Turin Olympics bring a little faith to the field
By David Crary
ASSOCIATED PRESS
February 15, 2006

TURIN, Italy -- In a city famed for a holy relic, religious leaders have mobilized vigorously to provide Olympians with a large corps of chaplains and services at their villages ranging from Orthodox vespers to Islamic prayer to Buddhist meditation.

Although some competitors avail themselves of these offerings, others find their own distinctive ways to fuse faith and sport. U.S. cross-country racer Rebecca Dussault, for example, has inscribed her skis with the name of Pier Giorgio Frassati, a beatified Catholic outdoorsman who roamed the mountains around Turin before his death at age 24 in 1925.

"My faith comes first," Dussault said. "Then I'm a family woman. Then I'm an athlete. That's how I find balance."

Home of the Shroud of Turin, believed by many to be Jesus Christ's burial cloth, the Olympic city has been preparing for the spiritual side of the Games since local religious leaders formed an interfaith committee in 2003. The group now coordinates the work of more than 90 chaplains on call to assist the athletes, and some teams have brought official chaplains of their own. The rest