Swiss hockey coach pays the price for COVID-era ‘mistake’ years later

Swiss national ice hockey coach Patrick Fischer has publicly admitted that he used a fake COVID-19 vaccination certificate to enter China during the 2022 Winter Olympics, according to The Associated Press.

In an official statement, Fischer described his actions as a «serious mistake,» acknowledging that he traveled to Beijing with the Swiss men’s team using invalid documents to bypass pandemic-related entry requirements. He explained that he did not want to receive the vaccine and therefore chose the shortcut of using a forged certificate.

Schweizer Radio und Fernsehen (SRF) reported that Fischer was confronted with evidence showing he had been fined about $50,000 in 2023 by local authorities for document forgery after purchasing the certificate via social media. His admission followed the media report.

The Swiss Ice Hockey Federation stated that the matter is now considered closed. Fischer had already planned to step down after the upcoming world championship, which Switzerland will host next month.

At the 2022 Olympics in Beijing, strict COVID-19 protocols were enforced. Athletes were required to either be vaccinated or undergo a three-week quarantine. At least one member of the Swiss team chose the quarantine option to compete without vaccination.