LAUSANNE, Switzerland – An expanded refugee team of 29 athletes competing across 12 sports at next month’s Tokyo Games will provide hope and inspiration to the world, the International Olympic Committee (IOC) said on Tuesday.
The team, which will compete under the Olympic flag and include people from countries including Syria, South Sudan, Eritrea, Afghanistan and Iran, is almost three times as big as the inaugural team at the Rio de Janeiro 2016 Olympics.
Syrian swimmer Yusra Mardini, who swam to safety when her boat capsized between Turkey and Greece in 2015, will be back for her second Games after taking Rio by storm.
Also on the team are Kimia Alizadeh, Iran’s first fema…
Keep on reading: Olympics: Larger refugee team will inspire the world – IOC