OLYMPIC GAMES
Refugee Olympic Team: what it is, how many times they have participated and how many athletes there are
This summer’s Games in Paris will bring together 36 athletes hosted by 15 different National Olympic Committees, united by shared values.
Of all the 206 teams present at this summer’s Olympics in Paris, none exhibits the values of the Games as clearly or as succinctly as the Refugee Olympic Team.
Since it’s introduction at the 2016 Games in Rio de Janeiro, the Refugee Olympic Team has brought together displaced and disenfranchised athletes from around the world to give them the chance to compete against the best on the planet. These refugee athletes are elite competitors and undergo a tough qualification process to bag one of few spots on the Refugee Olympic Team.
As a statement on the Olympic website makes clear: “The Refugee Olympic Team’s participation in the Olympic Games is not only a testament to their resilience and excellence but also sends a powerful message of hope, belonging, and inclusion.”
Why is the Refugee Olympic Team called EOR?
This year’s Refugee Olympic Team is significantly larger than either of the two previous iterations, bringing together 36 athletes hosted by 15 different National Olympic Committees. Those athletes will compete across 12 sports, of which athletics is the most common.
The Olympics uses three letter abbreviations for each of the 206 National Olympic Committees. These short-hand expressions are often used in medal tables and will be seen throughout the coverage. The Refugee Olympic Team was initially given the moniker ROT but it was changed to EOR in 2020, reflecting the French phrase ‘Équipe olympique des réfugiés’.
Each of the athletes involved in the Refugee Olympic Team are refugees in a host nation other than their native country. Their refugee status must be recognised by UNCHR, the UN Refugee Agency.
The team will enter the Opening Ceremony and compete under a white flag with the iconic five-rings Olympic logo, which represents the unification of the five inhabited continents of the world. The Refugee Olympic Team has not picked up a medal in either of the previous two Games but there are real hopes that one of the athletes will make it onto the podium in Paris.