American Ibtihaj Muhammad looked like all the other fencers when she stepped on the piste, save for the non-descript black scarf covering her head.
With that small gesture, Muhammad made history. She became the first American athlete to compete in the Olympics with a hijab, which she wears to adhere to the tenets of her Muslim faith.
Ranked eighth in the world in sabre, the American beat Ukranian Olena Kravatska 15-13 in her first match before falling to France’s Cecilia Berder 15-12 in the round of 16.
Muhammad will compete again on Saturday in the team sabre event.
Muhammad, a New Jersey native and three-time NCAA All-American from Duke, became an instant star when she qualified for her first Olympics earlier this year. She embraced the spotlight, which helped make her an unlikely face of the U.S. team given how little publicity fencing typically receives.
Muhammad’s siblings, parents and friends came from as far away as Los Angeles and New Jersey to cheer her on, giving Muhammad a standing ovation ahead of her first match.
Muhammad got off to a shaky start against Kravatska, but she rallied with a string of points that put her over the top.
But Berder, ranked ninth, took control of their round of 16 match midway through and rolled to victory. Muhammad was so frustrated by her performance that she needed over an hour to compose herself before meeting reporters.
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