French sprinter can swap hijab for a cap during Olympic opening ceremony to avoid ban

French sprinter Sounkamba Sylla will be allowed to participate in the opening ceremony at the Paris Olympics wearing a cap to cover her hair.

Previously, Sylla said she was barred from taking part in the event because of her hijab.

Ahead of Friday’s opening ceremony, though, an agreement has been reached with the French Olympic Committee.

During the opening ceremony, which is set to include a parade by athletes on the Seine River, the French delegation will wear tailor-made uniforms by the French luxury brand Berluti, owned by the prestigious 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 in a statement. “She was offered the possibility of wearing a cap during the parade, which she accepted.”

France enforces a strict principle of 'laïcité' - loosely translated as “secularism.” 

On Wednesday, the president of the French Olympic Committee said that French Olympians are bound by the secular principles that apply to public sector workers in France separating state and church, which includes a ban on hijabs.

But Sylla, who will compete in the women’s and mixed relay for France, posted a message on her private Instagram account to announce 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,” 26-year-old Sylla wrote, “I would like to thank you from the bottom of my heart for your mobilisation and support since the beginning.”

A similar solution was found during the European Championships in Rome earlier this year. Sylla, who has competed with a black headscarf at several previous events, was asked