The BBC’s decision to ignore Usain Bolt’s faith is another sign of anti-Christian bias

Aug 20, 2016 by Jill

By David Robertson, Premier:

Have you heard of Daniel Smith? He is a member of the Australian Olympic 4x200m freestyle relay team and his story is an inspiration.

Smith was a homeless drug addict who became a Christian and ended up at the Olympics. As have a lot of other Christians such as Shaune Miller – the 400m gold winner from Barbados who said, “I just give God all the thanks and praise” or Christine Ohuruogu, British 400m runner who said, “Even if it doesn’t go too well, you still give thanks regardless.” How about David Boudia and Steele Johnson, American diving champions – “We both know our identity is in Christ”?

It seems as though I am reading or hearing about yet another victorious Christian athlete every day….except on the BBC. At least that is the accusation, but is it a fair one?

The BBC are at the Olympics to cover sport, not to facilitate evangelism for the Christian church. And they have sometimes allowed athletes to express their thanks to God on TV. So is this complaint just another example of hyper-sensitive Christians seeking a persecution narrative?

I wondered about this until I heard about Usain Bolt. I didn’t know until recently that Usain Bolt is a professing Christian. He prays and gives thanks to God, before and after each event, which he inevitably wins.

As I write I have just been listening to BBC Radio 4’s main news programme which headlined with Bolt winning the 200m gold and went on to do an in depth interview about his background, similar to this piece. What is extraordinary about both the radio piece and the article is that they do not mention Bolt’s faith at all! Is this because the BBC regards such expressions of faith as just cultural – it’s just typical of black athletes to thank God in the same way that they thank their mum? Or is there a more conscious bias? I am somewhat reluctantly inclined to think that it is the latter.

When Bolt fell on his knees to thank God after he had won, the BBC presenter talked about it being “a moment to himself” when it was clearly the opposite. It was an act of public worship which would have been condemned as crass and distasteful if it had been an ordinary mortal. But because it is a hero then it has to be explained away as something else.

Try a wee thought experiment: Imagine if Usain Bolt was gay or transgender. Do you think the BBC would have ignored that?! Or if Eric Liddell (Chariots of Fire) was running today, how do you think the BBC would cover his refusal to run on a Sunday?

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