Israeli Women�s Marathon Champion Beatie Deutsch Petitions the IOC to Accommodate Her Religious Beliefs at the Tokyo Olympics

LAUSANNE, Switzerland–(BUSINESS WIRE)–Israel�s marathon champion, Beatie Deutsch – known as “Speedy Beatie” – represented by Gibson, Dunn & Crutcher LLP, has today requested that the Executive Board of the International Olympic Committee (IOC) make a reasonable accommodation of Ms. Deutsch’s religious beliefs by holding the Tokyo 2021 Women’s Marathon on a day other than a Saturday.

Ms. Deutsch is an Orthodox Jewish woman who, due to her observance of the Jewish Sabbath, will be unable to compete if the marathon is held on a Saturday, as currently scheduled on August 7, 2021. An IOC spokesperson has previously rejected Ms. Deutsch’s request that her religious observance be taken into account in scheduling the Women’s Marathon.

“All I want is to be able to fulfill my dream of representing Israel at the Tokyo Olympics and to continue to inspire young women and mothers of all faiths that it is never too late to chase your dreams, and that you can do so while balancing motherhood and staying true to your values,” Ms. Deutsch said.

Ms. Deutsch’s path to the Olympic games has been unusual. She ran her first marathon less than five years ago, at the age of 26, after having four children. She ran her second marathon while seven months pregnant with her fifth child. And she only began training with a coach a little over a year ago. Yet she has won competition after competition, competing against elite runners, and is now poised to participate in the Olympics. All the while, she has continuously upheld her religious values, running in a skirt, long sleeves, and hair covering in observance of Jewish modesty laws and foregoing competitions scheduled on the Jewish Sabbath. She has used her platform on social media to encourage and support other “mother runners” and female athletes.

“We are urging the IOC to uphold Olympic values by providing accommodations for religious athletes where it is reasonable to do so,” said Gibson Dunn partner Akiva Shapiro, counsel for Ms. Deutsch. “Holding the Women’s Marathon on a day other than a Saturday is an eminently reasonable accommodation that is in line with historical practice, will enable an inspiring athlete to continue to motivate young women and will serve as an important symbol of tolerance for athletes of all faiths. Accommodating Ms. Deutsch’s religious needs would serve as a powerful demonstration of the animating principles of the Olympic Charter – promotion of tolerance, equality, access, and non-discrimination through sport.”

A copy of the letter can be found HERE [PDF].

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Pearl Piatt, Chief Communications Officer, 213.229.7963