Ibtihaj Muhammad Didn't Win a Gold Medal Today, but She Has Won Something Even Bigger

I don't think I've ever rooted for a U.S. Olympic athlete to win a gold medal more than today when Ibtihaj Muhammad began her quest for victory in the women's individual sabre fencing competition. And I say that as someone who has passionately rooted for countless American Olympic athletes over the years from Mary Lou Retton, who in 1984 became the first American woman to win a gold medal in gymnastics, to Michael Phelps, who took home the historic gold just yesterday.

But Ibtihaj Muhammad is more than simply an Olympic athlete. With each lunge and parry, Muhammad is cutting through stereotypes and misconceptions about Muslims. The U.S. Olympic team noted as much in its tweet earlier this morning:

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