The Athlete Refugee Team (ART) is a delegation under which refugee athletes can compete collectively at IAAF (International Association of Athletics Federations, now known as World Athletics) competitions. The official IAAF logo was used as the team's flag until 2019. World Athletics collaborated with Kenyan long-distance runner Tegla Loroupe to form the team in 2014 as a short-term response to the growing refugee crisis that left millions of people dislocated or stateless. However, it has since turned into a sort of permanent feature at World Athletics events due to the refugee crisis only worsening. Many of the athletes (who fled war or violence in their home countries) originate from a variety of nations such as: Sudan, South Sudan, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Syria, and Ethiopia. They include a majority of runners, as well as professional swimmers, material artists, etc.
World Athletics helps by providing support to Loroupe as she works with the refugees in Ngong, Kenya on behalf of her foundation (the Tegla Loroupe Peace Foundation). Loroupe finds young, aspiring recruits at local running events and carefully selects them to be on the Athlete Refugee Team. The fastest ones are invited to the Tegla Loroupe Peace Foundation's training camp where they receive coaching from Loroupe and further develop their skills so that they may be prepared for the highest and most prestigious levels of competition like the Olympic Games.
The Athlete Refugee Team's first appearance was at the 2016 Summer Olympics in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. Ever since their introduction, they have competed at every World Athletics Series including: the 2017 World Championships in Athletics, 2017 IAAF World Relays, 2018 IAAF World U20 Championships, and 2019 World Athletics Championships, among other events. One athlete (Puok Thiep Gatkuoth in men's marathon) was announced to compete at the 2018 European Athletics Championships,Final Entries - Athletes List by event. European Athletics Championships 2018, Berlin/GER but did not start.
Over time, as the Athlete Refugee Team has grown, so has the funding for the programme behind it. World Athletics decided to expand the reach of the Athlete Refugee Team to several other locations throughout the globe, with athletes based not just in Kenya but: Germany, Israel, France, Switzerland, and the United Kingdom. Additionally, the organisation commits to financially sustaining and investing in the programme by continually seeking out coaches and competitive opportunities for the athletes.
Competition history
Olympic Games
Athletes were represented under the label of Refugee Olympic Team (ROT) during the 2016 Summer Olympics, which later changed to the French version of Équipe olympique des réfugiés (EOR) during the 2020 Summer Olympics. They compete under the Olympic flag at the Games.
CompetitionHost cityAthleteEventFinishedResultRank2016 Summer OlympicsRio de Janeiro, BrazilJames ChiengjiekMen's 400 m52.898th (h)Yiech BielMen's 800 m1:54.678th (h)Paulo Amotun LokoroMen's 1500 m4:03.9611th (h)Yonas KindeMen's marathon2:24:0890thRose LokonyenWomen's 800 m2:16.647th (h)Anjelina LohalithWomen's 1500 m4:47.3814th (h)2020 Summer OlympicsTokyo, JapanDorian KeletelaMen's 100 m10.418th (h)James ChiengjiekMen's 800 m2:02.048th (h)Paulo Amotun LokoroMen's 1500 m3:51.7813th (h)Jamal Abdelmaji Eisa MohammedMen's 5000 m13:42.9813th (h)Rose LokonyenWomen's 800 m2:11.878th (h)Anjelina LohalithWomen's 1500 m4:31.6514th (h)Sapporo, JapanTachlowini GabriyesosMen's marathon2:14:0216th2024 Summer OlympicsParis, FranceDorian KeletelaMen's 100 m10.588th (h)Musa SulimanMen's 800 m1:49.619th (h)Dominic LobaluMen's 5000 m13:15.274thJamal Abdelmaji Eisa MohammedMen's 10,000 m27:35.9218thTachlowini GabriyesosMen's marathon2:12:4742ndMohammad Amin AlsalamiMen's Long jump7.2429th (q)Perina LokureWomen's 800 m2:08.208th (h)Farida AbarogeWomen's 1500 m4:29.2714th (h)
