RIO DE JANEIRO (AP) — For the first time, one of the teams competing in the Olympic Games will be made up of refugees who hail from different countries they no longer call home.
Popole Misenga and Yolande Mabika, both judo athletes from Congo, are two of those competing for spots on the refugee squad. They say the chance to be part of history feels like a form of vindication, a collective recognition of both the suffering and aspirations of refugees everywhere.
"For me, this is incredible because a refugee has never participated in the Olympics before," said Misenga, 24.