Members of the Refugee Olympic Team wait for a welcome ceremony to begin at the Olympic athletes village in Rio de Janeiro. (Charlie Riedel/AP)

Near the end of Friday night’s Opening Ceremonies in Rio de Janeiro, ten athletes without a country to call their home will march together under the Olympic flag as the first Refugee Olympic Team.

Refugees have competed in previous Olympics as independent athletes, but this will be the first time they will be under the same team. The team will comprise of two Syrian swimmers, an Ethiopian marathoner, two Congolese judokas and five South Sudanese middle-distance runners.

During the ceremonies, which are not broadcasted live in the United States, President Obama gave a shout out to the refugee team on Twitter following a tweet in support of Team USA.

“Tonight, the first-ever #TeamRefugees will also stand before the world and prove that you can succeed no matter where you’re from,” he tweeted.

The ten athletes are:

  • Rami Anis: Country of origin – Syria; host National Olympic Committee (NOC) – Belgium; sport – swimming (men’s 100-meter freestyle and 100 butterfly)
  • Yiech Pur Biel: Country of origin – South Sudan; host NOC – Kenya; sport – track and field (men’s 800 meters)
  • James Nyang Chiengjiek: Country of origin – South Sudan; host NOC – Kenya; sport – track and field (men’s 400 meters)
  • Yonas Kinde: Country of origin – Ethiopia; host NOC – Luxembourg; sport – track and field (men’s marathon)
  • Anjelina Nada Lohalith: Country of origin – South Sudan; host NOC – Kenya; sport – athletics (women’s 1,500 meters)
  • Rose Nathike Lokonyen: Country of origin – South Sudan; host NOC – Kenya; sport – athletics (women’s 800 meters)
  • Paulo Amotun Lokoro: Country of origin – South Sudan; host NOC – Kenya; sport – athletics (men’s 1,500 meters)
  • Yolande Bukasa Mabika: Country of origin – Democratic Republic of the Congo; host NOC – Brazil; sport – judo (women’s 70 kg division)
  • Yusra Mardini: Country of origin – Syria; host NOC – Germany; sport – swimming (women’s 100 butterfly and 100 freestyle)
  • Popole Misenga: Country of origin – Democratic Republic of the Congo; host NOC – Brazil; sport – judo (men’s 90 kg division)

 

 

At a time in history when behavior toward refugees occasionally turns hostile, these athletes hope that they can serve as a positive inspiration to others.

“The Refugee Olympic Team will provide a unique form of empowerment to the athletes and to the millions they represent,” wrote The Post’s Adam Kilgore.

And perhaps it can also help viewers understand the ongoing refugee crisis and its human toll.

“When people in the U.S. and other countries far removed from the front lines of the crisis talk about refugees, they often talk about terrorists or frauds,” Vox’s Dara Lind wrote. “The point of the Refugee Olympic Team is to change that: to make viewers see refugees as heroes who’d be a credit to any country they lived in, and perhaps even inspire a desire to call on politicians to welcome more refugees in.”

Want more Opening Ceremony details? Get live updates from Rio here.