Hijab’s On The Track; Kariman Abuljadayel became the first Saudi woman to race in 100m in hijab along with Afghanistan’s Kamia Yousufi
She may have not won the race, but she managed to wins millions of hearts and the race of his life as she stepped on the track in full body kit and hijab when she competed in the 100 m individual race on Friday. The 22 year old Sprinter Kariman Abuljadayel made history by becoming the first Saudi woman to compete in the 100m.
She came seventh in her preliminary heat, meaning she was eliminated from the games, but her participation earned widespread praise on social media.
Abuljadayel, 22, follows in the footsteps of Sarah Attar, the first female track athlete to compete for Saudi Arabia in the Olympics in 2012, and the first to compete in a hijab.
Abuljadayel, completed the race in 14.61 seconds, lagging far behind the current world record of 10.49 seconds set by American Florence Griffith-Joyner in 1988.
Saudi officials insist all female competitors dress “to preserve their dignity” – hence the modest, long-sleeved garments and hijab covering the hair.She is one of four women from the Middle Eastern country to compete in the Rio Games alongside Attar, Joud Fahmy, and fencer Lubna Al-Omair.
And the other female to race in Hijab was Afghanistan’s Kamia Yousufi. Yousufi ran her 100m in 14.02 seconds, but could only watch as her competitors all finished ahead of her. This two moments reminded of Sarah Attar,of Saudi who became the first Saudi female track athlete in 2012 in London when she competed in the 800m.