Saudi Arabian female athletes dream of competing in Olympics

posted on: Feb 15, 2015

Sarah Attar, one of the first female athletes to represent Saudi Arabia at the Olympic Games, has said her historic participation was not a “blip in the charts” and that it was “not an option” for the Kingdom to stop its women competing at the 2016 Olympics in Rio de Janeiro.

Attar, now 21 years old, got a standing ovation at the London 2012 Olympics despite finishing last in the 800-metre heats with a time of 2min 44.95sec, more than half a minute slower than her nearest competitor.

Attar and judoka Wojdan Shaherkani were the two Saudi female athletes awarded last-minute wildcards by the International Olympic Committee ahead of London 2012. And, despite their failure to advance in their respective competitions, Attar says they made a historic stand for equal rights.

Following the death of King Abdullah last month, his successor and half brother King Salman will continue his advocacy of women’s rights, and Attar is hopeful women’s sport will continue to grow in the conservative state.

Source: www.albawaba.com