The Afghan cyclists who fled to pursue their Olympic dreams

The Afghan cyclists who fled to pursue their Olympic dreams

It has been one year since the Taliban returned to power in Afghanistan.

One of the first things they did was prohibit women from playing any sport, putting female athletes in danger.

But with the help of an ex World Champion cyclist, five young women in the national cycling team managed to escape to a town in northern Italy.

Some of them are actually hoping to become the first cyclists to actually represent Afghanistan in the Olympics. The BBC visited them to discover how they’re settling into their new life.

Video produced by Ivana Scatola and Firuz Rahimi

Filmed and edited by Derrick Evans