Olympic Games Defectors (61)

Athlete Nation(s) Sport(s) Role(s) Era Notes
Yhyacinthe Abdon CMR BOX Olympics 2012 Disappeared during the Games and was later granted asylum in England.
Christian Adjoufack CMR BOX Olympics 2012 Disappeared during the Games and was later granted asylum in England.
Raed Ahmed IRQ WLF Olympics / Other 1996 Did not return to Iraq after 1996 Olympics.
Serge Ambomo CMR BOX Olympics 2012 Disappeared during the Games and was later granted asylum in England.
Rolando Arrojo CUB BBL Olympics 1992 Did not return to Cuba after 1996 Olympics.
Deogracias Asuncion PHI CTR Olympics 1984 Did not return to the Philippines.
Gábor Balla HUN SHO Olympics 1964 Did not return to Hungary after 1964 Olympics, settling in the US.
Marion Becker ROU
FRG
ATH Olympics 1972—1976 Did not return to Romania after 1972 Olympics, settling in West Germany and competing for West Germany in the 1976 Olympics.
Andrea Bodó-Molnár HUN GAR Olympics 1952—1956 Did not return to Hungary after 1956 Olympics, settling in the US.
Dede Camara GUI SWM Olympics 2012 Disappeared during the 2012 Games and later sought asylum in England.
Oszkár Csuvik AUS
HUN
WPO Olympics / Coach 1948—1952 Did not return to Hungary after 1948 Olympics.
Lídia Dömölky-Sákovics HUN FEN Olympics 1956—1968 Did not return to Hungary after 1956 Olympics, moving to the US but returning in 1957.
Paul Ekane CMR SWM Olympics 2012 Disappeared during the Games in an attempt to seek asylum in England.
Thomas Essomba CMR BOX Olympics 2008—2012 Disappeared during the 2012 Games and was later granted asylum in England.
Hassan Fkiri TUN WRE Olympics 2000 Did not return to Tunisia after 2000 Olympics and settled in Australia. He later represented Australia internationally.
Ute Gähler FRG LUG Olympics 1968 Defected prior to competing in the 1964 Olympics for East Germany, competing for West Germany in the 1968 Winter Olympics.
József Gerlach HUN DIV Olympics 1956 Did not return to Hungary after 1956 Olympics, settling in the US.
Weynay Ghebresilasie ERI ATH Olympics / Other 2012 Applied for asylum in the UK after 2012 Olympics and was later granted asylum. Competed for GBR from 2021.
Mukhran Gogia GEO WLF Olympics 2000 Applied for asylum in Australia after 2000 Olympics. It is unknown whether this was granted.
Ödön Gróf HUN SWM Olympics 1936 Did not return to Hungary after 1956 Olympics (where he was active as a coach), moving to the US.
Rodolfo Guaves PHI CTR Olympics 1984 Did not return to the Philippines.
Olga Gyarmati HUN ATH Olympics 1948—1956 Did not return to Hungary after 1956 Olympics, first settling in the UK, then the US.
Gene Hámori HUN
USA
FEN Olympics 1956—1964 Did not return to Hungary after 1956 Olympics, settling in the US and competing for the US in the 1964 Olympics.
István Hernek HUN CSP Olympics 1956 Did not return to Hungary after 1956 Olympics, settling in the US.
Mihály Iglói HUN ATH Olympics 1936 Did not return to Hungary after 1956 Olympics (where he was active as a coach), moving to the US.
Cedric Kebika COD JUD Olympics / Other 2012 Disappeared after the closing ceremony in an attempt to seek asylum in England.
Facinet Keita GUI JUD Olympics / Other 2012 Disappeared during the 2012 Games and later sought asylum in England.
Ágnes Keleti HUN GAR Olympics 1952—1956 Did not return to Hungary after 1956 Olympics, first settling in Australia, then Israel.
Attila Keresztes HUN
USA
FEN Olympics 1956—1964 Did not return to Hungary after 1956 Olympics, settling in the US and competing for the US in the 1964 Olympics.
Margit Korondi HUN GAR Olympics 1952—1956 Did not return to Hungary after 1956 Olympics, settling in the US.
Walter Lambertus ROU ROW Olympics 1976 Did not return to Romania after 1976 Olympics, settling in Canada.
