RIO DE JANEIRO — Fencer Ibtihaj Muhammad made history Monday by becoming the first American to compete in the Olympics wearing a hijab.
Muhammad, sporting a plain black Muslim head scarf under a red, white and blue mask, was a winner in her opening bout in the women’s sabre tournament, beating Olena Kravatska of Ukraine 15-13.
Muhammad, ranked eighth in the world in her weapon, lost to ninth-ranked Cecilia Berder of France in the next round, 15-12.
“I feel like this is a great opportunity and a great moment for Team USA to even be more diverse than we have in the past, and I’m just looking forward to representing myself, my community and also my country,” Muhammad said earlier at the Olympics.
Muhammad, a New Jersey native who started fencing in part because the uniform allowed her to adhere to the tenets of her faith, first made headlines when she qualified for the Olympics this year.
Muhammad subsequently became one of the biggest faces of the U.S. team, appearing on talk shows all over the country while garnering attention not often showered on fencers.
“I wish that, not just my life, but the lives of Muslims all over the world were a little bit easier, particularly in the United States,” she said. “I’m hoping that with my first-time appearance as a member of Team USA here at the Olympics, I’m hoping that the rhetoric around the Muslim community will change,” Muhammad said after arriving in Rio de Janeiro last week.
..... - Newsday