Editorial Coverage Sponsored By FINIS
As a life-long swimmer and an avid viewer of the Olympic Games Syrian refugee, Ibrahim Al-Hussein, will be one of the representatives of Greece in the Rio de Janeiro torch relay’s Greek leg.
Al-Hussein grew up in the city of Deir-ez-Zor right along the River Euphrates where he learned how to swim by father, a swim coach, alongside his siblings. Swimming became one of the many activities that the now 27-year-old enjoyed, including basketball and judo wrestling.
After he lost part of his right leg to a bomb in 2012, Al-Hussein fled to Turkey before crossing into the Eastern Greek island of Samos in early 2014. He now swims three times a week and plays basketball in a wheelchair at a local Athens club.
The International Olympic Committee (IOC) has noted that they are planning to have a group of approximately 5-10 refugees compete at the Rio Games where they would march behind the Olympic flag. This is all a symbolic gesture of support to the victims of the global refugee crisis.
See the full USA Today report here.
- OFFICIAL SITE FOR RIO
- RIO COMPETITION SCHEDULE
- WHERE TO WATCH LIVE VIDEO OF OLYMPICS
- USA MEN'S SWIMMING TEAM
- USA WOMEN'S SWIMMING TEAM
- USA DIVERS GOING TO RIO
- USA WOMEN WATER POLO TEAM
- SWIMMING MEDAL PREDICTIONS
- FULL DAY 1 RESULTS
- FULL DAY 2 RESULTS
- FULL DAY 3 RESULTS
- FULL DAY 4 RESULTS
- FULL DAY 5 RESULTS
- FULL DAY 6 RESULTS
- FULL DAY 7 RESULTS
- FULL DAY 8 RESULTS
- WOMEN'S 10K OPEN WATER RESULTS
- MEN'S 10K OPEN WATER RESULTS
- FULL OLYMPIC SWIMMING RESULTS
Ysra Ezzat Mardini