The 41st place finish that felt like gold for refugee swimmer Yusra Mardini
Syrian, who is part of the unprecedented refugee team at Rio 2016, is again moved by the warm reception from Brazilians
Yusra Mardini competes in the women's 100m butterfly at the Olympic Aquatics Stadium on Saturday (Photo: Getty Images/Lars Baron)
She knew it would be hard to qualify for the semi-finals, let alone win a medal, but for Yusra Mardini, the first of the Olympic refugee team to compete at Rio 2016, winning her heat and the passionate affection of the crowd were more enough.
“I knew it would be difficult,” she said after finishing 41st overall in the 100m butterfly preliminary rounds on Saturday (6 August) in the Olympic Aquatics Stadium in Barra Olympic Park.
Mardini has been a main attraction for the media at the Games (Photo: Getty Images/Ker Robertson)
With a time of one minute and 9.21 seconds, the Syrian swimmer – who is now based in Germany after a perilous journey across the Mediterranean during which she saved the lives of 20 fellow refugees – was some way off the 16 qualifying places. “But just being here makes it worth it,” she said
The scoreboard shows Mardini's triumph to the world (Photo: Rio 2016/Andre Naddeo)
At the end of her heat, surrounded by cameras, Mardini again received the generous applause of the fans, replicating the warm welcomes the refugee team received at the airport and the Olympic Village.
“My main aim is the Tokyo Olympics in 2020, I want to train a lot so that I arrive there with a good chance,” said the 18-year-old, who will return to the Olympic Aquatics Centre on Wednesday (10 August) for the 100m freestyle, her final event. “I have to thank the fans so much for their support, and on Wednesday I hope to do better,” she said.
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