2016/03/18/olympic-dream-burns-bright-for-syrian-refugee.html|title=Swimmer Yusra Mardini competed at Rio Games for refugee squad in hopes of inspiring other Syrians. On 6 August 2016, Yusra won her heat Summer Olympics in the 100 meter butterfly. |last=Fahey|first=Ciaran|date=18 March 2016|newspaper=The Toronto Star|issn=0319-0781|access-date=19 March 2016}}</ref> On 27 April 2017, Mardini was appointed a UNHCR Goodwill Ambassador.<ref name="Refugees">{{Cite news|url=http://www.unhcr.org/news/press/2017/4/5901978a4/yusra-mardini-appointed-unhcr-goodwill-ambassador.html|title=Yusra Mardini appointed UNHCR Goodwill Ambassador|last=Refugees|first=United Nations High Commissioner for|work=UNHCR|access-date=2017-04-27|language=en}}</ref> She also competed in the [[2020 Summer Olympics]] in [[Tokyo]] with the [[IOC Refugee Olympic Team at the 2020 Summer Olympics|Refugee Olympic Team]] (EOR).<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.eurosport.com/olympics/tokyo-2020/2020/refugee-olympic-team-who-are-the-athletes-at-the-tokyo-olympics-opening-ceremony-and-what-countries-_sto8430962/story.shtml|title=Refugee Olympic Team: Who Are the Athletes at the Tokyo Olympics Opening Ceremony and What Countries Do They Come From?|first=Dan|last=Gibbs|access-date=July 23, 2021|date=July 23, 2021}}</ref> ==Early life== Growing up in [[Darayya]], a suburb of [[Damascus]],<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.vogue.com/article/former-syrian-refugee-olympic-swimmer-yursa-mardini-profile|title=From Syrian Refugee to Olympic Swimmer: Yusra Mardini Goes for the Gold |work=Vogue|date=24 March 2017}}</ref> Mardini trained in swimming with the support of the [[Syrian Olympic Committee]].<ref name="guardian" /> In 2012, she represented [[Syria]] in the [[2012 FINA World Swimming Championships (25 m)]] [[2012 FINA World Swimming Championships (25 m) – Women's 200 metre individual medley|200 metre individual medley]], [[2012 FINA World Swimming Championships (25 m) – Women's 200 metre freestyle|200 metre freestyle]] and [[2012 FINA World Swimming Championships (25 m) – Women's 400 metre freestyle|400 metre freestyle]] events.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.olympic.org/news/the-inspirational-olympic-journey-of-refugee-swimmer-yusra-mardini/248886|title=The inspirational Olympic journey of refugee swimmer Yusra Mardini|publisher=[[Olympic Games]]|work=Olympic.org|access-date=25 March 2016}}</ref> Mardini's house was destroyed in the [[Syrian Civil War]].<ref name="stuff" /> Mardini and her sister Sara decided to flee Syria in August 2015.<ref name="npr" /> They reached [[Lebanon]], and then [[Turkey]], where they arranged to be smuggled into [[Greece]] by [[boat]] with 18 other migrants,<ref name="npr" /> though the boat was meant to be used by no more than 6 or 7 people.<ref name="guardian" /> After the [[Engine|motor]] stopped working and the [[dinghy]] began to take on water in the [[Aegean Sea]], Yusra, her sister, Sara, and two other people who were able to swim<ref name="guardian" /> got into the water and treaded water for over 3 hours until the engine started working again, and the group reached [[Lesbos]].<ref name="npr" /><ref name="goodreads.com">{{Cite web|url=https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/36743077-butterfly |title=Butterfly: From Refugee to Olympian - My Story of Rescue, Hope, and Triumph}}</ref> They then traveled on foot through [[Europe]] to [[Germany]], where they settled in [[Berlin]] in September 2015.<ref name="guardian" /> Her parents and younger sister, Shaed, also fled Syria and live in Germany.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://swimswam.com/refugee-swimmer-yusra-mardini-gets-chance-go-olympic-games/|title=Refugee swimmer Yusra Mardini gets a chance to go the Olympic Games|work=SwimSwam|access-date=25 March 2016}}</ref> == Swimming career == On arrival in [[Germany]], Mardini continued her training with her coach Sven Spannenkrebs from [[Wasserfreunde Spandau 04]] in [[Berlin]], in hopes of qualifying for the [[Olympic Games|Olympics]].<ref name="guardian">{{cite web|url=https://www.theguardian.com/sport/2016/mar/18/syria-rio-refugee-yusra-mardini-olympic-swimming|title=From Syria to Rio: refugee Yusra Mardini targets Olympic swimming spot|author=Philip Oltermann|work=the Guardian|access-date=25 March 2016}}</ref><ref name="npr">{{cite web|url=https://www.npr.org/sections/thetwo-way/2016/03/20/471180243/after-surviving-aegean-sea-syrian-swimmer-hopes-for-spot-in-olympics|title=After Surviving Aegean Sea, Syrian Swimmer Hopes For Spot In Olympics|date=20 March 2016|work=NPR.org|access-date=25 March 2016}}</ref> She attempted to qualify in the 200 metres [[freestyle swimming]] event.<ref name="stuff">{{cite web|url=http://www.stuff.co.nz/sport/other-sports/78131048/Olympics-hopeful-Syrian-refugee-swims-for-three-hours-pushing-boat-of-migrants|title=Olympics hopeful Syrian refugee swims for three hours pushing boat of migrants|date=21 March 2016|work=Stuff|access-date=25 March 2016}}</ref> In June 2016, Mardini was one of ten athletes selected for the [[Refugee Olympic Team at the 2016 Summer Olympics|EOR]].