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Meet the Women on the IOC Refugee Olympic Team

Meet the 10 Women Athletes on the IOC Refugee Olympic Team This Summer

Jun 29 2021

A total of 29 athletes from 13 host National Olympic Committees have been selected to compete at the Tokyo Games this summer on the International Olympic Committee's (IOC) Refugee Olympic Team. According to Olympics.com, the IOC's Executive Board narrowed down these contenders from a group of more than 50 people who held scholarships. They will compete under the Olympic flag.

The IOC Refugee Olympic Team made its debut at the last Summer Games in Rio with 10 members. "The reasons we created this team still exist," IOC President Thomas Bach said. "We have more forcibly displaced people in the world right now, and therefore it went without saying that we wanted to create an IOC Refugee Olympic Team for the Tokyo 2020 Olympics." There are over 80 million displaced people around the world, according to the UN Refugee Agency.

Keep reading to check out the 10 women athletes competing across sports who are part of this team. Plus, follow the Refugee Olympic Team on Instagram and Twitter. A Refugee Paralympic Team for Tokyo will reportedly be announced in the coming weeks.

To learn more about all the Olympic and Paralympic hopefuls, visit TeamGB.com. Watch the Tokyo Olympics and Paralympics this summer on BBC One and BBC Two.

Image Source: Getty / Laurence Griffiths

1. Rose Nathike Lokonyen, Track

Rose Nathike Lokonyen acted as the flag-bearer at the Rio 2016 Olympics where she was a member of the very first IOC Refugee Olympic Team. She was originally born in South Sudan and grew up in northern Kenya's Kakuma refugee camp. She placed seventh in her 800m heat at her Olympic debut.

Event competing: women's 800m

Follow Rose Nathike Lokonyen on Instagram: @rnathike

Image Source: Getty / AFP Contributor

2. Muna Dahouk, Judo

Muna Dahouk, originally from Syria and now living in The Netherlands, competes in the -63 kg category of judo. She was introduced to the sport at age 6.

Event competing: women's mixed team

3. Dina Pouryounes Langeroudi, Taekwondo

Born in Iran, Dina Pouryounes Langeroudi currently resides in The Netherlands and has claimed 34 world-ranking Taekwondo medals since 2015. She was the first refugee athlete to compete in the World Taekwondo Championships.

Event competing: women's -49kg

Follow Dina Pouryounes Langeroudi on Instagram: @dina.pouryounes

Image Source: Getty / Anadolu Agency

4. Nigara Shaheen, Judo

Afghanistan-born Nigara Shaheen competes in the -70kg class in the sport of judo. She said in an interview four years back that judo "allowed me to find confidence and show my strength when I needed it".

Event competing: women's mixed team

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5. Anjelina Nadai Lohalith, Track

Anjelina Nadai Lohalith, a South Sudan-born runner now training in Kenya, made her Olympic debut with the first-ever IOC Refugee Olympic Team in Rio. Her personal best in the 1500m is 4:33.54, which she clocked at the 2017 IAAF World Championships.

Event competing: women's 1500m

Image Source: Getty / Johannes Eisele

6. Masomah Ali Zada, Cycling

Cyclist Masomah Ali Zada was born in Afghanistan and currently lives in France. "I want to show all the men who thought that cycling isn't a women's thing that I've made it all the way through to the Olympics", she said in the short film shown here. "And if I can do it, any woman who wants to be involved in cycling, they can do it, from any country like Afghanistan".

Event competing: women's road

7. Kimia Alizadeh Zenozi, Taekwondo

Kimia Alizadeh Zenozi claimed bronze for Iran at the 2016 Olympics in Taekwondo and now lives in Germany. Her bronze medal marked the first time a woman from Iran had earned a Summer Olympic medal. She is also a 2014 Youth Olympic Games champion.

Event competing: women's -57kg

Follow Kimia Alizadeh Zenozi on Instagram: @kimiya.alizade

Image Source: Getty / Laurence Griffiths

8. Yusra Mardini, Swimming

Yusra Mardini was another athlete who competed with the Refugee Olympic Team in Rio 2016. Born in Syria and now residing in Germany, she spoke about her experiences amid a postponed Games in a live chat on Instagram last year, saying at the time that she was training "better than ever".

Event competing: women's 100m butterfly

Follow Yusra Mardini on Instagram: @yusramardini

Image Source: Getty / NurPhoto

9. Sanda Aldass, Judo

Sanda Aldass, a Syria native living in The Netherlands, started judo when she was 7 years old, and she is coached by her husband.

Event competing: women's mixed team

Follow Sanda Aldass on Instagram: @sandaaldass

10. Luna Solomon, Sport Shooting

Luna Solomon, born in Eritrea, currently lives in Switzerland. She trains under three-time Olympic gold medalist Niccolo Campriani. "I would like to join Nicco to help other migrants like me," she said in a video for the Olympic Channel, "and to help them be brave through sport like I was, thanks to sport shooting."

Event competing: women's air rifle 10-meter

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