Swiss Ice Hockey Coach Dismissed After Forging Covid Vaccine Certificate for Olympics
A Swiss ice hockey coach has faced termination after admitting to using a false Covid-19 vaccination certificate to bypass China's travel restrictions for the 2022 Winter Olympics. Head coach Patrick Fischer acknowledged his "serious mistake" in a statement, revealing his use of fraudulent paperwork to travel to Beijing with the Switzerland men's team. Initially, the Swiss Ice Hockey Federation supported Fischer, considering the matter closed following his admission. However, the federation's stance changed dramatically on Wednesday when news of his dismissal emerged. Federation president Urs Kessler emphasized the importance of values and trust, stating, "This is about values and respect, which Patrick Fischer did not uphold in 2022." Fischer expressed regret, saying, "I'm very sorry if I've disappointed people with this situation." He explained his actions stemmed from an "extraordinary personal crisis" over vaccination, coupled with the desire not to let his team down at the Olympics. Reports from Swiss public broadcaster SRF revealed that Fischer was fined nearly 39,000 Swiss francs for document forgery after purchasing the certificate on social media. He publicly admitted the wrongdoing shortly after. With the world championship scheduled in Switzerland next month, Fischer was already slated to step down after that event. Jan Cadieux, previously the under-20 coach, will assume the head coach position immediately. Fischer, one of Switzerland's most successful coaches since 2015, led the team to three Olympics and secured three world championship silver medals, with the team reaching the quarter-finals at the 2022 Olympics, where strict Covid-19 protocols were enforced.
Source: The Independent Sport - 2026-04-16