CHINA DAILY MONDAY, JULY 30, 2012 olympics 3

Saudi judo athlete to withdraw if hijab banned, paper says

By REUTERS in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia

A female Saudi Arabian judo competitor, one of the fi rst two female athletes sent to the Olympics by the conservative kingdom, will withdraw if she is not allowed to wear her hijab or headscarf, during bouts, her father was quoted as saying. Wojdan Ali Seraj Abdulrahim Shaherkani is due to compete in the +78kg judo category on Friday. A Saudi offi cial said this month its female athletes would have to obey Islamic dress codes. But International Judo Federation presi- dent Marius Vizer said Shaherkani would have to fi ght without a headscarf to comply with “the principle and spirit of judo”. Sunday’s edition of Saudi Arabia’s al-Watan newspaper quoted the father, Ali Shaherkani, as saying over the telephone from Britain that his daughter “will not compete at the judo Games on Aug 3 if the committee insists that she removes her hijab”. He was quoted as telling al-Watan he had not heard back from the International Olym- pic Committee on the matter. Th e IJF, whose regulations for the Olympic event state no headgear can be worn, was in regular discussions with Olympic and Saudi officials to find a solution, IJF spokesman Nicolas Messner said. He said the hijab was banned for safety rea- PHOTO BY CUI MENG / DAILY sons, as judo fi ghters can try to strangle each (below) and on their way to winning gold in the synchronized 3m springboard on Sunday. Wu and He led throughout the fi ve-dive fi nal and amassed 346.20 points. other using their judogi or kit. While using a hijab to do this would be illegal it could hap- pen by mistake during a move. “It can be dangerous,” Messner said. “It could happen during a move, something wrong could happen.” Female participation in sports has long New queen on the way? been a controversial issue in Saudi Arabia, where conservative Muslim clerics have said it is immodest and goes against women’s nature. at last year’s world championships Foley said. “We’ve got to forget the Until this year, Saudi Arabia was one of Wu wins fi fth Olympic medal, putting in Shanghai. great USA diving history because three countries, alongside Brunei and Qatar, “I am impressed by them,” John- really that was 20-plus years ago. never to have sent female athletes to the her one shy of tying Guo’s record ston said. “I watch their video. Th at’s It wasn’t just 12 years ago when Olympics. Human rights groups urged the one of my training methods, just Laura won because they only got IOC to ban the countries from the Games By medalist Abby Johnston said. “Any- I am impressed by them. watching them and how they do it.” one medal, so the glory days were unless they agreed to send women. in London thing can happen in this sport, so I watch their video. That’s Johnston and Kelci Bryant fi nished gone a long time ago.” Saudi Arabia reached an agreement on the you still have that possibility.” one of my training meth- second with 321.90 points, ending Aft er receiving their medals — participation of Shaherkhani and Sarah Attar, Wu Minxia is close to crowning It was Wu’s fi ft h Olympic medal, ‘‘ the country’s diving medal drought Bryant cried and Johnston smiled an 800 meter runner, just two weeks ago aft er herself China’s new diving queen. leaving her one away from tying ods, just watching them that extended to the 2000 Sydney broadly on the podium — Bryant talks with the IOC. Wu and her partner, He Zi, won countrywoman Guo Jingjing’s and how they do it.” Games. It was the fi rst-ever Olympic reminded Johnston to hold up her the fi rst diving gold medal of the record of six medals. Guo was ABBY JOHNSTON synchro medal for the Americans. prize as they posed for a gaggle of Olympics on Sunday, putting the China’s superstar diver until her US DIVER Laura Wilkinson’s gold on photographers on the deck. country on a path toward a possible retirement 1 1/2 years ago. 10-meter platform in Sydney was Th e US duo was third aft er the sweep of the eight medals. Wu has three golds, one silver and the last US medal. Th e Americans fi rst round, then moved up to sec- Th ey led throughout the fi ve-dive one bronze. She could earn anoth- really don’t have that many emo- were shut out for the fi rst time four ond and stayed there despite a mere Medals: round and totaled 346.20 points in er in the individual springboard tions.” years later in Athens and again in 1.5-point lead over Canada aft er the the 3-meter synchronized event. event, where she