Olympics 2012: Standing Ovation for Hijab Wearing Saudi Woman Athlete At End of Race

THE DAILYMAIL
By Adam Shergold

UNITED KINGDOM---They say in the Olympics it's not the winning that counts, but the taking part. And that was certainly the case this morning as Sarah Attar, the first female track athlete to compete for Saudi Arabia in the Olympics, was cheered every step of the way in her 800m heat. In the end, she completed the two laps of the track nearly 45 seconds behind the winner, but her participation alone represented an historic moment. Her teammate, the judoka Wojdan Shaherkani, wrote her name into Olympic history on Friday when she was defeated by Puerto Rican Melissa Mojica in a first round bout. The Saudi Olympic Committee overturned a ban on women athletes in June despite strong opposition from many quarters of society. But officials demanded that all female competitors would be dressed 'to preserve their dignity' - hence the modest, long-sleeved garments and hijab covering the hair. [link]