Hijab Wearing Sarah Attar Becomes The First Woman To Represent Saudi Arabia As Track Athlete At The Olympics.

For the first time in Olympic history Saudi Arabia  sent two women to compete in judo and track and field event.The move by this ultraconservative Muslim kingdom to break with its practice of fielding male-only teams followed decisions by Qatar and Brunei to send women athletes to the Olympics for the first time.After coming under intense pressure from the International Olympic Committee and human-rights groups to include female athletes. The two female Saudi competitors are Wodjan Ali Seraj Abdulrahim Shahrkhani in judo and 800-meter runner Sarah Attar.

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. 

Attar completed the two laps of the 800m in a time of two minutes 44.95 seconds, nearly 45 seconds behind the leader

Attar enters and empty home straight on the second lap of her heat. She wore a white hijab, green long-sleeved top and jogging bottoms to comply with her country's rules on female modesty

Dressed in a long-sleeved green training top, long jogging bottoms and a white hijab, she certainly stood out on the start line in sweltering heat in the Olympic Stadium.

And it was quickly obvious that Attar wasn't going to be able to keep pace with the rest of the field as she fell a long way behind.

But whatever the sport, Olympic crowds love a plucky trier and Attar was given a standing ovation as she crossed the finish line, almost a full lap behind the others.

Her time of two minutes 44.95 seconds was a long way behind that recorded by the winner, Kenya's Janeth Jepkosgei Busienei, who ran two minutes 01.04 seconds. 

Attar started in lane eight in heat six of the 800m in the Olympic Stadium

Attar, 19, studies art at the Pepperdine University in Malibu, California. She has dual Saudi and American nationality but chose to compete for the homeland of her father.

source Dailymail.