NEW YORK CITY – Before competing in the 2016 Summer Olympics in Rio de Janeiro this coming August, U.S. fencer and Duke alumnae Ibtihaj Muhammad was named to TIME’s 100 Most Influential People list, announced Thursday. With this being the first trip to the Olympics of her career, Muhammad will make American history this summer by becoming the first U.S. Olympian to wear a hijab during competition, the headscarf traditionally worn by Muslim women.
The U.S. Olympic fencing team was formally announced April 11 at the USA Fencing Division I National Championships in Richmond, Va., but Muhammad mathematically secured her spot on the women’s saber squad back in February.