Dorian Keletela
Keletela in 2021 | |
| Personal information | |
|---|---|
| Birth name | Dorian Keletela |
| Born | 6 February 1999 Kinkala, Republic of the Congo |
| Sport | |
| Sport | Track and field |
| Event | 100 metres |
Dorian Keletela (born 6 February 1999) is a Congolese-born refugee sprinter who now lives in France. He competed on the Refugee Olympic Team at the 2020 Summer Olympics and the 2024 Summer Olympics.
Early life
Keletela was born 6 February 1999 in the Republic of the Congo, in the midst of a civil war.[1] When he was a teenager, his parents were killed due to political persecution, and he moved in with his aunt. They fled to Portugal in 2016, where they spent more than a year in refugee centers. He is now fluent in Portuguese.[2] He moved to Paris in 2023.[3]
Career
Keletela began running at age 15, when he still lived in the Republic of the Congo. In 2019, he joined the World Athletics Refugee team, although he was injured and unable to compete that year.[2] He received an International Olympic Committee Refugee Athlete Scholarship.[4]
In March 2021, he was the first member of the World Athletics Refugee Team to compete at the European Indoor Championships in the 60m competition. He finished 8th in his heat with a time of 6.91 seconds.[2]
Whilst competing as one of 29 athletes across 12 disciplines representing the Refugee Olympic team at the 2020 Tokyo Olympics,[5] Keletela ran a personal best 10.33s for the 100 metres to win his preliminary heat. He then placed 8th in his next heat.[6]
At the 2022 World Championships, he raced in the 100m event,[3] where he placed second in the preliminary heat and then 7th in his next heat.[6]
Keletela was again a member of the Refugee Olympic Team at the 2024 Summer Olympics.[3] He competed in the 100 metres, where he finished 8th in his preliminary heat.[7] Afterward, he said he hoped he could compete in the 2028 Summer Olympics, and he noted that he no longer held hope that he would compete for the Republic of the Congo due to ongoing violence in the country.[1]
Competitions
| Year | Competition | Venue | Position | Event | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Representing the IOC Refugee Olympic Team and the World Athletics Athlete Refugee Team | |||||
| 2021 | European Indoor Championships | Toruń, Poland | 61st (h) | 60 m | 6.91 |
| Olympic Games | Tokyo, Japan | 47th (h) | 100 m | 10.41 | |
| 2022 | World Championships | Eugene, United States | 47th (h) | 100 m | 10.52 |
| 2024 | Olympic Games | Paris, France | 64th (h) | 100 m | 10.58 |
References
- ^ a b Raffray, Raphael (4 August 2024). "Paris 2024 : Dorian Keletela, l'athlète réfugié court vers l'avenir" [Paris 2024: Dorian Keletela: the refugee athlete runs towards the future]. L'Humanité (in French). Retrieved 9 July 2025.
- ^ a b c Dennehy, Cathal (14 June 2021). "Tokyo selection is dream come true for Refugee Olympic Team member Keletela". World Athletics. Retrieved 9 July 2025.
- ^ a b c Hincks, Michael (3 August 2024). "Refugee Dorian Keletela lives out Olympic 'dream' for second time in men's 100m heats at Paris 2024". Olympics.com. Retrieved 9 July 2025.
- ^ Browne, Ken (6 July 2021). "Meet Dorian Keletela: Olympic 100m sprint hopeful and IOC Refugee Scholarship holder". Olympics.com. Retrieved 9 July 2025.
- ^ "COP salienta Dorian Keletela: "Já começa a falar português, mas não sabia uma palavra"" [COP highlights Dorian Keletela: "He's already starting to speak Portuguese, but he didn't know a word"]. www.ojogo.pt (in Portuguese). 8 June 2021.
- ^ a b "Dorian KELETELA | Profile". World Athletics. Retrieved 9 July 2025.
- ^ "Men's 100 Metres - Paris Olympic Games 2024 Athletics". Watch Athletics. 4 August 2024. Retrieved 28 December 2024.