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Switzerland Fires National Hockey Coach After Fake COVID Vaccine Admission

The federation cited a breach of trust stemming from his 2022 use of a forged vaccination certificate.

Overview

  • Patrick Fischer was dismissed after his public admission on Monday that he used a fake COVID-19 vaccination pass to attend the Beijing 2022 Winter Olympics.
  • Federation president Urs Kessler said the organization reassessed the case and concluded Fischer failed to uphold core values of trust and integrity.
  • Fischer acknowledged traveling with papers that falsely showed two vaccine doses in October and November 2021 to avoid China’s quarantine rules for the Games.
  • Swiss public broadcaster SRF reported he paid a 2023 forgery fine of about 39,000 Swiss francs after buying the certificate on social media.
  • Swiss Olympic said it was surprised and irritated by his conduct, and Switzerland now must reset coaching plans with the men’s world championship on home ice next month.