Sifan Hassan has made a "powerful" statement by wearing a hijab to the gold medal Olympics crowning ceremony. The Dutch runner sprinted by Tigst Assefa of Ethiopia on Sunday to win the last track event of the Paris Games .
Hassan added gold to the bronze medals she won in the 5,000 and 10,000 meters. The Ethiopia native finished in an Olympic record time of 2 hours, 22 minutes, 55 seconds. Assefa won silver and Kenya’s Hellen Obiri took the bronze.
By simply completing the marathon , 31-year-old Hassan ran more than 38 miles. She now has six Olympic medals after winning the 5,000 and 10,000 and finishing third in the 1,500 in Tokyo.
The race wasn't the only way Hassan impressed in the French capital . During the gold medal crowning ceremony for the women's marathon, Hassan donned a hijab. France banned French athletes from wearing hijabs at the games.
One viewer praised the sporting talent, writing on X, previously Twitter: "Sifan Hassan wearing her hijab... after France banned females from wearing hijabs at the 2024 games. She is so powerful. What a woman !"
During the 2024 Olympic Games in Paris , France banned its athletes from wearing religious clothing while competing including prohibiting Muslim women from wearing hijabs (Islamic headscarves).
The ruling falls under the concept of laïcité, or secularism, which France implements for all athletes at every level of sport . Amnesty International called the hijab ban in French sports “a discriminatory double standard” that “breaches international human rights laws.”
Amnesty International, along with several organizations, sent a letter to the International Olympic Committee (IOC) asking for the ban to be overturned due to the "harm" it causes Muslim athletes.
The IOC reportedly responded to the letter, claiming that France’s prohibition on sports hijabs was " outside the remit of the Olympic movement ."
Olympics viewers were quick to support Hassan's move. One sports enthusiast wrote: "What an amazing athlete," while another scribed: "Sifan did well in this Olympics. It's an unforgettable moment for her and the entire world ."
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Another movingly added: "The beauty of diversity. A Muslim woman of color, proudly wearing her hijab, brings home gold for the Netherlands. As the flag rises on the world stage , she sings the Dutch anthem with pride.
"This is the true strength of immigration - refugees are not criminals, but champions."
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