Ahmad Badreddin Wais (born 15 January 1991) is a

Syrian Syrians ( ar, سُورِيُّون, ''Sūriyyīn'') are an Eastern Mediterranean ethnic group indigenous to the Levant. They share common Levantine Semitic roots. The cultural and linguistic heritage of the Syrian people is a blend of both indi ...

cyclist Cycling, also, when on a two-wheeled bicycle, called bicycling or biking, is the use of cycles for transport, recreation, exercise or sport. People engaged in cycling are referred to as "cyclists", "bicyclists", or "bikers". Apart from two ...

and Olympian, who currently rides for French amateur team Hexagone–Corbas Lyon Métropole. He represents the refugee team at the Olympics. He rode in the

time trial In many racing sports, an athlete (or occasionally a team of athletes) will compete in a time trial against the clock to secure the fastest time. The format of a time trial can vary, but usually follow a format where each athlete or team sets off at ...

at the

UCI Road World Championships The UCI Road World Championships are the annual world championships for bicycle road racing organized by the (UCI). The UCI Road World Championships consist of events for road race and individual time trial, and a mixed team relay. Events ...

2017 File:2017 Events Collage V2.png, From top left, clockwise: The War Against ISIS at the Battle of Mosul (2016-2017); aftermath of the Manchester Arena bombing; The Solar eclipse of August 21, 2017 ("Great American Eclipse"); North Korea tests a ser ...

2018 File:2018 Events Collage.png, From top left, clockwise: The 2018 Winter Olympics opening ceremony in PyeongChang, South Korea; Protests erupt following the Assassination of Jamal Khashoggi; March for Our Lives protests take place across the United ...

2019 File:2019 collage v1.png, From top left, clockwise: Hong Kong protests turn to widespread riots and civil disobedience; House of Representatives votes to adopt articles of impeachment against Donald Trump; CRISPR gene editing first used to experim ...

and

2020 2020 was heavily defined by the COVID-19 pandemic, which led to global Social impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, social and Economic impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, economic disruption, mass cancellations and postponements of events, COVID- ...

Biography

Ahmad Badreddin Wais was born January 15, 1991, in

Aleppo )), is an adjective which means "white-colored mixed with black". , motto = , image_map = , mapsize = , map_caption = , image_map1 = ...

, Syria. He would begin cycling at age 14, and go onto to compete in the 2009 UCI Juniors World Championship. Wais would continue training through the Syrian Civil War his family leaving him as they fled to

Turkey Turkey ( tr, Türkiye ), officially the Republic of Türkiye ( tr, Türkiye Cumhuriyeti, links=no ), is a list of transcontinental countries, transcontinental country located mainly on the Anatolia, Anatolian Peninsula in Western Asia, with ...

in 2013. He would live alone in

Damascus )), is an adjective which means "spacious". , motto = , image_flag = Flag of Damascus.svg , image_seal = Emblem of Damascus.svg , seal_type = Seal , map_caption = , ...

as a student until 2014, when he decided to leave the country as a

refugee A refugee, conventionally speaking, is a displaced person who has crossed national borders and who cannot or is unwilling to return home due to well-founded fear of persecution.

. In 2014 Wais would begin his journey as a refugee, traveling by car through Syria and Lebanon, ultimately taking a boat to Turkey to reunite with his family. He would then travel by ship to Greece and eventually gain refugee status in Switzerland which he arrived in by plane. Wais would not compete again until 2017, citing the physical and emotional toll of the ordeal; going so far as to put off training until 2015. In 2016, he was a member of the Dutch Marco Polo team. He would become a prospective candidate for the 2016 Refugee Olympic Team. Wais has not returned to Syria since leaving, because he is classified as having evaded conscription by the

Syrian Military The Syrian Arab Armed Forces ( ar, الْقُوَّاتُ الْمُسَلَّحَةُ الْعَرَبِيَّةُ السُّورِيَّةُ, al-Quwwāt al-Musallaḥah al-ʿArabīyah as-Sūrīyah) are the military forces of the Syrian Arab Re ...

. He did not attend the 2016 Olympics, however two female swimmers from Syria were selected for the very small refugee team. By 2020 his country was still in a state of civil war and this time he was named to the

Olympic team A National Olympic Committee (NOC) is a national constituent of the worldwide Olympic movement. Subject to the controls of the International Olympic Committee, NOCs are responsible for organizing their people's participation in the Olympic Games ...

, which took place in 2021 due to the worldwide pandemic. He rode in the individual time trial event.

References

External links

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SRF.ch video
{{DEFAULTSORT:Wais, Ahmad 1991 births Living people Syrian male cyclists Refugees of the Syrian civil war Sportspeople from Aleppo Competitors at the 2018 Mediterranean Games Mediterranean Games competitors for Syria Refugee Olympic Team at the 2020 Summer Olympics Cyclists at the 2020 Summer Olympics