As China got set to host the 2022 Beijing Winter Olympics right after the COVID-19 chaos, it had some of the strictest rules in place. If an athlete was heading to the Olympics, they either had to be fully vaccinated against COVID-19 or sit out a mandatory three-week quarantine in a hotel. However, 4 years after the Olympics, a revelation has now come to light that one of the attendees, an Olympic coach, had flunked this rule.

Just weeks before the start of the 2026 World Championship in Switzerland, Patrick Fischer, the 50-year-old Swiss Ice Hockey coach and one of the most successful coaches in the history of the national team, released a video statement on Monday admitting to the use of a forged COVID-19 vaccination certificate to gain entry to the Beijing 2022 Winter Olympics.

“The Swiss Ice Hockey Federation, Swiss Olympic, and those close to me had no knowledge of this,” Fischer said. “I recognize that I made a serious mistake in this matter. I take full responsibility for it. I have accepted the resulting consequences and paid the fine.”

The document falsely stated that Patrick Fischer had received two doses of a COVID-19 vaccine in October and November 2021, allowing him to bypass quarantine and entry restrictions set by Chinese authorities and the International Olympic Committee.

He now agrees, “I’m very sorry if I’ve disappointed people with this situation,” coach 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 later reported he had already been confronted by authorities over a 2023 forgery fine linked to a fake certificate bought via social media. For this offence, he was later fined about 39,000 Swiss francs, roughly $50,000.

During the Beijing 2022 Winter Olympics period, COVID rules were still strict in China. Even though the global peak had passed, China still enforced a strict closed-loop system for athletes, coaches, and staff. So, entry required proof of vaccination or a long quarantine with repeated testing.

Despite the  Olympics controversy, Fischer remains one of Switzerland’s most successful hockey coaches. He has led the national team since 2015, guiding them to 3 Olympic appearances and three silver medals at the World Championship. But this revelation triggered a strong reaction from the Swiss Olympic Committee.

Swiss Olympic questions the conduct of the coach in the Beijing 2022 Olympics case

In a statement, Swiss Olympic said it was “surprised and irritated” that Fischer had taken part in the Beijing Games while unvaccinated and using falsified documentation. The committee acknowledges the personal difficulty Fischer described, but his decision placed unnecessary risk on both the team and the Swiss delegation during the 2022 Winter Olympics.

“With all due respect for his personally challenging situation, Swiss Olympic believes that Patrick Fischer took a great risk for himself, his team and the Swiss delegation at the 2022 Olympic Games,” the association states.

Swiss Olympic also pointed out that Fischer had signed official participation agreements requiring full compliance with IOC and host country regulations. By that standard, his actions were seen as a direct breach of both legal and ethical obligations. Despite the seriousness of the situation, the Swiss Ice Hockey Federation has decided to continue supporting Fischer through the remainder of his term, as he will step down after the 2026 IIHF World Championship in Switzerland

As they said, “Transparency and mutual trust are very important to Swiss Olympic in its dealings with the federations and the participants in the Olympic Games. Patrick Fischer disregarded these values by also making a false declaration to Swiss Olympics.” They added, “We as a federation have taken note of this and find it commendable that Patrick Fischer is taking this step publicly and clearly admitting his mistake. This demonstrates personal responsibility and integrity.”

According to federation president, Urs Kessler, they are now fully on the upcoming home World Championship and the team’s preparation for it. “Our focus is entirely on sporting success,” he said. The Home World Championship will begin on 15 May, with Switzerland hoping to deliver a strong performance on home ice.