A road cyclist fled war in Afghanistan and is now set to compete at the Olympic Games.
Amir Ansari was one of 36 athletes from 11 countries named on the International Olympic Committee's refugee team for Paris 2024 on Thursday night (AEST).
Ansari was born in Iran but grew up in Afghanistan, before soughting refuge in Sweden. He found a new family and began training with Stockholm Cycling Club.
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Among the other IOC refugee team members with remarkable stories is distance runner Farida Abaroge, who fled Ethiopia at a young age because of safety issues. She bounced between a string of countries and finally settled in France.
Yahya Al Ghotany, a taekwondo athlete, fled war in Syria with his family and settled in the Azraq Refugee Camp in Jordan.
Dorsa Yavarivafa, a badminton athlete, fled Iran with her mother at the age of 15, getting out because of safety concerns and heading to the UK.
The chef de mission of the IOC refugee team is Afghanistani Masomah Ali Zada, who competed in road cycling at the Tokyo Games in 2021.
"Having our own emblem creates a sense of belonging and empowers us to also stand for the population of more than 100 million people who share this same experience," Zada said.
"The team chef de mission who competed in women's cycling at the Tokyo Games. "I cannot wait to wear it proudly."
An IOC refugee team first featured at the Olympics at Rio 2016.
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