Syrian refugee wins heat

Rio de Janeiro, august 7

Swimmer Yusra Mardini, who survived a harrowing sea crossing a year ago and is now among 10 refugees competing under the Olympic flag in Rio, won her preliminary heat in the 100m butterfly.  But the result wasn’t good enough to take her into the semifinals. Mardini’s time of 1:9.21 put her 41st overall in the preliminary round, but only the top 16 swimmers moved on to the semifinals. 

Mardini was a competitive swimmer in Syria until she fled the war with her sister last August and survived a hazardous crossing of the Aegean Sea to reach Europe.  The Mardini sisters had been among Syria’s brightest swimming stars and their family had been moving around to avoid the fighting so they could continue swimming. But the war intensified and eventually the decision was made to leave altogether. — AP