Ten athletes without a country to represent will be competing under the Olympics' new Refugee team for the very first time at the 2016 Rio Games.
“These refugees have no home, no team, no flag, no national anthem," IOC president Thomas Bach said. "We will offer them a home in the Olympic Village together with all the athletes of the word. The Olympic anthem will be played in their honour and the Olympic flag will lead them into the Olympic Stadium.”
The athletes will “act as a symbol of hope for refugees worldwide and bring global attention to the magnitude of the refugee crisis.”
And they received a huge ovation as they arrived at Maracana Stadium for the Rio Olympics' Opening Ceremony on Friday:
For more on the athletes, read S.L. Price's great feature here.
Welcome to the Olympic family, Refugee Olympic Team! #OpeningCeremony #Rio2016 pic.twitter.com/dTD3K8lh1E
— NBC Olympics (@NBCOlympics) August 6, 2016
