Christian Olympic medalist

At the 2024 Paris Olympics, 16-year-old Brazilian skateboarder Rayssa Leal won a bronze medal in women's street skateboarding and made headlines for sharing her Christian faith by signing the Bible verse John 14:6 during the competition. Despite Rule 50 of the International Olympic Committee prohibiting political or religious demonstrations, Leal expressed her beliefs through sign language, stating, 'I did it because I do it in every competition.' She emphasized the importance of her faith, saying, 'For me it is important; I am Christian, I believe a lot in God.' Following her performance, Leal attracted both admiration and controversy on social media, with many praising her for using her platform to convey a spiritual message. Her actions resonated with fans, including Brazilian football star Vinícius Jr., who expressed his support on social media. Leal's previous Olympic success includes a silver medal at the Tokyo 2020 Games, making her Brazil's youngest Olympian.