World Championships
CompetitionHost CityAthleteEventFinishedResultRank2017 World ChampionshipsLondon, United KingdomAhmed Bashir FarahMen's 800 m1:50.04 8 (h)Dominic Lokinyomo LobaluMen's 1500 m3:52.78 12 (h)Kadar Omar AbdullahiMen's 5000 m14:32.67 17 (h)Rose LokonyenWomen's 800 m2:20.06 8 (h)Anjelina LohalithWomen's 1500 m4:33.54 15 (h)2019 World ChampionshipsDoha, QatarPaulo Amotun Lokoro Men's 1500 m 3:48.98 14 (h)Jamal Abdelmaji Eisa Mohammed Men's 5000 m14:15.3217 (h)Tachlowini Gabriyesos 14:28.1116 (h)Fouad Idbafdil Men's 3000 m steeplechase (h)Otmane Nait Hammou 9:30.17 15 (h)Rose Lokonyen Women's 800 m2:13.39 7 (h)2022 World ChampionshipsEugene, United StatesDorian Keletela Men's 100 m 10.52 8 (h)Jamal Abdelmaji Eisa Mohammed Men's 5000 m14:02.7921 (h)Anjelina LohalithWomen's 1500 m4:23.84 14 (h)2023 World ChampionshipsBudapest, HungaryFouad IdbafdilMen's 3000 m steeplechase8:39.2112 (h)Omar HassanMen's marathon2:17:23 41stMohammad Amin AlsalamiMen's long jump7.4618 (q)Perina Lokure NakangWomen's 800 m2:15.848 (h)Anjelina Nadai LohalithWomen's 5000 m15:35.2515 (h)2025 World ChampionshipsTokyo, JapanMusa SulimanMen's 800 m1:48.289 (h)Jamal Abdelmaji Eisa MohammedMen's 5000 m13:58.9020 (h)Omar HassanMen's marathon2:19:4741Kiruhura Emmanuel Ntagunga2:19:1139Perina Lokure NakangWomen's 800 m2:10.139 (h)Farida AbarogeWomen's 5000 m16:27.3520 (h)
World Indoor Championships
CompetitionHost CityAthleteEventFinishedResultRank2022 World Indoor ChampionshipsBelgrade, SerbiaAnjelina LohalithWomen's 1500 m4:34.726 (h)
World Relay Championships
CompetitionVenueAthleteEventFinalResultRank2017 World RelaysNassau, BahamasGai NyangPaulo Amotun LokoroWiyual PuokDominic Lokinyomo LobaluMen's 4 × 800 m relay8:12.5772019 World RelaysYokohama, JapanRose LokonyenJames ChiengjiekMixed 2 × 2 × 400 m relay4:08.807
World Road Running Championships
CompetitionVenueAthleteEventFinalResultRank2018 Half Marathon ChampionshipsValencia, SpainPaulo Amotun LokoroMen's half marathon1:09:31124Ukuk Utho'o Bul1:08:151202020 Half Marathon ChampionshipsGdynia, PolandFouad IdbafdilMen's half marathon1:06:35108Otmane Nait Hammou1:03:28672026 World Road Running ChampionshipsCopenhagen, DenmarkAron GebremariamMen's 5 km13:3626Omar HassanMen's half marathon1:06:32100Seare Weldezghi1:01:5340Farida AbarogeWomen's 5 km16:0730
World Cross Country Championships
CompetitionVenueAthleteEventFinalResultRank2019 Cross Country ChampionshipsAarhus, DenmarkJamal Abdelmaji Eisa MohammedMen's 10 km cross35:0985Otmane Nait Hammou38:231242023 Cross Country ChampionshipsBathurst, AustraliaSeyd Taha GhafariJosephine Tain AugustinoFouad IdbafdilAnjelina Nadai Lohalith4 x 2 km mixed relay cross27:15132024 Cross Country ChampionshipsBelgrade, SerbiaFarida AbarogeWomen's 10 km XC36:3362Esterina Irino Julius41:1374Anjelina Nadai Lohalith33:2623Perina Lokure Nakang41:1875
Continental Championships