<ref>{{cite web|url=http://espn.go.com/olympics/story/_/id/15928002/syrian-swimmer-yusra-mardini-10-picked-ioc-form-refugee-team-rio-games|title=IOC selects 10 to form refugee team for Rio}}</ref> Mardini competed in the [[100 metres freestyle]] and the [[Butterfly stroke|100 metres butterfly]] at the [[2016 Summer Olympics]] in [[Rio de Janeiro|Rio]].<ref>Wilder, Charly [https://www.nytimes.com/2016/08/02/sports/olympics/a-swimmer-goes-from-syria-to-rio-from-refugee-to-olympian.html She Swam to Escape Syria. Now She'll Swim in Rio.] ''New York Times''. August 3, 2016</ref> At the Rio Olympics, Mardini won a 100m butterfly heat against four other swimmers, with a time of 1:09.21 and a rank of 41st among 45 entrants.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.rio2016.com/en/swimming-womens-100m-butterfly-heat-1|title=Rio 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160807212907/https://www.rio2016.com/en/swimming-womens-100m-butterfly-heat-1|archive-date=7 August 2016|url-status=dead}}</ref><ref>[http://qz.com/752489/refugee-swimmer-yusra-mardini-just-won-her-heat-at-the-olympics/ Refugee swimmer Yusra Mardini just won her heat at the Olympics], quartz.com, retrieved 7 August (CET)</ref><ref>[https://www.theguardian.com/sport/2016/aug/06/yusra-mardini-100m-butterfly-heat-win-refugee-olympic-team-rio-2016 Yusra Mardini delights with butterfly heat win for Refugee Olympic Team], The Guardian, retrieved 6 August 2016</ref> [[International Olympic Committee|IOC]] President [[Thomas Bach]] said of the refugee athletes, "We help them to make their dream of sporting excellence come true, even when they have to flee war and violence."<ref>{{cite web|title=Team of Refugee Olympic Athletes (ROA) created by the IOC|url=http://www.olympic.org/news/team-of-refugee-olympic-athletes-roa-created-by-the-ioc/248766|publisher=IOC|access-date=3 March 2016}}</ref> As of October 2017, Mardini has been the latest addition to a team of international athletes to represent the [[Under Armour]] sports brand. Chris Bate, Under Armour managing director in Europe, has said: "We are inspired by her drive and accomplishments, both as a person and as an athlete."<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://adage.com/creativity/work/yusra-mardini/53042 |title=Refugee Athlete Yusra Mardini Joins Under Armour's Bench - Ann-Christine Diaz|date=20 October 2017}}</ref> Mardini competed at the [[2020 Summer Olympics|2020 Summer Olympic Games]] in [[Tokyo]]. She carried the flag of the [[IOC Refugee Olympic Team at the 2020 Summer Olympics|IOC Refugee Olympic Team]] in the athletes’ parade in the opening ceremony. In the [[Swimming at the 2020 Summer Olympics – Women's 100 metre butterfly|women’s 100m butterfly]], she swam a time of 1:06.78. == Popular culture == Mardini's story is told in the short story collection [[Good Night Stories for Rebel Girls]], by [[Elena Favilli]] and [[Francesca Cavallo]]. The story is illustrated by JM Cooper,<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://jmcooper.net/goodnight-stories-for-rebel-girls/|title=Good Night Stories for Rebel Girls - JM Cooper|date=27 March 2018}}</ref> and when the story was released as a podcast episode it was narrated by American journalist and long-distance swimmer [[Diana Nyad]].<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://podtail.com/podcast/good-night-stories-for-rebel-girls/yusra-mardini-read-by-diana-nyad/|title=Yusra Mardini read by Diana Nyad – Good Night Stories for Rebel Girls – Podcast|last=Girls|first=Good Night Stories for Rebel|website=Podtail|language=en|access-date=2018-03-27}}</ref> On 3 May 2018, her autobiography "Butterfly: From Refugee to Olympian - My Story of Rescue, Hope, and Triumph" by Yusra Mardini was published.<ref name="goodreads.com"/> It is planned that director [[Stephen Daldry]] will make a movie about her life.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.spiegel.de/sport/sonst/schwimmen-yusra-mardini-wurde-vom-fluechtling-zum-weltstar-a-1203611.html|title=Schwimmerin Yusra Mardini: Vom Flüchtling zum Weltstar|work=Spiegel|language=de|date=19 April 2018}}</ref> ==References== {{Reflist}} ==External links== {{Commons category}} * {{Facebook|swim.yusra}} * {{Instagram|mardiniysra}} {{s-start}} {{s-sports|oly}} {{succession box | before = [[Rose Lokonyen]] | title = [[List of flag bearers for Independent Olympians at the Olympics|Flagbearer]] for {{flagIOC|EOR}} | years = (with [[Tachlowini Gabriyesos]])<br>[[2020 Summer Olympics|Tokyo 2020]] | after = ''Incumbent'' }} {{s-end}} {{Authority control}} {{DEFAULTSORT:Mardini, Yusra}} [[Category:1998 births]] [[Category:Living people]] [[Category:Syrian female swimmers]] [[Category:Sportspeople from Damascus]] [[Category:Refugees of the Syrian civil war]] [[Category:Swimmers at the 2016 Summer Olympics]] [[Category:Refugee Olympic Team at the 2016 Summer Olympics]] [[Category:Refugee Olympic Team at the 2020 Summer Olympics]] [[Category:Syrian expatriates in Germany]] [[Category:Swimmers at the 2020 Summer Olympics]]'