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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.

18 minutes

Last on

Sun 15 Dec 202422:32GMT

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  • Sat 14 Dec 202405:32GMT
  • Sat 14 Dec 202405:32GMT
  • Sat 14 Dec 202418:32GMT
  • Sun 15 Dec 202400:32GMT
  • Sun 15 Dec 202400:32GMT
  • Sun 15 Dec 202409:32GMT
  • Sun 15 Dec 202422:32GMT

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