Afghanistan flag bearer Kimia Yousofi starts new life in Sydney after Taliban takeover in aftermath of Tokyo Olympics

A year ago, the 100 metres sprinter carried the Afghanistan flag into Tokyo’s Olympic Stadium for the opening ceremony. It should have been a lifetime highlight for the two-time Olympian particularly when, days later, she set a national record and personal best time in her heat. The feat was reported around the sporting world.

But while these events were taking place in Japan, the Taliban was advancing across Afghanistan. After the withdrawal of American troops then-president Ashraf Ghani, in a quick and unexpected move, fled Afghanistan seven days after the closing ceremony in Tokyo. The Taliban had once more seized power, 20 years after the US-led Operation Enduring Freedom had forced them into exile.

Yousofi’s life changed in an instant.

The dramatic developments back home made it unsafe for her to return from the Olympics. As the country’s flag bearer, Yousofi was one of Afghanistan’s highest profile females and an immediate target for the regime.

The greatest honour of her young life had become an immediate hazard.

With the support of the International Olympic Committee, Yousofi flew to Iran where she had been preparing before the Olympics. She remained there for the next 12 months as the governing body looked for a place for her to resume her life and athletics career.

Initially, Canada and the UK were regarded as her most likely destination. But inquiries made by the Australian Olympic Committee altered that course. In August this year, Yousofi, her mother and younger brother arrived at Sydney Airport along with 28 Afghan athletes, officials and family members.

“Australia is a country of freedom,” Yousofi told CODE Sports through an interpreter after a recent training session at Sydney Olympic Park. “We came from a country where women had no rights and were not allowed to live freely.

“It has been very sweet how the Australian people have treated me. Afghan groups in Sydney have helped me get in tune with the Australian lifestyle.”

While Yousofi is delighted to have her mother and brother with her, not all her family have been cleared to travel to Australia. She has two older brothers and she is fearful for their safety.

During the interview, Yousofi shed tears. There were questions she could not answer for fear of recriminations against her brothers. Life remains anything but certain.

What Yousofi delighted in talking about were the things we take for granted every day.

Freedom. The Australian lifestyle.

An ability to pursue her athletic dreams without fear of political persecution.

Yousofi’s goal is to represent Afghanistan at a third consecutive Olympics in Paris. This is largely in the hands of the IOC, the Afghanistan Olympic Committee and the Taliban. The Taliban announced in November, 2021 that it would allow male and female athletes to compete internationally, but the IOC is aware the regime’s external rhetoric has not always matched its internal actions.

The strong likelihood is that Yousofi, should she qualify, will compete in Paris under the IOC banner as a refugee.

The man who has taken on the job of getting there is John Quinn.

Quinn has had a lifelong involvement in track and field and was a relay coach for Australia at the Sydney Olympics. He has also worked as a high performance manager for Essendon and Greater Western Sydney in the AFL and as a running coach for the Penrith Panthers in the NRL.

Quinn understands the strain his young sprinter is under on and off the track.

“She became an instant enemy of the Taliban,” Quinn told CODE Sports. “There she was at the Olympic Games carrying the Afghan flag and wearing the traditional Afghan costume and not the black robes. Then she was competing so she became a focal target of the Taliban.

“Fortunately for her the IOC intervened and they got her and her mother and brother to Iran. Kimia wasn’t able to train and had very little communication with the outside world.”

Yousofi believes she has landed in the best of hands.

“It’s great training with John and I’m sure we will get the best results soon,” she said. “The training is good but I want to get better. During the Olympics I had two injuries which I could not tell anyone (about) and now both of them have been fixed.

“I had a back injury for two years and none of the doctors could solve my problem, but my back problems were solved with three treatments, it was amazing.”

Yousofi’s arrival in Australia along with the other athletes, coaches and families would have been big news had it not happened right in the middle of the federal election. Among the other Afghans to have arrived in Sydney is taekwondo athlete and Asian Games medallist Ahmad Abasy, who recently told the Inside The Games website, “I have no hope of returning to Kabul anytime soon. Going to Kabul (and) you are detected, it is suicide.”

For AOC chief executive Matt Carroll, the repatriation of the Afghan refugees was a new experience.

“It’s not all about the games and the medals,” Carroll said. “It’s about respect and showing that respect by caring and making a difference. There is a bond in the Olympic movement around the world.”

His work didn’t stop at the airport. Suitable accommodation and work needed to be found to integrate the group into Australian society. And there are more family members still to bring to these shores.

“Kimia still has two brothers which we are working through,” Carroll said. “It takes time. The other good thing is the sports themselves. Athletics Australia, Taekwondo Australia and Volleyball Australia have all assisted greatly in supporting the families since they have arrived in Australia.”

Yousofi won’t be wearing the green and gold when the Paris Olympics come around, but she is an athlete Australia should nonetheless rally around.

“It’s not always about faster, higher and stronger,” Quinn said. “Sometimes it’s about humanity.

“It’s about opportunity and hope and optimism. What better story than this one about a girl from Afghanistan who has come here with nothing except her mother and brother.

“We complain about our plane being late for an hour. What we need is a touch of reality. Having Kimia in my squad is exactly that.”