Robina Muqimyar

Robina Muqimyar, (born July 3, 1986), is an Afghan athlete. [http://results.beijing2008.cn/WRM/ENG/BIO/Athlete/8/246178.shtml Athlete biography: Robina Muqimyar] , beijing2008.cn, ret: Aug 27, 2008] She was one of the first two women ever to represent Afghanistan at the Olympic Games, by competing along with judoka Friba Razayee at the 2004 Summer Olympics in Athens.

Muqimyar took part in the women's 100m sprint. [ [http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/south_asia/3826673.stm "Afghan women's Olympic dream"] , BBC, June 22, 2004] She finished seventh out of eight in her heat, with a time of 14.14 seconds, 0.15 seconds ahead of Somalia's Fartun Abukar Omar. The race was won by Jamaica's Veronica Campbell, with a time of 11.17 seconds. [ [http://www.nocafghanistan.com/women100m.html "The first Afghan women to participate in Track & Field: Robina Muqimyar 7th out of 8 in 100 meter sprint"] , National Olympic Committee of the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan] Muqimyar was 17 at the time of the event. [ [http://www.usatoday.com/sports/columnist/lopresti/2004-08-17-lopresti-afghan_x.htm "Afghan women making Olympic history"] , USA Today, August 17, 2004] She ran in "a T-shirt and long green track pants" rather than more aerodynamic competition clothing. [ [http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,338296,00.html "Afghan Woman Runs Toward Olympics Despite Jeers, Potential Danger"] , Associated Press, March 16, 2008]

She was not initially due to compete in the 2008 Olympics in Beijing [http://www.embassyofafghanistan.org/04.29.2008olympic.html "Afghan Athletes Train for Beijing Olympic "] , Afghan embassy to the United States, April 29, 2008] , but joined Afghanistan's delegation [ [http://www.reuters.com/article/olympicsNews/idUSSP28772420080809?sp=true "Olympics-Against all odds, Afghans try their luck in Beijing"] , Reuters, August 9, 2008] after female sprinter Mehboba Ahdyar left her training camp in June to seek political asylum in Norway. [ [http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/sport/more_sport/article4304884.ece Fears ease after missing Afghan athlete found] , Times of London, July 10] At the 2008 Summer Olympics she took part at the 100 metres sprint. In her first round heat she placed eighth and last in a time of 14.80 which was not enough to advance to the second round.

"The Guardian" described her as a true embodiment of the Olympic spirit::"The Olympic rings are the most recognised symbol on the planet and every corporate player wants to turn the Games into an advert for soft drinks and credit cards. Yet despite the drug scandals and excess there are still athletes who embody the Olympic spirit. So meet the Afghan sprinter who had to hide from the Taliban, the Brazilian gymnast from the ghetto and the Ecuadorean walker who made a 459km pilgrimage after his first gold medal. They may not all win, but they all deserve our admiration." [ [http://observer.guardian.co.uk/osm/story/0,,1270859,00.html "True Olympians"] , "The Guardian", August 1, 2004]

Describing life under the Taliban, Muqimyar has said: "There was nothing for us girls to do under the Taliban. You couldn't go to school. You couldn't play, you couldn't do anything. You were just at home all the time." [ [http://observer.guardian.co.uk/osm/story/0,,1270859,00.html "True Olympians"] , "The Guardian", August 1, 2004]

External links

* [http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,901040419-610030,00.html "A Run to The Future"] , "Time", April 11, 2004
* [http://results.beijing2008.cn/WRM/ENG/BIO/Athlete/8/246178.shtml "Athlete Biography"] , Beijing 2008 official website

ee also

* Lima Azimi
* Friba Razayee
* Mareena Karim
* Mehboba Ahdyar
* Fatima Mohammadi

References

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