Kariman Abuljadayel becomes first Saudi woman to compete in 100m at Olympics

22-year-old failed to qualify for final round after finishing seventh


Sports Desk August 13, 2016
Kariman Abuljadayel competes in 2016 Rio Olympics preliminary Women's 100m Round at Olympic Stadium, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil on August 12, 2016. PHOTO: REUTERS

Saudi Arabia sprinter Kariman Abuljadayel made history as she became the first woman from the Kingdom to compete in the 100m sprint.

Wearing hijab in a searing heat of Rio de Janeiro, the 22-year-old failed to qualify for the final after finishing seventh, but won the respect of the fans from all over the world.

Egypt's Sara Ahmed becomes first Arab woman to win Olympic weightlifting medal




PHOTO: REUTERS

She became the third female athlete from the Kingdom and second racer after Sarah Attar to compete in the Olympic games.

In the 2012 London Olympics, Attar also wore hijab as she competed in the 800m marathon race.

Abuljadayel was not the only woman competing in 100meter sprint wearing hijab, as Afghanistan’s Kamia Yousuf also took part in the race, and finished on the last place.

PHOTO: REUTERS

She (Abuljadayel) alongside Attar, Joud Fahmy, Lubna Al-Omair is one of the four women from the Middle Eastern country to compete in the Rio Olympics.

The Olympic pool is turning gold medallist Ryan Lochte's hair green


Fans from around the world took to social media to recognize the young athletes’ achievement of  taking part in the race.

https://twitter.com/bailey_witt/status/764148524309221377



https://twitter.com/A_FarScape/status/764148215549681668

https://twitter.com/move_like_jazza/status/764322425022586880





https://twitter.com/leydanewyork/status/764316290571960321



https://twitter.com/dscnncted/status/764314570664140800



The story originally appeared on the Daily Mail

COMMENTS (5)

Shakti | 7 years ago | Reply @Zaida Parvez: That is no surprise. Nearly all Saudi women are fat. But that might not last very long. With Canadian and US oil producers making a profit with oil at $40, it won't be long before the Saudis go broke. Another 5 years of this, the Saudis will have to sell everything to make ends meet. They need oil to be at least $80 to balance their budget.
Hari | 7 years ago | Reply Lol, a running black post box! Slave training from birth works.
VIEW MORE COMMENTS
Replying to X

Comments are moderated and generally will be posted if they are on-topic and not abusive.

For more information, please see our Comments FAQ