" I hope that my wearing the hijood sports top will inspire other women to see that modesty or religious beliefs don’t have to be a barrier to participating in competitive sports."In 2004 Al Ghasara defied objections from fundamentalists in her village to take part in the 2004 Olympic Games in Athens, running in the 100 metres." ~ Ruqaya Al Ghasara ~ First Muslim Woman Olympian 2012
EXCERPT FROM BAIBONN "KONG" SANGID's email to ymp loop.
Muslim sprinter wins Olympic sprint dressed head to toe in hijab
By Niall Firth
Sprinters
have long been squeezing their muscular frames into the most
eye-wateringly skimpy, tight and revealing costumes imaginable.
But one female athlete at this year’s Olympics is bucking the trend for bulging lycra and naked torsos.
In 2004, Bahrain's Ruqaya Al Ghasara, a devout Muslim, was the first athlete to ever take part in an Olympics wearing a hijab.
Enlarge 
Bahrain's Roqaya Al-Gassra powers to victory in her 200m sprint heat today
Today, Al Ghasara won her heat of the women’s 200m sprint at the Bird's Nest stadium - despite being clothed head to foot.
Al Ghasara finished first
followed by France's Muriel Hurtis-Houairi and Sri Lanka's Susanthika Jayasinghe.
Admittedly, Al Ghasara 's hijab is a rather sportier version of the traditional dress.
Clinging to her body as she powers down the track the hijab completely covers her head, arms and legs.
Known
as a Hijood - or hijab combined with a sports hood - the costume was
specially designed for Al Ghasara by an Australian sports clothing
company.
It allows Muslim athletes to compete while still adhering to the strict modesty required of their faith.
Al-Gassra prays as she celebrates winning her 200m heat
Al Ghasara, who was the Bahrain flag-bearer at last week’s opening ceremony, jas said the Hijood has improved her performance.
'It’s
great to finally have a high performance outfit that allows me to
combine my need for modesty with a design made from breathable,
moisture-controlled fabric,” she said.
'It’s
definitely helped me to improve my times being able to wear something
so comfortable and I’m sure it will help me to give my best performance
at Beijing.
'I
hope that my wearing the hijood sports top will inspire other women to
see that modesty or religious beliefs don’t have to be a barrier to
participating in competitive sports.'
In
2004 Al Ghasara defied objections from fundamentalists in her village
to take part in the 2004 Olympic Games in Athens, running in the 100
metres.
And in 2006 she won the women’s 200m final at the 2006
Asian Games in Doha, making her the first Bahraini-born athlete to win a major international athletics gold medal.
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