Devout athletes find strength in their faith. But practicing it and elite sports can pose hurdles

It’s been 100 years since a Scottish runner famously refused to race on a Sunday at the Paris Olympics because of his Christian beliefs. Devout top athletes say elite sports performance still poses some hurdles for the faith practices that are central to their lives on and off the field.

At this summer’s Paris Olympics, much of the controversy has centered around Islam, because France’s unique secularism principles forbid its athletes from wearing headscarves as well as other visibly religious symbols — though the ban doesn’t affect Olympians from other countries.

But athletes of different faiths argue sports organizations and major events should better respect the breadth of religious practices, especially as they strive to be more inclusive. To many, faith and spirituality are also essential to mental well-being, which has come under the spotlight especially since U.S. gymnastics star Simone Biles ’ open struggles at the last Olympics.

“Most people would see sports and religion as very separate, but I see a big overlap. Everything we have is a gift from God — He’s the one who’s given me this strength,” said Beatie Deutsch, an Orthodox Jewish runner who qualified to represent Israel in the Tokyo Olympics but didn’t compete because the women’s marathon was scheduled for a Saturday, when she observes shabbat.

“I’d love governing bodies of sports to do more to accommodate religion,” said the 34-year-old American Israeli mother of five. Injuries kept her from qualifying for the Paris Games, but Deutsch recently started training again with her eyes on next year’s World Championship — and the 2028 Games in Los Angeles.

Her refusal to race on a day dedicated to the Lord mirrors the 1924 saga of Eric Liddell, immortalized in the Oscar-winning movie Chariots of Fire. Liddell refused to run the heats on a Sunday in his strongest challenge, the 100-meter sprint, but went on to improbably win a gold medal in the 400-meter race.

American Olympic champion Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone, who broke her own world record at Olympic trials Sunday in the 400-meter hurdles, describes how Liddell’s words about running to glorify God resonated with her in her new book, “Far Beyond Gold.”

Embracing her Christian faith has transformed her life and career, she said, by helping her move beyond doubt and fear.

“For a long time, my identity was in track and field,” she told The Associated Press days before the U.S. Olympic track and field trials. “But I realized that first and foremost, I’m a child of God. It set me free to run the race God has set out for me to run.”

McLaughlin-Levrone, 24, said she has shared devotionals and lessons from her faith journey on Instagram, where she has more than 1 million followers, and prays with her coach, trainer and husband before every race.

When her mind is rooted in God, that’s when she is able to handle the pressures and high expectations of being an Olympic athlete — “especially in track, where things are so uncertain and always changing.”

“That means being in the word, being in prayer, keeping that in the forefront and allowing that to be what centers my mind and not the outside voices of the world,” McLaughlin-Levrone said.

Athletes with a secure attachment to God tend to be less depressed, anxious and lonely than those with a negative perception of a punishing God or those who are not religious, said Laura Upenieks, a Baylor University sociology professor who has studied elite athletes at U.S. colleges.

That’s in large part because they don’t base their self-worth on others’ approval, are less self-centered and can find greater meaning beyond being “only as good as the last race,” Upenieks added.

“Faith gives me the ability to stand firm and to keep going, and it reminds me that there’s always a larger and higher goal to pursue,” said Tunisian steeplechase runner Marwa Bouzayani, 27, as she trained for the Paris Olympics.

A devout Muslim who first competed at the Tokyo Games, she races the women’s 3,000-meter steeplechase wearing modest attire, including a hijab or head covering. She regularly trains during Ramadan, when Muslims abstain from food and water from dawn to sundown — a challenge that this year made the news in France, where the soccer federation refused accommodations for observant players.

“I’ve faced many challenges, whether when it comes to reconciling religious obligations with the demands of training or when it comes to confronting stereotypes and biases, but every challenge I’ve faced has strengthened my resolve,” Bouzayani said.

