Priest Criticizes Translation Of Athlete Who Thanked God

The Paris Olympics came to a close this Sunday, but the controversies surrounding the event continue.

 

Right next door, the controversy centres on a priest who wasn't happy with the translation of the statements made by German Yemisi Ogunleye, who after winning gold thanked God for her victory.

During the interview she gave after winning in the weight throw category, the athlete said that before the last throw she spoke to God and told him that "this was the time for him to prove that he exists" and to prove that "with him everything is possible". During this "prayer", she continues, she experienced a moment "of peace and joy".

"God was going to do it and all I had to do was believe and trust," said the German.

When translating her statements into Spanish, the RTVE journalist only referred to the emotion the athlete felt during the last throw and the atmosphere in the Paris stadium, without mentioning her religious references.

"You either don't know English or you're deaf," reacted the bishop of Orihuela-Alicante, José Ignacio Munilla Aguirre, ironically on his social media account X.

His post went viral within minutes, with more than 282,000 views and 4,500 reactions, with many accusing the television station of deliberately omitting the reference to God.