Switzerland has fired an ice hockey coach who admitted he falsely used a certificate claiming he had been vaccinated against Covid-19 to get around China’s travel restrictions for the 2022 Winter Olympics.
In a statement Monday evening, head coach Patrick Fischer said he made a “big mistake in this regard” by traveling to Beijing with the Swiss men’s team using false papers.
The Swiss Ice Hockey Federation initially backed him, saying the case was closed because he admitted his wrongdoing. But that changed on Wednesday with the news of his dismissal.
“The case is legally closed but it has sparked a public debate about ethics and honesty, which the federation takes very seriously,” federation president Urs Kessler said in a statement.
“From today’s point of view, our initial assessment – that the matter was concluded – was not too short-sighted. This is about ethics and respect, which are fundamental to Swiss Ice Hockey and which Patrick Fischer did not consider in 2022.”
Fischer had said before he was fired that “I’m very sorry if I’ve disappointed people with this situation.”