Dániel Magay HUN FEN Olympics 1956 Did not return to Hungary after 1956 Olympics, settling in the US.
László Magyar HUN SWM Olympics 1956 Did not return to Hungary after 1956 Olympics, settling in the US.
Miklós Martin HUN WPO Olympics / Non-starter 1952—1956 Did not return to Hungary after 1956 Olympics, settling in the US.
Blaise Mendouo CMR BOX Olympics 2012 Disappeared during the Games and was later granted asylum in England.
Stelian Moculescu GER
ROU
VVO Olympics / Coach 1972—2008 Defected on the last day of the 1972 Olympics.
Stéphane N'Zue Mba GAB BOX Olympics 2000 Applied for asylum in Australia after 2000 Olympics, which was not granted.
Sergey Nemtsanov KAZ
URS
DIV Olympics 1976—1980 Briefly defected after the 1976 Olympics (having fallen in love), but returned to the USSR.
Zsuzsa Ördög HUN SWM Olympics 1956 Did not return to Hungary after 1956 Olympics, settling in the US.
Edgardo Pagarigan PHI CTR Olympics 1984 Did not return to the Philippines.
Diomedes Panton PHI CTR Olympics 1984 Did not return to the Philippines.
György Piller HUN FEN Olympics / Referee 1928—1952 Did not return to Hungary after 1956 Olympics (where he was active as a coach), moving to the US.
Béla Rerrich HUN FEN Olympics 1948—1956 Did not return to Hungary after 1956 Olympics, first settling in the US, then Sweden.
Sándor Rozsnyói HUN ATH Olympics 1956 Did not return to Hungary after 1956 Olympics, first settling in Austria, then Australia.
József Sákovics HUN FEN Olympics / Referee 1952—1964 Did not return to Hungary after 1956 Olympics, moving to the US but returning in 1957.
Valeriane Sarava GEO WLF Olympics 2000 Did not return to Georgia after 2000 Olympics and settled in Australia. He later represented Australia internationally.
Ferenc Siák HUN DIV Olympics 1956 Did not return to Hungary after 1956 Olympics, settling in the US.
Ayouba Ali Sihame COM SWM Olympics 2012 Disappeared into the streets of London in an attempt to escape a forced marriage in her home country. Was later granted asylum and settled in the UK.
Paul Szabo ROU FEN Olympics 1976 Escaped from the Olympic Village on last day of the Montreal Games.
Ripszima Székely HUN SWM Olympics 1956 Did not return to Hungary after 1956 Olympics, settling in the US.
Katalin Szőke HUN SWM Olympics 1952—1956 Did not return to Hungary after 1956 Olympics, settling in the US.
László Tábori HUN ATH Olympics 1956 Did not return to Hungary after 1956 Olympics, settling in the US.
Attila Takács HUN GAR Olympics 1956 Did not return to Hungary after 1956 Olympics, settling in the US.
András Törő HUN
USA
CSP Olympics 1960—1976 Did not return to Hungary after 1964 Olympics, settling in the US and competing for the US in the 1972 and 1976 Olympics.
Zoltán Török HUN ROW Olympics 1924—1928 Did not return to Hungary after 1956 Olympics (where he was active as a coach), moving to the US but returning in 1957.
Aissata Touré GUI ATH Olympics 2012 Disappeared during the 2012 Games.
Krystsina Tsimanouskaya BLR ATH Olympics 2020 Criticized her coaches at Tokyo 2020 and was removed from the Olympics, and shuttled to the airport to leave Japan. The IOC intervened and she sought asylum at the Polish Embassy to avoid returning to Belarus.
Anna Wojtaszek-Pazera AUS
POL
ATH Olympics 1956—1964 Did not return to Poland after 1956 Olympics, settling in Australia.
Ervin Zádor HUN WPO Olympics 1956 Did not return to Hungary after 1956 Olympics, settling in the US.
Victor Zilberman ROU BOX Olympics 1968—1976 Did not return to Romania after 1976 Olympics, settling in Canada.
Róbert Zimonyi HUN
USA
ROW Olympics 1948—1964 Did not return to Hungary after 1956 Olympics, settling in the US and competing for the US in the 1964 Olympics.