In fact, she hopes to be a role model for Muslim girls, showing them “that success in elite sports can be realized without forsaking religious values and beliefs.” She also wants to increase awareness in sports circles about the importance of respecting cultural and religious diversity.

Deutsch is a fan of both Bouzayani and McLaughlin-Levrone for their commitment to, and openness about, their faith. She hopes to be a model for Orthodox Jewish girls who might have never seen an elite athlete compete while dressed like them — head covering, long sleeves, skirt below the knee.

In races where every fraction of a second counts, such modest attire can be “a hindrance,” Deutsch said, but inspiring others far outweighs that.

“I hope my story empowers athletes,” she said.

In the past few decades, athletes, coaches and fans have become far more accepting of the need to protect players’ well-being by incorporating mental and spiritual care with physical training, said Tamir Goodman. Known in the late 1990s as “the Jewish Michael Jordan,” he was the only observant Jew playing Division I college basketball in the United States, though never on the Sabbath.

Carl Lewis, a U.S. track and field legend who won nine Olympic gold medals and now mentors young athletes, told the AP that while he doesn’t consider himself religious, he’s a follower of Sri Chinmoy, the late Indian teacher who believed that a spiritual life and running went hand in hand.

“Young athletes now also look to their spirituality for guidance and hope, and I think that is wonderful for them,” he said.

Right after qualifying for Paris, her third Olympics, U.S. high jumper Vashti Cunningham — whose father and coach is longtime NFL quarterback Randall Cunningham — told AP how her faith helps at intense competitions like the Oregon trials.

“Without my spirituality, I feel like I would genuinely be lost,” said Cunningham, 26. “Especially in a high-level sport like this where a lot of people depend on their self and on their strength and on their training. I really just rely on God, and his strength, and his power.”

AP Religion Writer Mariam Fam, Sports Writer Pat Graham and National Writer Eddie Pells contributed to this report.

Associated Press religion coverage receives support through the AP’s collaboration with The Conversation US, with funding from Lilly Endowment Inc. The AP is solely responsible for this content.

Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone prepares for the start of the women's 400-meter hurdles final during the U.S. Track and Field Olympic Team Trials, Sunday, June 30, 2024, in Eugene, Ore. It’s been 100 years since a Scottish runner famously refused to race on a Sunday at the Paris Olympics because of his Christian beliefs. American Olympic champion Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone, who broke her own world record at Olympic trials Sunday in the 400-meter hurdles, describes how Eric Liddell’s words about running to glorify God resonated with her in her new book, “Far Beyond Gold.” (AP Photo/George Walker IV)

Beatie Deutsch, an Orthodox Jewish runner, center, hugs another athlete after they competed in a 1500-meter run in Tel Aviv, Israel, Wednesday, June 26, 2024. (AP Photo/Maya Alleruzzo)

Beatie Deutsch, an Orthodox Jewish runner, center, trains with her team in Tel Aviv, Israel, Wednesday, June 26, 2024. (AP Photo/Maya Alleruzzo)

Beatie Deutsch, an Orthodox Jewish runner, fourth from right, competes in a 1500-meter run in Tel Aviv, Israel, Wednesday, June 26, 2024. (AP Photo/Maya Alleruzzo)

Beatie Deutsch, an Orthodox Jewish runner, stands for a portrait before training with her team in Tel Aviv, Israel, Wednesday, June 26, 2024. Injuries kept her from qualifying for the Paris Games, but Deutsch recently started training again with her eyes on next year’s World Championship – and the 2028 Games in Los Angeles. (AP Photo/Maya Alleruzzo)

Beatie Deutsch, an Orthodox Jewish runner, second from bottom right, trains with her team in Tel Aviv, Israel, Wednesday, June 26, 2024. “Most people would see sports and religion as very separate, but I see a big overlap. Everything we have is a gift from God – He’s the one who’s given me this strength,” says Deutsch. (AP Photo/Maya Alleruzzo)

Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone prepares for the start of the women's 400-meter hurdles final during the U.S. Track and Field Olympic Team Trials, Sunday, June 30, 2024, in Eugene, Ore. It’s been 100 years since a Scottish runner famously refused to race on a Sunday at the Paris Olympics because of his Christian beliefs. American Olympic champion Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone, who broke her own world record at Olympic trials Sunday in the 400-meter hurdles, describes how Eric Liddell’s words about running to glorify God resonated with her in her new book, “Far Beyond Gold.” (AP Photo/George Walker IV)

Beatie Deutsch, an Orthodox Jewish runner, trains in Tel Aviv, Israel, Wednesday, June 26, 2024. "I'd love governing bodies of sports to do more to accommodate religion," said the 34-year-old mother of five. She qualified to represent Israel in the 2020 Tokyo Olympics but didn't compete because the women's marathon was scheduled for a Saturday, when she observes shabbat. (AP Photo/Maya Alleruzzo)

JERUSALEM (AP) — An Israeli official says Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu will dispatch negotiators to resume Gaza cease-fire talks.

The decision on Thursday comes a day after Hamas submitted a new response a a U.S.-backed proposal for a phased cease-fire.

The Israeli official, speaking on condition of anonymity to discuss internal deliberations, says Netanyahu has decided to authorize a team to continue talks. There was no word on when or where the talks would talk place.

Previous talks have stalled over Hamas’ insistence that Israel agree to an end of the war and full withdrawal of its troops from Gaza. The official says Netanyahu reiterated his position that Israel will not end the war until it reaches its goals of destroying Hamas’ military and governing capabilities and returning all hostages held in Gaza.

THIS IS A BREAKING NEWS UPDATE. AP’s earlier story follows below.

JERUSALEM (AP) — An Israeli anti-settlement monitoring group says the government has approved plans to build nearly 5,300 new homes in settlements in the occupied West Bank.

It is the latest move by Israel's hard-line government to beef up the settlements as part of a strategy to cement Israel's control over the West Bank and prevent the establishment of a future Palestinian state.

Peace Now says the government's Higher Planning Council approved or advanced plans for 5,295 homes in dozens of settlements.

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's government is dominated by settlers and their supporters. He has placed a former settler leader, Bezalel Smotrich, in charge of settlement policy.

COGAT, the Israeli defense body that oversees the planning council, referred questions to Netanyahu's office, which did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

Israel’s Cabinet was to convene Thursday to discuss Hamas’ latest response to a U.S.-backed proposal for a phased cease-fire in Gaza, as diplomatic efforts aimed at ending the nine-month war stirred back to life after a weekslong hiatus.

Fighting, meanwhile, intensified between Israel and Lebanon’s Hezbollah, with the militant group saying it fired more than 200 rockets and exploding drones into northern Israel to avenge the killing of a senior commander in an Israeli airstrike the day before.

The relatively low-level conflict has literally set the border ablaze and raised fears of a potentially even more devastating war in the Middle East. Hezbollah has said it will halt its attacks if there is a cease-fire between Hamas — a fellow Iran-backed ally — and Israel.

The United States has rallied world support behind a plan that calls for the release of all of the scores of hostages still held by the militant Hamas group in return for a lasting truce and the withdrawal of Israeli forces from Gaza.

But until now, neither side appears to have fully embraced it. Hamas suggested “amendments” to the proposal last month, some of which the U.S. said were unworkable, without providing specifics.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has given conflicting stances. He confirmed that the original proposal was an Israeli one. But he has also said he would accept only a partial deal, after which Israel would return to its military campaign to destroy Hamas.

Hamas confirmed Wednesday that it had sent another response to Egypt and Qatar, which are mediating the talks, without providing details. A U.S. official said the Biden administration was examining the response, calling it constructive but saying more work needed to be done. The official, who wasn’t authorized to comment publicly, spoke on condition of anonymity.

An Israeli official said Netanyahu would convene a Cabinet meeting Thursday to discuss the latest developments surrounding the negotiations. The official, who wasn’t authorized to discuss the meeting with the media, spoke on condition of anonymity. Israel would likely hold additional consultations before making a final decision on any amended proposal.

