Taekwondo athlete Mourad Laachraoui, whose older brother, Najim, was one of two suicide bombers in the March 22 Brussels airport attacks, was passed over for the Rio Olympics, the Belgium Olympic Committee announced Thursday.
Belgium announced its three Olympic taekwondo selections and did not include Laachraoui, who last month won gold at the European Championships in a non-Olympic weight class.
Laachraoui, who took the European 54kg title, was one of three candidates for the Belgium team in the lightest Olympic men’s division of 58kg.
The athlete chosen for the Olympics was Si Mohamed Ketbi, who qualified the quota spot for Belgium last year and was No.