Two members of the Ethiopian delegation did not return home after the Paris Olympics. They vanished from the team and are believed to be seeking asylum in Europe, Ethiopia Observer learned.

Anteneh Gobezei, who had traveled to Paris as a coach for swimmer Lina Alemayehu Selo, was the first to disappear. Lina competed in the 50m freestyle event on August 3, for the semi-finals qualification. It was reported that the coach left the athletes’ village on the same day and departed from France.

The press attaché who traveled to Paris with the team, Habtamu Gedebe Geta, also disappeared, according to a reliable source. Habtamu, who worked for Walta Information Center and hosted and moderated various meetings and forums for the Ethiopian Athletics Federation, was appointed as the Press Attaché for the Paris Olympics. However, he did not perform any of those duties.

A nearly routine occurrence, the Olympic Games have long served as a prime opportunity for athletes to disappear and seek asylum in Western countries. In many Olympics, delegations return home with fewer members. For instance, at London 2012, 15-year-old Ethiopian torchbearer Natnael Yemane disappeared from a hotel in Nottingham, while seven Cameroonian athletes and three Sudanese athletes also went missing.