London 2012 Olympics: Saudi Arabian women to compete

BBC News, 12 July 2012

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Sarah Attar will compete in the
women's 800m

Saudi Arabia is to send two female athletes to complete in the London 2012 Games, the International Olympic Committee (IOC) has said.

Sarah Attar will compete in the 800m and Wodjan Ali Seraj Abdulrahim Shahrkhani in the judo competition.

The Saudi authorities lifted a ban on women from the Gulf kingdom competing in the Games last month.

The public participation of women in sport is still fiercely opposed by many Saudi religious conservatives.

One of the women will enter the judo competition, the other will run in the 800m race.

IOC President Jacques Rogge said it was "very positive news" and "an encouraging evolution".

"I am pleased to see that our continued dialogue has come to fruition," he said in a statement.

The IOC, keen to ensure "gender balance" at the Games, had been speaking to the Saudi Arabian Olympic Committee about the issue.

'Dignity'

The inclusion of the Saudi women means that, for the first time in the history of the Games, there will be a female entrant from every competing nation.

Female athletes from Qatar and Brunei Darussalam are also due to attend for the first time.

There is almost no public tradition of women participating in sport in Saudi Arabia, and officials have found it difficult to find athletes who could meet the minimum criteria for competing.

Officials have also said that female competitors will need to dress in such a way as "to preserve their dignity".

This is likely to mean loose-fitting garments and a scarf covering the hair but not the face.

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