Tag: The deserters of the Olympic Games
Afghan boxer Jawid Aman Mukhamad, missing from the ring
He was one of only two Afghan athletes at the 1996 Olympics in Atlanta, USA. Boxer Jawid Aman Mukhamad didn’t even make it to the qualifying rounds for his category.…
Andras Toro, the Hungarian kayaker who dreamed of America
Eight years after the great Hungarian defection at the 1956 Melbourne Olympics, athlete Andras Toro defected at the 1964 Tokyo Games. A canoe specialist, he sought asylum in the United…
East German luge specialist Ute Gähler
Ute Gähler is one of the only Olympic deserters to have disappeared during the Winter Olympics! It was in Innsbrück in 1964 that this East German luge specialist disappeared, before…
Guinean judoka Facinet Keita
Facinet Keita is a Guinean judoka. He is one of the 82 athletes who deserted during the London Olympics. Unlike others, his asylum application was an obstacle course. His story…
Hungarian Mihály Iglói, athletic genius
Hungarian Mihály Iglói first distinguished himself in pole vaulting before becoming an expert runner. Like about forty Hungarian athletes at the time, he took advantage of the Melbourne Olympics in…
Tunisian wrestler Hassene Fkiri moves to Australia
Just after the Sydney Olympics in 2000, at least 35 athletes sought asylum. Among them was Tunisian wrestler Hassene Fkiri, who later joined the Australian national team. Forty-four years after…
Hungarian gymnast Ágnes Keleti
Gymnast Ágnes Keleti was one of about 40 Hungarian athletes who defected from the 1956 Melbourne Olympics. Unlike most of her compatriots, she stayed in Australia, spending a few months…
Olympic deserters: Iraqi weightlifter Raed Ahmed
We continue our series on athletes who took advantage of the Olympics to ditch their home countries with Raed Ahmed. This Iraqi was the flag bearer for his delegation at…
Olympic deserters: Daniel Magay, the former child prodigy of Hungarian fencing
Third episode today in our series dedicated to the incredible stories of all those athletes who, throughout history, took advantage of the Olympic Games to escape their home countries. The…
Olympic Deserters: Cameroonian Boxer Christian Donfack Adjoufack
Back to Home / Podcasts / The deserters of the Olympic Games Second episode today of our series dedicated to the incredible stories of all those sportsmen and sportswomen who,…