Hockey coach says he used false Covid certificate for 2022 Olympics to enter China

Swiss ice hockey coach Patrick Fischer has admitted that he used a false Covid-19 vaccination certificate to bypass travel rules for the 2022 Winter Olympics in China.In a statement released on Monday, Fischer said he made a “serious mistake in this matter” by travelling to Beijing with the Switzerland men’s team using incorrect documents.“I'm very sorry if I've disappointed people with this situation,” Fischer said. “I was in an extraordinary personal crisis because I didn't want to be vaccinated. At the same time I certainly didn't want to let my team down at the Olympic Games.”Swiss broadcaster SRF reported, as cited by news agency Associated Press, that Fischer was confronted with documents showing he was fined nearly 39,000 Swiss francs ($50,000) in 2023 by local authorities for forgery after buying the certificate through social media. According to the report, he made his admission soon after.Switzerland is set to host the world championship next month. Fischer was already expected to step down after the event, and the Swiss Ice Hockey Federation said it now considers the issue closed.Fischer has been one of Switzerland’s leading hockey coaches. He has been in charge since 2015 and has taken the team to three Olympics, along with winning three silver medals at the world championship.His team reached the quarterfinals at the 2022 Olympics, where Covid-19 testing was mandatory and the NHL did not take part due to the pandemic.Before the Games, China had strict Covid-19 rules. Athletes had to either be vaccinated or undergo a three-week hotel quarantine, as Swiss snowboarder Patrizia Kummer did.