Paris 2024: The Palestinian Olympians representing their people

A small number of Palestinians are going to take part in the Olympics, despite the ongoing war.

British Broadcasting CorporationWatchHomeNewsSportBusinessInnovationCultureTravelEarthVideoLiveHomeNewsIsrael-Gaza WarWar in UkraineUS ElectionUS & CanadaUKUK PoliticsEnglandN. IrelandN. Ireland PoliticsScotlandScotland PoliticsWalesWales PoliticsAfricaAsiaChinaIndiaAustraliaEuropeLatin AmericaMiddle EastIn PicturesBBC VerifySportBusinessExecutive LoungeTechnology of BusinessWomen at the HelmFuture of BusinessInnovationTechnologyScience & HealthArtificial IntelligenceAI v the MindCultureFilm & TVMusicArt & DesignStyleBooksEntertainment NewsTravelDestinationsAfricaAntarcticaAsiaAustralia and PacificCaribbean & BermudaCentral AmericaEuropeMiddle EastNorth AmericaSouth AmericaWorld’s TableCulture & ExperiencesAdventuresThe SpeciaListEarthNatural WondersWeather & ScienceClimate SolutionsSustainable BusinessGreen LivingVideoLiveLive NewsLive SportHomeNewsSportBusinessInnovationCultureTravelEarthVideoLiveAudioWeatherNewslettersThe Palestinians heading to Paris to represent their peopleBBCValerie Tarazi is proud to represent Palestinians at the OlympicsAs she put in some last practice lengths in Paris last week, Palestinian-American swimmer Valerie Tarazi thought back to her moment of inspiration: watching the legendary Michael Phelps winning eight golds in Beijing in 2008.

“That was like my first like, ‘Oh my gosh, I want to be an Olympian’,” she said.

Paris is a dream come true, as it is for countless athletes taking to sport’s biggest stage. But after more than nine months of war in Gaza and the deaths of tens of thousands of Palestinians, Tarazi says her participation is also an act of commemoration.

“It’s me honouring them,” she said.

A child of the huge Palestinian diaspora, Tarazi, who swims in the 200m individual medley next Friday, was born and raised in the US. But she celebrates her connections to one of Gaza’s oldest Christian families.

https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cz475vdd97qo

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