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The Olympic defectors

A single glance changes an Iraqi weightlifter's life forever.

Iraqi weightlifter Raed Ahmed was proud to carry his country's flag at the opening ceremony for the 1996 Atlanta Olympics. But the honour came with a strict instruction: he was not to look at the American President, Bill Clinton. Iraq's Olympic Committee was led by Saddam Hussein's son, Uday, a man with a reputation for brutality.

But Raed had already begun to think of escape. And that night, with a single glance, he made up his mind. This is the story of how he took the most dangerous decision of his life, and what happened next.

Audio scenes have been re-created.

Release date:

18 minutes

On radio

Sat 14 Dec 2024 05:32GMT

Broadcasts

  • Sat 14 Dec 2024 05:32GMT
  • Sat 14 Dec 2024 18:32GMT
  • Sun 15 Dec 2024 00:32GMT
  • Sun 15 Dec 2024 09:32GMT
  • Sun 15 Dec 2024 22:32GMT

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