The double medalist at the European Championships in Rome regrets not being able to compete for his new home in Paris. At the same time, the LC Brühl runner says he is grateful that his dream of participating in the Olympic Games can still come true.
“As much as I would have loved to compete for my new home country, I am happy to have the chance to compete in the Olympics. It’s a dream come true for me. I am very grateful to all the people who have accompanied me on my path over the last few years, who supported me and who believed in me,” says Dominic Lobalu before adding: “I know where I come from – and where is my place. In Paris, I will also run with Switzerland in my heart.”
The IOC had in fact refused Dominic Lobalu, who represents Switzerland in international competitions, to participate in the Paris Olympic Games under the Swiss flag due to the lack of a passport. Due to legal deadlines, it was not possible for Dominic Lobalu to obtain Swiss nationality.
Dominic Lobalu currently has the eighth best performance among the 5000m runners qualified for Paris. He was keen to ensure that his participation with the Olympic Refugee Team (ORT) took place in the best possible sporting conditions.
Discussions with those responsible made it possible to clarify the questions outstanding in recent days: Dominic Lobalu will thus carry out his Olympic preparation as planned, in particular within the framework of an altitude training camp in Saint-Moritz. In Paris, he will be supervised by the Swiss coach Markus Hagmann and will also be able to count on the people he knows within the Swiss Athletics staff.
Dominic Lobalu lost his parents in 2007 during an attack on his village in what is now South Sudan and fled to Kenya as an orphan at the age of 9. In 2019, he requested asylum in Geneva following a race.
He is part of the Swiss national athletics team of Swiss Athletics and participates in all competitions outside the Olympic Games under the Swiss flag. Lobalu will be able to continue to represent Switzerland at the world and European championships.
