First-ever Olympic Refugee Team Visits Christ the Redeemer in Rio

The Olympic refugee team visits Christ the Redeemer, Rio
The Olympic refugee team visits Christ the Redeemer, Rio (photo: International Olympic Committee )
By Zoey Zhang August 4th, 2016

The first-ever team of Refugee Olympic athletes visited Christ the Redeemer statue in Rio de Janeiro on July 29, a day after their arrival in Brazil.  They also took photos in front of the statue themselves and climbed the Corcovado mountain.

The Rio's Olympics that will run from Aug. 5 to Aug. 21 is the first to include a team comprising entirely of refugees. The team consists of ten members, including five athletes from South Sudan, two from Syria, two from Democratic Republic of Congo and one from Ethiopia. The six men and four women will compete in swimming, judo and athletics. 

Located at the peak of the mountain, the iconic statue is listed as one of the New Seven Wonders of the World, becoming a symbol of the Latin American country.

The world is focusing on Brazil this week where the 2016 Summer Olympics are to be held and the various mass and social media hubs are filled with the hottest news in the area and the customs about the host country. 

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