Swiss ice hockey head coach Patrick Fischer has admitted to using a falsified COVID-19 vaccination certificate to circumvent China's travel restrictions for the 2022 Winter Olympics in Beijing. In a statement, Fischer acknowledged making a "serious mistake in this matter," citing a personal crisis over vaccination reluctance and a desire not to let his team down at the Games.

Swiss public broadcaster SRF reported that Fischer was fined nearly 39,000 Swiss francs (approximately $50,000) by local authorities in 2023 for document forgery after purchasing the certificate on social media. He went public with his admission shortly after being confronted with these documents by SRF.

Fischer is one of Switzerland's most accomplished hockey coaches, having led the national team since 2015 to three Olympic appearances and three silver medals at the World Championship. His team reached the quarterfinals at the 2022 Olympics, where COVID-19 testing was mandatory, and the National Hockey League abstained due to pandemic concerns.

Ahead of the 2022 Olympics, China enforced some of the world's strictest COVID-19 protocols, requiring athletes to either be vaccinated or undergo a three-week hotel quarantine, as Swiss snowboarder Patrizia Kummer opted to do.

The Swiss Ice Hockey Federation stated it considers the matter closed, as Fischer is already scheduled to step down after next month's World Championship, which Switzerland hosts. The International Olympic Committee did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

Source: www.aljazeera.com