Remember the female Saudi judoka allowed to compete with a hijab?
Well I’m sure they were 82 seconds of spiritual joy.
Judoka Wojdan Shaherkani, the first Saudi Arabian woman to compete at the Olympics, sobbed as she admitted to being overwhelmed by her historic debut which lasted just 82 seconds on Friday.
Looking nervous and wearing a black, swimming cap-style head covering, she was beaten by Melissa Mojica of Puerto Rico in the first round of the women’s under-78kg category.
After the fight, where she barely mustered a challenge, the 16-year-old broke down in tears as she embraced her father, himself a judo referee.
“I’m proud, I’m happy and I want to continue in judo. I want to thank the fans for their support,” she said.
“I was disturbed and afraid at the beginning, it was my first time in a big competition and there was a lot of pressure because of the hijab issue.
“I was not comfortable because I didn’t have any experience of big events. It took its toll on me.”
Meanwhile, it looks like allowing her to wear a hijab wasn’t the only way the IOC bent over backwards for her.
The teenager has only been practising judo for two years and has a blue belt. If not for her special invitation, she would never have qualified for the Olympics.