CompetitionVenueAthleteEventFinalResultRank2018 African ChampionshipsAsaba, NigeriaJames ChiengjiekMen's 800 m1:58.6911 (h)Joseph Elia Ernesto1:55.2012 (h)Yiech Pur Biel1:53.2010 (h)Paulo Amotun LokoroMen's 1500 m4:03.4415 (f)Dominic Lokinyomo LobaluMen's 5000 m14:07.2211Ukuk Otho'o Bul15:01.5020Chajen Dang YienWomen's javelin throw??.??92022 African ChampionshipsSaint Pierre, MauritiusDominic Lokolong AtiolMen's 1500 m4:06.2111 (h)Emmanuel KiruhuraMen's 5000 m14:27.8012Rose Ihisa UwaroWomen's 400 m1:06.6321 (h)Anjelina LohalithWomen's 800 m2:19.2916 (h)Women's 1500 m4:33.74102022 European ChampionshipsMunich, GermanyJamal Abdelmaji Eisa MohammedMen's 10.000 mTachlowini GabriyesosMen's marathon2026 African ChampionshipsAccra, GhanaKun Waar LiemMen's 200 m22.845 (h)Solomon Ayela OkenyMen's 400 m52.407 (h)Aden Hassan AbdifatahMen's 1500 m3:57.0510 (h)Lokoro DarioMen's 5000 m15:10.5625Perina Lokure NakangWomen's 800 m2:10.038 (h)
Continental Indoor Championships
CompetitionHost cityAthleteEventPlacementResultRank2017 Asian Indoor and Martial Arts GamesAshgabat, TurkmenistanWiyual Puok DengMen's 400 m50.964 (h)Yiech BielMen's 800 m1:56.535 (sf)Gai Nyang Tap1:58.705 (h)Paulo Amotun LokoroMen's 1500 m3:59.454q (h) Ukuk Utho'o BulMen's 3000 m8:33.027 (f)2021 European Indoor ChampionshipsToruń, PolandDorian KeletelaMen's 60 m6.918 (h)
Age group events
CompetitionHost cityAthleteEventPlacementResultRank2017 World U18 ChampionshipsNairobi, KenyaMohammed Ahmed AbubakarMen's 1500 m4:23.3812 (h)Lydia Philip MamunWomen's 400 m1:07.555 (h)Sunday Kamisa PeterWomen's 800 m2:32.764 (h)2018 World U20 ChampionshipsTampere, FinlandDominic Lokolong AtiolMen's 1500 m3:59.6312 (h)Lydia Philip MamunWomen's 800 m2019 European Youth Olympic FestivalBaku, AzerbaijanNazret KobodomGirl's 3000 m10:45.11102021 World U20 ChampionshipsNairobi, KenyaJoseph Loboi MorrisMen's 3000 mEmmaculate NapeyokWomen's 200 m29.5030 (h)Alice Ilam SamuelWomen's 800 m2:43.7625 (h)2022 European Youth Olympic FestivalBanská Bystrica, SlovakiaMolham HawanaBoys' javelin56.87m72023 European Youth Olympic FestivalMaribor, SloveniaS. Baba SwarayBoys' 8002024 World U20 ChampionshipsLima, PeruJoseph Loboi MorrisMen's 400 m58.038 (h)Lokoro DarioMen's 3000 m9:06.5320Zinad JosephWomen's 100 mDNS —Women's 200 m27.118 (h)
Other events
CompetitionHost cityAthleteEventPlacementResultRank2021 European 10,000 m CupBirmingham, United KingdomJamal Abdelmaji Eisa MohammedMen's 10,000 m28:52.6425Tachlowini Gabriyesos30:29.9148Fouad Idbafdil2021 European Cross Country ChampionshipsDublin, IrelandJamal Abdelmaji Eisa MohammedMen's 10 km cross31:3831Jamal Ismail Gabir Arabi34:1173Tachlowini Gabriyesos32:1949Fouad Idbafdil33:1161Otmane Nait Hammou33:28652022 European 10,000 m CupPacé, FranceJamal Abdelmaji Eisa MohammedMen's 10,000 m29:19.9034Seyd Taha Ghafari31:25.5255Tachlowini Gabriyesos30:36.01522022 European Cross Country ChampionshipsTurin, ItalyJamal Abdelmaji Eisa MohammedMen's 10 km cross31:1238Tesfay Felfele32:5868Tachlowini Gabriyesos31:3851Seyd Taha Ghafari31:3449Fouad Idbafdil32:19612023 European Cross Country ChampionshipsBrussels, BelgiumHabtom AmanielMen's 10 km cross33:5171Jamal Abdelmaji Eisa Mohammed30:4392024 European Cross Country ChampionshipsAntalya, TurkeyKiruhura Emmanuel NtagungaMen's cross24:2874Farida AbarogeWomen's cross28:16642025 European Cross Country ChampionshipsLagoa, PortugalSeyfu Jamaal TahirMen's cross23:5757Farida AbarogeWomen's cross27:57632026 European 10,000 m CupLa Spezia, ItalySeare WeldezghiMen's 10,000 m29:28.4034Farida AbarogeWomen's 10,000 m33:54.0731
See also Authorised Neutral Athletes Independent Olympians at the Olympic Games
Notes
References