has medaled twice China won seven of eight golds as . fourth round. Bryant deliberately “It’s kind of if they mess up, then before and will compete against He. the host country four years ago in “This is a new beginning,” US didn’t watch the scoreboard during Organizers you have an opportunity,” US silver “It feels normal,” Wu said. “I Beijing and swept the gold medals high performance director Steve the competition. promise France surprises changes US in men’s relay FROM PAGE 1 “It’s infuriating to see so many empty seats on TV. Surely it can’t be beyond the organiz- ers to allow real sports fans to fi ll them up to take gold on a fi rst-come fi rst-served basis?” said Ed Shorthose, a London-based father of two who had been trying for months to get tickets to By AGENCIES unprecedented eight golds in Bei- see the Games. in London jing, including the men’s relay when London organizing committee chairman the US famously came from behind Sebastian Coe said he thought the problem France avenged its defeat to the to beat France on the last lap. would resolve itself over time. United States in Beijing four years Camille Muffat of France also “I don’t think this is going to be an issue, ago when it snatched the gold med- won gold in a riveting 400 free- certainly it’s not going to be an issue right al in the men’s 4x100 meters free- style duel with American Allison through the Games,” he said. style fi nal at the London Olympics Schmitt, the two virtually stroke for However, Lizzie Armitstead provided some on Sunday. stroke the entire way. Muff at held belated joy for home fans when she won Brit- Yannick Agnel, swimming the on to win by about half a stroke ain’s fi rst medal of the Games - a silver - in the anchor leg for the French, reeled in an Olympic-record time, while women’s cycling road race although the host in Ryan Lochte on the last lap to Schmitt settled for silver. Britain’s had hoped for more. Dutch favorite Marianne win gold for France in 3 min, 9.93 Rebecca Adlington brought out the Vos, runner-up at the past fi ve road race world seconds. biggest cheer when she touched championships following her 2006 win, took The Americans, who gambled third — the home country’s first the gold. and lost when they called up Lochte swimming medal of the games. Day two saw the latest incarnation of ahead of their sprint specialists, But the US world champion the US basketball “Dream Team”, this time held on to take the silver medal Dana Vollmer took the limelight featuring LeBron James, Kobe Bryant and aft er an exhilarating fi nish. in the pool at London Olympics on MAJOR UPSET Kevin Durant, begin its title defense with a Russia got the bronze medal Sunday as she wiped out the world PHOTO BY HASSAN AMMAR / ASSOCIATED PRESS comfortable 98-71 win over France after a while Australia, who dubbed itself a record in women’s 100m butterfl y joyful display of high-fl ying skill. “weapon of mass destruction” aft er fi nal to claim a gold medal. Om Yun-chol of the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea won the gold At Wimbledon, where rain forced the clo- winning last year’s world cham- Vollmer touched home in 55.98, sure of the roof over Centre Court, women’s pionship title, could only manage toppling the previous world mark medal in the men’s 56-kilogram category in the fi rst upset of the weightlift - second seed Agnieszka Radwanska crashed fourth. of 56.06 seconds set by Swedish ing competition at the London Olympics. Om, who was competing in the out in a surprise fi rst-round defeat by world Michael Phelps swam the sec- world champion Sarah Sjostrom “B” group of lower-ranked lift ers, set an Olympic record in the clean and No 24 Julia Goerges of Germany while Brit- ond leg for the Americans and at the 2009 Wolrd Championships. ain’s Andy Murray reached the second round picked up the fi rst silver medal of China’s Lu Ying took silver in jerk to fi nish with a total of 293 kilograms. He joined an exclusive group of by beating Switzerland’s Stanislas Wawrinka. his Olympic career to lift his overall 56.87 and Australian Alicia Coutts weightlift ers who have lift ed three times their body weight in the clean and On Saturday, Serena Williams breezed medal tally to 17, just one shy of the had bronze in 56.94. past Serbia’s Jelena Jankovic in straight sets, all-time record. jerk. Double world champion Wu Jinbiao of China got the silver medal while with US First Lady Michelle Obama cheering Four years ago, Phelps won an REUTERS—XINHUA European champion Valentin Hristov of Azerbaijan won the bronze. her on.