It’s been 100 years since a Scottish runner famously refused to race on a Sunday at the Paris Olympics because of his Christian beliefs. A century later, today’s top athletes say elite sports performance still poses some hurdles for the faith practices that are central to their lives both inside and outside of the competitive arena.
Paris, which previously hosted the Summer Games in 1900 as well as in 1924, is about to welcome the Olympics for a third time, and as the July 26 opening ceremony draws near, much of the religious controversy this time around is related to Islam. The reason is because France’s secularism principles forbid its athletes from wearing headscarves as well as other visibly religious symbols, though the ban doesn’t affect Olympians from other countries.
Athletes of different faiths argue that sports organizations and major events should better respect the breadth of religious practices, especially as they strive to be more inclusive. To many, faith and spirituality are also essential to mental health, which has drawn a bigger spotlight in recent years, with U.S. gymnastics star Simone Biles ‘ open struggles at the most recent Summer Olympics in Tokyo three years ago playing a big role in that.
“Most people would see sports and religion as very separate, but I see a big overlap. Everything we have is a gift from God. He’s the one who’s given me this strength,” said Beatie Deutsch, an Orthodox Jewish runner who qualified to represent Israel in the Tokyo Olympics but didn’t compete because the women’s marathon was scheduled for a Saturday, when she observes the Sabbath.
“I’d love governing bodies of sports to do more to accommodate religion,” said the 34-year-old American-Israeli mother of five. Injuries kept her from qualifying for this year’s Olympics, but Deutsch recently started training again with her eyes on next year’s world championship meet and the 2028 Los Angeles Games.