British sprinter Jeremiah Azu has been warned by World Athletics that he could face consequences if he again wears a headband bearing the slogan “100% Jesus” at the World Championships in Tokyo.
Azu, who last week became the first Welshman to dip under 10 seconds for the 100m, caused a stir when he lined up for his heat wearing the message on his forehead.
The 23-year-old, whose father is a preacher, has frequently spoken about the central role faith plays in his career and credits his Christian beliefs with inspiring him on the track.
“When I’m on that start line, I feel I am not doing this just for me, or on my own, but there is a higher power behind me,” Azu has said.
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“Whether things go right or wrong for me, it feels OK, and I am able to carry on because I know I am doing God’s work.
"For me, I want to spread the gospel. The faster I run, the more people I can reach.”
World Athletics regulations prohibit athletes from displaying political, religious or personal slogans during competition. In a statement issued on Wednesday, the governing body confirmed it had raised the matter with UK Athletics.
Jeremiah Azu has spoken about his faith in the past
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“As he may compete in the relay, we will remind the team ahead of competition of our regulations and of the consequences,” the statement read.
It remains unclear whether Azu will defy the warning when he competes in the men’s 4x100m relay this weekend.
UK Athletics has yet to indicate whether they will instruct him not to wear the headband again.
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Jeremiah Azu will take part at the World Athletics Championships again this weekend
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Azu’s case reignites a wider debate about freedom of expression in sport.
Similar controversies have occurred across other sports, including when Crystal Palace and England defender Marc Guehi came under scrutiny for wearing armbands bearing religious messages during the Premier League’s rainbow armband initiative.
Guehi escaped punishment after the Football Association reminded him that religious slogans are not permitted on kits.
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Neymar previously wore the same headband after helping Brazil win the Olympics
|GETTY
The “100% Jesus” headband itself is already iconic in global sport.
Neymar famously wore it after Brazil’s Olympic gold medal triumph in Rio in 2016, and previously during Barcelona’s 2015 Champions League celebrations.
FIFA later blurred the message in Ballon d’Or promotional videos featuring Neymar, Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo, citing regulations.
The International Olympic Committee has also taken a strict line.
Ahead of the Tokyo 2021 Games, then-president Thomas Bach reiterated Rule 50 of the Olympic Charter, which bans “political, religious or racial propaganda” at Olympic venues.
Last year in Paris, Afghan breakdancer Manizha Talash was disqualified for wearing a cape reading “Free Afghan Women” while competing for the Refugee Olympic Team.
Azu’s decision this weekend could test the boundaries of those rules — and place him at the heart of a debate that continues to challenge the balance between faith, free expression and sporting neutrality.