From Refugee to Olympic Trailblazer: An Orphan's Journey to Glory.

Multi Sports Paris 2024 Olympics

Posted 2 months ago

From Refugee to Olympic Trailblazer: An Orphan's Journey to Glory.

Just two months ago, Dominic Lobalu doubted he could compete in Paris 2024. Now, he’s on track to make history.

Dominic Lobalu missed out on the Tokyo 2020 Games due to his asylum status in Switzerland, which disqualified him from competing for refugee teams. However, after World Athletics cleared him to represent Switzerland in May, Lobalu went on to win two medals at the European Championships—gold in the 10,000m and bronze in the 5,000m.

This success led the IOC to invite him to join the Refugee Olympic Team for Paris 2024, where he will compete in the 5,000m.

Lobalu shared his excitement with BBC Sport Africa, saying, “This is what I was dreaming for. When I started training, my goal was to go to the Olympics one day.

Now that it’s happening, I’m so happy.” With boxer Cindy Ngamba already securing a medal for the team, Lobalu has a chance to add to their success.