– Without a passport, Lobalu will not represent Switzerland at the Olympics
Dominic Lobalu has just won two medals for Switzerland at the Europeans, but he will not be able to represent our country in Paris.
Published today at 8:40 p.m.
Dominic Lobalu was Swiss in Rome, but he will not be in Paris.
AFP
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Because he does not yet hold a Swiss passport, Dominic Lobalu will not be able to participate in the Paris Olympic Games for his new country, the Executive Council of the International Olympic Committee decided on Thursday.
Originally from South Sudan, Lobalu has just won bronze in the 5000m and gold in the 10,000m at the European Championships in Rome earlier this week.
But, even if he defended the Swiss colors with the authorization of the International Athletics Federation, Lobalu does not yet hold the passport. For the IOC and its Executive Council, this absence does not authorize him to compete for Switzerland in Paris.
He was asked to participate in the games as part of the refugee team, a banner he defended until 2019 and his arrival in Geneva. This year, he fled and requested asylum in Switzerland. We do not yet know if the athlete will accept the IOC’s proposal.
Yves Desplands has been a journalist and editor at Sport-Center since 2015. He has held the same position for the sports section of Le Matin since 1999. From 1994 to 1999, he covered ice hockey and motocross for this daily. More informations
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