Imagine this: You are a top athlete, but because you were forced to leave your country, you are no longer able to represent your country at the Olympic Games. For athletes who find themselves in this situation, this is a big blow to their sporting career and of course, very demoralising. But also a loss for the entire world of sports, because these talents simply remain hidden.  

Fortunately, the International Olympic Committee (IOC) recognised this injustice in 2015 and decided to always allow a refugee team to take part in the Olympic Games from now on. This was the case for the first time in Rio in 2016, when the team comprised 10 athletes. 

This year in Paris, the team has already grown to 37 refugees, who will be competing in a total of 12 different disciplines. Among them are athletes who have found refuge in Switzerland. 

Shortly before the start of the Games in Paris, we were able to speak to two of them: Luna Solomon, a young sports shooter from Eritrea, and Musa Suliman, a middle-distance runner from Sudan. 

At the time of publication of this article, Luna has already completed her performance in the 10m air rifle discipline. Unfortunately, it wasn't enough for the final, but we’d still like to congratulate her on this achievement! 

The 30-year-old mother of a young son is able to enjoy her second participation in the Olympic Games much more, as she affirms: ‘I know my way around better now and have already met lots of nice people and learnt about other cultures and languages.’ 

Luna Solomon came to Switzerland from Eritrea in 2015. She had to leave her country because there was no freedom there and she was not even allowed to work as a woman. She now lives in Lausanne, where she met the Italian three-time Olympic shooting champion Niccolò Cipriani a few years ago. He offered her the chance to try her hand at air rifle shooting - and before Luna knew it, she was training for the Olympic Games. The sport helped her to motivate and concentrate on a daily basis: ‘It has changed my life for the better. I am very grateful to Switzerland for opening the doors to this sport for me,’ says the young woman.  

Discovering his talent was also a revelation for Musa Suliman. He has always been a sports enthusiast, and when he came to Switzerland in 2021, he first joined a football club in Bern. During training there, he quickly realised how fast and enduring he could run. So he switched sports and has been training six times a week ever since. The 20-year-old experienced the horrors of war in his home country of Sudan as a child. He first fled to Egypt, where he had to work as a teenager in order to support his family financially. His past had a huge impact on him and his self-confidence suffered greatly as a result. Before sport, he had no purpose in life, says Musa: ‘It was only through running that I found myself. Sport helps me to overcome challenges. Thanks to it, I can integrate more easily, learn German and meet people.’ The young athlete is very happy with his new life, and he clearly has Switzerland to thank for that. 

Both Musa and Luna would have loved to compete for Switzerland in Paris. Luna says that she feels completely at home here after 9 years. But of course she would also have liked to have competed for her country of origin, Eritrea, and Musa for Sudan. But unfortunately, neither is possible. ‘Yes, it's different to take part in the refugee team,’ nods Musa, ’but it's also an honour. For Sudan or for the refugees - it doesn't really make much difference to me.’ And Luna adds: ‘I'm proud to represent the refugees at the Olympic Games. They are part of the world. I think it's good that I can draw attention to their situation. That's why it's not quite so bad for me if I can't compete for Eritrea.’  

The sports shooter and middle-distance runner want to encourage other young refugees. They should fight for their dreams. As a refugee, there are the same two doors as for all other people, believes Luna Solomon, one in and one out. Everyone simply has to make a decision. Always believe in yourself, Musa Suliman also advises. ‘Don't listen to people who tell you that you can't do it. Just keep going, the rewards will come.’ 

Unlike Luna, Musa still has his first appearance at the Olympic Games in Paris ahead of him. He is trying to remain calm and simply be confident: ‘I just hope that I will have good legs on the day’. 

We will of course be cheering for Musa and wish him the best of luck!  

It is to be hoped that he and Luna will one day be able to compete for medals for their countries of origin. Or perhaps for their new home country, Switzerland. This is possible, as the example of marathon runner Tadesse Abraham shows. He fled from Eritrea to Switzerland and continued to pursue his career as a marathon runner. He is now taking part in the Olympic Games for the third time - for Switzerland. We met Tadesse a few months ago and spoke to him. 

And if you want to keep up to date with the Paris 2024 Olympic Refugee Team, then don’t forget to check here regularly. 

Read here how the athletes ultimately fared at the Olympic Games.