Slideshow: Faith shines through at the Olympics

By Jessi Dodge · August 3, 2021
 (RNS) — The Olympic athletes in Tokyo represent many faiths. The religious variety is sometimes stated and visible, and sometimes not. Here are a few of the images from the Games where we spotted the intersection of religion and sports. The long road to the Tokyo Olympics began in March 2020 in a pared-down flame-lighting ceremony. Here, Greek actress Xanthi Georgiou, playing the role of the high priestess, holds up the lighted torch. (AP Photo/Thanassis Stavrakis) Guinean wrestler Fatoumata Yarie Camara is the only Guinean athlete to qualify for Tokyo, only to face financial hardship and a last-minute announcement by officials in the West African country that COVID-19 would force a withdrawal from the Olympics. Under international pressure, Guinea reversed its decision. On July 20, Camara prayed at the mosque in Conakry. (AP Photo/Youssouf Bah) Pope Francis has offered his blessing for the Tokyo Olympic Games from his studio window overlooking St. Peter’s Square during the Angelus prayer July 25, 2021. Francis told the faithful that “in this period of pandemic, these Games are a sign of hope, a sign of universal brotherhood and of a healthy competitive spirit.” (AP Photo/Riccardo De Luca) The Olympic flame burns at the opening ceremony in the Olympic Stadium at the 2020 Summer Olympics, July 23, 2021, in Tokyo. The flame usually travels from Greece to the location of the Games in the months leading up to the event. Because of the late COVID cancellation, the flame had already made it to Japan before last year's delay and was kept on the island in anticipation of this year’s return. (AP Photo/Lee Jin-man) A member of the Israeli baseball team adjusts his yarmulke before the start of a baseball game against South Korea, July 29, 2021, in Yokohama, Japan. (AP Photo/Sue Ogrocki) Turkey’s Hatice Kübra İlgün bows and prays after winning a bronze medal for the taekwondo women’s 57kg match, July 25, 2021, in Tokyo. (AP Photo/Themba Hadebe) Grace McCallum of the United States performs on the uneven bars during the women’s artistic gymnastic qualifications. McCallum, a Catholic, holds her faith close. According to previous Central Minnesota Catholic magazine coverage, she doesn’t travel anywhere without her rosary and a cross from her grandmother. (AP Photo/Natacha Pisarenko) Katie Ledecky, of the United States, reacts after winning the women’s 1,500-meters freestyle final at the 2020 Summer Olympics, July 28, 2021, in Tokyo. After her medal-winning performance in Rio de Janeiro, Ledecky told the Catholic Register that her faith is something she relies on during both successes and challenges. (AP Photo/Petr David Josek) Iran’s Soraya Aghaei Hajiagha plays in hijab against China’s He Bingjiao during their women’s singles group stage badminton match on July 28, 2021. Different sports have made allowances for religious dress at different paces. (AP Photo/Dita Alangkara) Hidilyn Diaz of the Philippines celebrates on the podium after winning the gold medal in the women’s 55kg weightlifting event on July 26, 2021. In addition to lifting her medal high, Diaz wore a Miraculous Medal of Our Lady around her neck and raised it, repeatedly shouting “Thank you, Lord,” according to reports from the Catholic Bishops’ Conference. (AP Photo/Luca Bruno)
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