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French athlete may swap hijab for a cap to avoid Olympic opening ceremony ban

French athlete may swap hijab for a cap to avoid Olympic opening ceremony ban
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Friday, 26 July, 2024, 13:30

A French sprinter is expected to swap her headscarf for a cap in order to participate in the opening ceremony of the 2024 Olympics, in a compromise reportedly struck after the country’s strict laws on secularism threatened to bar her from the event.

Earlier this week Sounkamba Sylla, a Muslim member of France’s 400m women’s and mixed relay teams, said she would not be able to take part in Friday’s ceremony because she wears a hijab.
“You are selected for the Olympics, organised in your country, but you can’t participate in the opening ceremony because you wear a headscarf,” the 26-year-old wrote on social media.