As cease-fire talks appeared to be gaining new steam, Gaza's Health Ministry said the number of Palestinians killed by Israel's campaign in Gaza had climbed past 38,000. The ministry does not differentiate between combatants and civilians in its count.

Hamas political official Bassem Naim said the group has neither accepted nor rejected the American proposal and has “responded with some ideas to bridge the gap” between the two sides, without elaborating. Ismail Haniyeh, Hamas’ top political leader, shared suggestions with Egyptian, Qatari and Turkish officials, the group said in a statement late Wednesday.

U.S. officials have said the latest proposal has new language that was proposed to Egypt and Qatar on Saturday and addresses indirect negotiations that are set to commence during the first phase of the three-phase deal that President Joe Biden laid out in a May 31 speech.

The first phase calls for a cease-fire, a withdrawal of Israeli forces from all densely populated areas of Gaza and the release of a number of hostages, including women, older people and the wounded, in exchange for the release of hundreds of Palestinian prisoners.

The proposal called for the parties to negotiate the terms of the second phase during the 42 days of phase one. Under the current proposal, the negotiations are meant to lead to a “sustainable calm” and the withdrawal of all Israeli troops from Gaza – with the release of all remaining men, both civilians and soldiers, held captive by Hamas in return for an Israeli release of Palestinian prisoners. The third phase would see the return of the remains of hostages.

The transition from the first to the second phase has appeared to be the main sticking point.

Hamas is concerned that Israel will restart the war after the first phase, perhaps after making unrealistic demands in the talks. Israeli officials have said they want the negotiations to lead to Hamas’ removal from power in Gaza — a provision not spelled out in the proposal. They have also pushed for a time limit on negotiations to keep pressure on Hamas and prevent it from drawing out talks and the initial cease-fire.

In a lengthy television interview last month, Netanyahu said that he was prepared to make a “partial deal,” but was committed to continuing the war “after a pause” in order to annihilate Hamas. Later, speaking before Israel’s parliament, he said Israel remains committed to the deal outlined by Biden.

The war began when Hamas-led militants launched a surprise attack on Oct. 7 into southern Israel, attacking multiple army bases and farming communities and killing around 1,200 people, mostly civilians. They abducted another 250 people. more than 100 of whom were released during a weeklong cease-fire in November. Militants are still holding around 80 hostages and the remains of 40 others.

In its campaign in Gaza since the attack, Israel has killed more than 38,000 Palestinians, according to health officials in Gaza, who don’t say how many were civilians or militants. Israel’s bombardment, ground offensives and restrictions on Gaza have caused vast destruction across the territory, displaced most of its population of 2.3 million — often multiple times — and caused widespread hunger, raising fears of famine.

Chehayeb reported from Beirut. Associated Press writers Abby Sewell in Beirut and Aamer Madhani in Washington contributed to this report.

Follow AP’s coverage of the war in Gaza at https://apnews.com/hub/israel-hamas-war

Palestinians search for bodies and survivors in the rubble of a residential building destroyed in an Israeli airstrike in Khan Younis, Gaza Strip, Wednesday, July 3, 2024. (AP Photo /Jehad Alshrafi)

Palestinians search for bodies and survivors in the rubble of a residential building destroyed in an Israeli airstrike in Khan Younis, Gaza Strip, Wednesday, July 3, 2024. (AP Photo /Jehad Alshrafi)

Palestinians search for bodies and survivors in the rubble of a residential building destroyed in an Israeli airstrike in Khan Younis, Gaza Strip, Wednesday, July 3, 2024. (AP Photo /Jehad Alshrafi)

Palestinians search for bodies and survivors in the rubble of a residential building destroyed in an Israeli airstrike in Khan Younis, Gaza Strip, Wednesday, July 3, 2024. (AP Photo /Jehad Alshrafi)