Summary
Swiss Ice Hockey coach Patrick Fischer admitted to using a fake COVID-19 vaccine certificate to get into China for the 2022 Winter Olympics. He was fined for document forgery after buying the certificate on social media. Fischer will step down after the upcoming World Championship, and the Swiss Ice Hockey Federation considers the issue resolved.
Key Facts
- Patrick Fischer, Swiss Ice Hockey coach, admitted to using a false COVID-19 vaccine certificate for the 2022 Winter Olympics.
- He traveled to Beijing with fake documents during a time when China had strict COVID-19 entry rules.
- Fischer was fined nearly 39,000 Swiss francs ($50,000) in 2023 for document forgery.
- He stated he was in a personal crisis because he did not want to get vaccinated but also did not want to let his team down.
- Fischer will leave his position after the World Championship, which Switzerland is hosting next month.
- Fischer has been coaching the Swiss team since 2015 and led them to three Olympics and three silver medals in the World Championship.
- At the 2022 Olympics, teams had to follow strict COVID-19 protocols, including mandatory vaccination or quarantine.
