German shot putter Yemisi Ogunleye won gold in Paris by training and praying for it. And at a subsequent press conference, she surprised the world audience with her spontaneous Christian song.
Beginnings
Yemisi Ogunleye was born on October 3, 1998 in Germersheim, Germany and grew up in the village of Bellheim. Her mother is German and her father is Nigerian. She is 1.80 m tall and although she is a shot putter, her physique is more stately than stocky. She looks like she has the perfect proportions for the sport (any Sport), as if God had created them for this very purpose.
PARIS, FRANCE – AUGUST 9: Yemisi Ogunleye of Team Germany competes in the women’s shot put final on … (+)
Mannheim steam roller
She trained for years at an athletics club in Mannheim. She first gained national attention as a shot putter in Germany in 2014, finishing 5th, followed by 1st place in 2015 in the women’s under 18. As she moved up to the older age groups, she continued to place in the top five, eventually winning medals in international competitions in 2024: a silver medal at the 2024 World Indoor Championships (Glasgow), a bronze medal at the 2024 European Championships (Rome), and to top it all off, a gold medal at the Paris Olympics.
Germany and racism
Although Yemisi was born and raised in Germany, she is clearly not Your stereotypical German. Yemisi is 1.80 m tall, black and beautiful. But she is also quite proud of her German citizenship and origins, as evidenced by her victory lap around the Stade de France with the German flag over her shoulders. It was the first German victory at this event since Astrid Kumbernuss won in Atlanta in 1996.
PARIS, FRANCE – AUGUST 09: Yemisi Ogunleye of Team Germany celebrates winning the gold medal during the … (+)
Yet she was subjected to racist harassment and bullying just because she looks different. Bullying, according to sociologists’ definition, is the harassment of a person by a group of people (at work, school, etc.) who unjustly gang up on that person and torment them in a usually non-violent way.
Life is never easy for a black person in a European country where racially motivated violence against all people of color is common. According to surveys by the European Union Agency for Fundamental Rights, Germany, along with Austria, is one of the worst countries in the EU in this regard.
In this context, the deep conviction that she is OK is at the core of Yemisi’s faith. In a recent interview, she explained that her faith has helped her:
“Knowing that I am loved just the way I am. With or without a medal, I am valuable. It doesn’t matter whether I have light or dark skin.”
Gold medalist Yemisi Ogunleye from Germany poses on the podium during the award ceremony for the … (+)
The Church of Immigrants in Germany
The Catholic and Protestant churches in Germany have been in decline for decades.
For the first time in German history, less than half of the German population is a member of one of the two major historical Christian churches. According to the Federal Statistical Office, at the end of 2021, the Catholic Church had 21.6 million members and the Protestant Church 19.7 million, representing 26% and 23.7% of the population respectively. In 2021, the Catholic Church recorded 360,000 “church exits,” while the Protestant Church (Reformed, Lutheran and other Protestant branches) recorded 280,000.
Yemisi Ogunleye is a member of a Pentecostal church called Christ Gospel City in Karlsruhe. The website of this interdenominational church states: “We are Christians from different countries and different cultures who want to make a difference in the world around us by integrating our faith into everyday life.”
SANTA FE, NEW MEXICO – JUNE 21, 2020: The sun sets behind a stone cross on the historic … (+)
Yemisi Ogunleye has undoubtedly fulfilled the mission statement of the church.
I would also argue that their story is representative of two global trends that are creating friction and tension, but also opportunity, in the 21st century.
Immigration and depopulation
Western Europe in general and Germany in particular have welcomed waves of immigration since 1950 for many reasons:
- Post-war reconstruction: 4.2 German men died in World War II. In 1950, Germany needed immigrants due to an acute labor shortage. From 1955 to 1973, it introduced a guest worker program that brought workers from Turkey and southern Europe into the country.
- Military conflicts: Due to war and its consequences and in search of economic opportunities, many immigrants have come from the countries of the Middle East and Africa.
Eisenhüttenstadt, Germany – October 5: Men from Syria pass the time at the initial reception … (+)
In recent years in particular, we have experienced a wave of anti-immigration nationalism in Germany. Politicians of all stripes have begun to advocate for stricter restrictions on immigration, arguing that this is socially incompatible and puts too much strain on the welfare state.
This has fueled the racism that has afflicted many German immigrants and people like Yemisi. who is not an immigrant.
But Europe in general and Germany in particular are also facing a population crisis that requires Immigration as part of the solution. Birth rates have been falling for years and the population is aging. Between 2015 and 2020 alone, the EU lost 3.5 million people of working age. The conclusion today: only three out of five Europeans work. That is a bad calculation for the welfare state.
STRASBOURG, FRANCE – SEPTEMBER 2007: An elderly resident and nurse in the Schutzenberger Pavilion … (+)
The solution: multiculturalism
So that is the tension in countries like Germany. The country Needs immigrants, but immigration can put a real strain on the welfare state and lead to racial conflict. But Germany and Europe have to ultimately become more multicultural in order to survive and thrive.
Yemisi is just one Olympic example of this new multiculturalism in countries like Germany.
Another is Dutchwoman Sifan Hassan. She won gold medals in the 5,000 and 10,000 meters in Tokyo in 2020 and in the marathon in Paris in 2024. She is arguably the greatest long-distance runner of all time. Hassan is Ethiopian, but her parents moved to the Netherlands in 2008 and she became a citizen in 2013.
Another player is Victor Wembanyama from France. He led France to an unprecedented silver medal in men’s basketball. He was born in France in 2004. His father Felix is Congolese and was born in Belgium. He emigrated from there to France and became a citizen in 2003.
The Olympic Games are and always have been a mirror of global trends. They reflect on sporting issues such as race, gender, politics, etc. In this case, we see global immigration patterns manifesting in the new multiculturalism found in Olympic teams in countries such as Germany, the Netherlands and France.
I would argue that immigration has created a movement and dispersion of global sporting talent that has made the Games more competitive and interesting. A vivid example of this is the story of Yemisi Ogunleye, the shot put gold medalist and gospel singer from Karlsruhe.
