Paris Olympics 2024: French Runner Will Wear A Cap In The Opening Ceremony After The Ban On Hijab

Just before the start of the opening ceremony, a piece of shocking news came out from Paris that the French runner Sounkamba Sylla would be allowed to participate in the opening ceremony at the Paris Olympics after wearing a cap to cover her hair. It came out when an agreement was reached with the French Olympic Committee (FOC) after Sylla said she was banned because of her hijab.

During Friday’s opening ceremony, which features a parade of athletes on the Seine River, the French delegation will don tailor-made uniforms designed by the French luxury brand Berluti, owned by the LVMH Group.

“In consultation with the French Athletics Federation, the French Ministry of Sports, Paris 2024, and Berluti, discussions were held with Sounkamba Sylla,” the French Olympic Committee said Thursday in a statement. “She was offered the possibility of wearing a cap during the parade, which she accepted.”

France strictly enforces the principle of "laïcité," which means "secularism." On Wednesday, the president of the French Olympic Committee said that French Olympians must follow the same secular principles as public sector workers in France, which includes a ban on hijabs.

However, Sylla, who will participate in the women’s and mixed relay for France, posted a message on her Instagram post saying that an arrangement had been made.

“We finally reached an agreement so that I could take part in the opening ceremony of the Olympic Games,” the 26-year-old Sylla said. “I would like to thank you from the bottom of my heart for your mobilization and support since the beginning.”

It's not the first time a similar solution was found during the European Championships in Rome earlier this year. Sylla, who had competed with a black headscarf at several past events, was asked to wear a blue cap with a strip of fabric sewn on to cover her hair.