US Open: Naomi Osaka’s Third Grand Slam

Systemic racism has embedded itself deeply in the sports world, and figure skating is no exception. In a sport where the vast majority of participants are white, Canadian figure skater Elladj Baldé is using his voice as a Black athlete - and impressive skills on the ice - to encourage fellow BIPOC to follow their dreams. "I want to inspire young Black boys, young Black girls, and Indigenous people and people of color to not be afraid to be different, to be unique, and to embrace that uniqueness, because there's magic that happens once uniqueness is embraced in that way," he told POPSUGAR.

"I want to inspire young boys to not be afraid to get into figure skating and not be afraid to express themselves, not be afraid to emote."



Growing up with an African father and a Russian mother, Baldé was surrounded by different cultures, which inspired him early on to challenge the idea that figure skaters must fit into a predetermined mold. "It's a very tight box where, in order to succeed in the sport on the Olympic level and on the world level, you have to fit this mold and follow certain rules and follow certain ways of skating and choices of music and all that stuff," he explained, making it clear that the figure-skating world has historically been unwelcoming to people of color.

As Black athletes continue to break discriminatory boundaries put in place by an exclusionary system, Baldé has made it his mission to dismantle the status quo and make room for young BIPOC seeking to make a name for themselves as athletes. "One of my main missions in the last few years has been to really change the way people perceive skating, that it's not one direction," he said. "It's not this one mold that we have to fit in. You can actually be different, look different, do different things, and be extremely successful at it, and that's kind of where my purpose lies in everything that I do."

Three-time Grand Slam tennis champion Naomi Osaka of Japan has invested in the North Carolina Courage of the National Women's Soccer League (NWSL) to become a team owner, the U.S. top-flight club said Thursday.

"The women who have invested in me growing up made me who I am today, I don't know where I would be without them," Osaka, the world No. 3, wrote on Twitter.



"Throughout my career I've always received so much love from my fellow female athletes, so that's why I am proud to share that I am now an owner of the NC Courage."

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Osaka, 23, was named Forbes' highest-paid female athlete in May last year when she surpassed her idol Serena Williams, raking in $37.4 million in prize money and endorsements over 12 months.

The Courage won back-to-back titles in 2018 and 2019 after moving to North Carolina.





Stephen Malik, chairman and founder of the club in 2017, said: "I am thrilled to welcome Naomi as an owner of the North Carolina Courage.

"She brings an invaluable viewpoint on topics beyond sports. I cannot think of anyone better to help us as we continue to make a difference in our community and inspire the next generation of women."

Osaka, who won the US Open last year, has used her standing in the sport to fight for racial justice. At every round of the tournament in New York, she wore masks bearing the names of Black Americans who died as a result of racial injustice and police brutality.