London cyclist to miss world championships if no asylum interview

A gold medal-winning cyclist who has been invited to race in the world championships in September is waiting on an asylum interview to determine whether she can go.

Trhas Teklehaimanot was a national champion in Ethiopia but is now living in London as an asylum seeker, after she says conflict left her country unsafe to return to.

The 22-year-old can only compete in the UCI Road World Championships in Switzerland if she is granted refugee status and can get a travel document. She has been waiting on an asylum interview for almost a year.

The Home Office said it did not comment on individual cases.

Ms Trhas has been invited by cycling’s global governing body the Union Cycliste Internationale (UCI) to join the Refugee Team for the event, held from 21 to 29 September 2024.

She has previously won gold in the African Continental Championships in 2019.

“I have never done a world championships,” Ms Trhas said.

“That is really my dream. I don’t want to miss this one.”

West London Welcome, a community centre that has been supporting Ms Trhas, has started a petition calling for her asylum interview.

The community centre’s director, Joanne MacInnes, said: “It’s so frustrating.

“I can just imagine the interview coming a week too late and that would just break my heart.

“She just deserves this. She trains so hard.”

Ms MacInnes added: “Trhas’s asylum case is really strong. It’s just a question of granting her this interview, making a decision, and getting the necessary travel documents.”

Ms Trhas is training with the non-profit group Team Africa Rising.

Volunteer Jeremy Ford said: “She’s raced a couple of national series races, where our dream was that she might just finish.

“But she’s finished top 30 in both of them, which at her level is a great achievement.”

Mr Ford added the event was important for her.

“At 22 years old, it’s a pinnacle moment in a cycling career, and the world championships is the absolutely biggest race in the world – a moment to show what you’re capable of,” he added.