In the wake of controversy surrounding the mockery of The Last Supper during the opening ceremony of the Olympics in Paris, many of the medal-winning athletes are speaking out boldly about their faith and giving the glory to God.

Team USA swimmer Hunter Armstrong is bringing home gold from Paris as part of the men’s 4×100 relay, the second Olympic gold medal of his career. His Instagram bio proclaims, “GOD FIRST!” at the top of his profile: “That’s the first thing I want people to see and know about me,” he told Baptist Press. “As we grow, we have to make sure we have our priorities in line. I keep God as a priority. I can’t really live without Him. I can live without swimming or being an Olympian or any of that stuff.”

On the heels of a devastating breakup and the death of his grandfather, Armstrong embraced the Lord. “The biggest catalyst for change in life tends to be pain,” he said. “Sometimes God will put you in a position where you have no other choice than to turn to Him.” He shared that he was inspired by a fellow swimmer who got out of the warmup pool to pray for Armstrong when he was nervous before a race. Another fellow swimmer invited Armstrong to group Bible studies for competitive swimmers.

Street skateboarder Rayssa Leal of Brazil used sign language to share John 14:6, signing, “Jesus is the way, the truth and the life” during a brief moment on camera after she took bronze on July 28. The 16-year-old is incredibly popular in her home country—and became Brazil’s youngest Olympian in the 2020 Tokyo Games, taking silver at just 13.

“Congratulations to 16-year-old Brazilian skateboarder Rayssa Leal,” Franklin Graham posted on Facebook. “Rather than take the glory herself, the first thing she did with the cameras rolling was to testify Jesus Christ to the world. … Thank you for being bold and unashamed, Rayssa. May God bless and use you greatly!”

Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone has become legendary in Olympic track and field, dominating the 400-meter hurdles and breaking the world record five times. In Tokyo, she won gold in the women’s 400-meter hurdles and 4×400 relay, and a repeat performance is expected in Paris this year. More important than her athletic victories, however, is her faith in Jesus—about which she has been outspoken for years.

“For a long time, my identity was in track and field,” McLaughlin-Levrone told The Associated Press before breaking her world record for the fifth time last month at the U.S. Olympic team 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.” She handles her high-pressure position in the sports world by remaining rooted in Christ. “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.”

After her record-breaking run at the trials, McLaughlin-Levrone told reporters, “Honestly, praise God. I was not expecting that, but He can do anything. Anything is possible in Christ.”

Franklin congratulated her in a Facebook post: “I’m looking forward to seeing her in the Paris Olympics later this month. Pray for Sydney, that she will continue to be a bold witness for Jesus Christ.”

Team USA gymnast Brody Malone credits God with getting him through a devastating injury from March 2023, which had him spending the year relearning to walk. He helped his team take home bronze in Paris last week.

“I mean, the thing that keeps me going through all of that is my faith in God. Being able to lean on Him when times get hard is everything,” he told 11Alive. “Not only that, but just having my family, my teammates, I mean, you know, we have a brotherhood. Just having so many people who are that close in my life, it’s just been amazing, and I’m so grateful for all of it.”

South African swimmer Tatjana Smith, who took home gold and set a world record in the women’s 200-meter breaststroke in Tokyo, won gold this year in the 100-meter breaststroke. When asked about her mindset, she told a reporter before this year’s games, “I think just really for me, just trusting in God and knowing that His plan will ultimately work out. I will keep on focusing on Him and His trust, and that I can just prepare as well as I can. … I’m going to let go and let God.” Her social media accounts are full of references to God, Scriptures and even prayers—her X bio reads “Child of God” and “SOLI DEO GLORIA,” which translates from Latin to “Glory to God alone.”

“Tatjana is representing South Africa and she’s taking home a gold and silver medal!” Franklin posted on Facebook. “Congratulations Tatjana, and may the Lord bless you! It’s always great to see athletes giving the glory to God.”

Above: Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone competes in the 400-meter hurdles semi-final during the Olympic Games in Paris on August 6, 2024.

Photo: DPPI Media / Alamy Stock Photo