The Swedish star runner Nils van der Poel won double Olympic gold medals at the Olympics.

He first took home the noblest denomination in the 5000 meters and then did the same in the double distance.

Now the human rights organization Amnesty announces that van der Poel is giving away one of his gold medals.

"Amnesty International welcomes Nils van der Poel's decision to donate his Olympic gold from the Beijing Olympics in 2022 to Swedish author and publisher Gui Minhai, who is imprisoned in China, baselessly accused of spying just because he used his freedom of speech," he wrote. Amnesty in a press release.

"Feeling exploited"

According to Amnesty, van der Poel handed over his Olympic gold to Gui Minhai's daughter Angela Gui at a meeting on Thursday.

The daughter has been fighting for her father's release for a long time.

- I do not speak for all Olympians, but me and my friends in sports have spent their whole lives striving for the top and the Chinese government uses our dreams as a political weapon to legitimize its regime.

It became personal for me and I felt exploited.

I want human rights violations in China to be reduced and Gui Minhai to be released.

It is much requested, but it is the only reasonable thing to wish for, says Nils van der Poel according to Amnesty.

Angela Gui appreciates the casket's choice to give away the medal.

- Of course, I would have preferred that something like this would not be needed.

But it feels very good that the medal can represent solidarity for political prisoners like my father, and the countless other victims of Beijing's human rights violations, she says.

CLIP: Pichler on the training phenomenon van der Poel

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Wolfgang Pichler and Nils van der Poel.

Photo: Pontus Lundahl / TT