Mohamad Maso fled the war in Syria with his brother six years ago. As a triathlete, he now takes part in the Olympic Games – just like his brother Alaa. At the opening ceremony, they both embraced.
For hours after the competition, Mohamad Maso was almost bursting with pride. Maso still carried his starting number 42, with which he took part in the triathlon at the Olympic Games, on his arms and legs in the ZDF studio. It would stay that way for another two or three days, he revealed. Because the 28-year-old had not only fulfilled a sporting dream by starting at the Olympics, the Games in Tokyo were also the end of a personal journey for him.
Maso comes from Aleppo, the city in Syria that was hit harder than almost any other by the war in the country that has now been going on for ten years. In 2015 he fled his homeland, initially to Turkey and Greece, and then reached the Netherlands via the Balkan route. There he began professional triathlon training, which he later continued in Germany. Six years after the escape, Maso is competing for his home country at the Olympics – in the triathlon he finished 47th in the end.
Olympia 2021: Triathlete from Syria meets his brother at the opening ceremony
The result was of secondary importance for the athlete anyway. Just the fact that, according to this personal story, he made it to the Olympic Games is like a fairy tale. His brother Alaa, who is seven years his junior, is also at the games.
The swimmer starts the 50 meter freestyle for the IOC refugee team. Alaa also lives in Hanover. At the opening ceremony, the two brothers ran into each other by chance – despite the strict Corona rules. It was their first reunion in eight months, as Mohamad is currently training in the Netherlands. “I couldn’t imagine sharing the Olympic Games with my brother,” said Mohamad Maso, who everyone just called Mo, said happily in an interview with ZDF.
Maso came to the triathlon in Syria through his father – first to swim, later he also began to run. Cycling made the combination of disciplines perfect. A few years ago, Maso reported in impressive words about the training conditions during the war in Syria: “While I was cycling, the grenades hit my left and right. I had to hide in trenches. It was terrible.”
Brothers have not seen their family for six years
The two brothers have not seen the rest of their family, who live in Turkey, for six years. “I hope you are proud of us,” said Mohamad Maso greeting his mother and sister immediately after crossing the finish line. Nevertheless, they have found a lot of support in Europe – not only of a sporting nature. First and foremost, Mohamad Maso names the family who helped him when he arrived in the Netherlands.
Sport gave him support in a new life situation. “I lost a lot when I came to the Netherlands: friends, family, my life, my studies, my home – everything was gone,” recalls Maso. “I had to start from scratch again.” Above all, running was a kind of therapy for him. “I run because it clears my mind and refreshes my body. It’s one of the things you can do anywhere in the world.” After eight months in the Netherlands, the Maso brothers had to go to Germany as this was the first country in which they had registered in the EU. Mohamad Maso quickly gained a foothold there too and got the chance to train for his big goal at Hannover 96.
Brother Alaa’s turn at the Aquatics Center in Tokyo on Friday. Mohamad can then no longer support him on site – due to the Corona regulations, he is no longer allowed to stay in the Olympic village for so long after his competition.
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I have been working in the news industry for over 6 years, first as a reporter and now as an editor. I have covered politics extensively, and my work has appeared in major newspapers and online news outlets around the world. In addition to my writing, I also contribute regularly to 24 Hours World.
