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An Olympic hockey coach has admitted to using a fake vaccination card to coach his team at the Beijing Olympics four years ago.
Swiss ice hockey coach Patrick Fischer has admitted to using a certificate falsely claiming he had been vaccinated against COVID-19 to circumvent strict travel restrictions in China.
Swiss public broadcaster SRF said it confronted Fischer with documents showing he was fined nearly 39,000 Swiss francs ($50,000) by local authorities in 2023 for falsifying documents after purchasing the certificate on social media. SRF said he made his confession public shortly afterward.
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Head coach Patrick Fischer of Switzerland reacts during the men’s preliminary round Group A match against Czechia at the Milan Cortina 2026 Winter Olympic Games in Milan, Italy, February 15, 2026. (EyesWideOpen/Getty Images)
In a statement Monday evening, Fischer said he had made a “serious mistake in this matter” by traveling to Beijing with the Swiss men’s team using false documents.
“I’m really sorry if I disappointed people with this situation,” Fischer said. “I was in an extraordinary personal crisis because I didn’t want to get vaccinated. At the same time, I certainly didn’t want to let my team down at the Olympics.”
Fischer is one of the most successful hockey coaches in Switzerland. He has held the position since 2015 and has taken the team to three Olympics and won three silver medals at the world championships.
Head coach Patrick Fischer of the Swiss team practices on the ice during the Milan Cortina 2026 Winter Olympic Games at the Milan Santagiulia Ice Hockey Arena in Milan, Italy, February 8, 2026. (Grégory Shamus/Getty Images)
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The team was eliminated in the quarter-finals.
Ahead of the 2022 Olympics, China had some of the strictest COVID-19 rules in place in the world. He insisted that all athletes traveling to the Games must either be vaccinated against COVID-19 or spend a three-week quarantine in a hotel, as Swiss snowboarder Patrizia Kummer did.
Switzerland will host the world championship next month. Fischer was later expected to withdraw and the Swiss Ice Hockey Federation said it considered the matter closed.
Head coach Patrick Fischer of the Swiss team reacts during the Men’s Preliminary Round Group B match between the Republic of China and Switzerland at the Beijing 2022 Winter Olympics, February 9, 2022. (Xavier Lainé/Getty Images)
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Fischer played for the Swiss national team at the 2002 and 2006 Olympics and also played for the country’s junior national team in 1994. He spent most of his career playing for EV Zug of the Swiss National League A, where his jersey number was retired.
