Notable female athletes who compete in a hijab - in pictures

From Egyptian weightlifter Sara Ahmed to the Emirati figure skater Zahra Lari, we take a look at other athletes who wear a hijab in competition

Sara Ahmed of Egypt participated in the 2016 Rio de Janeiro Olympic Games. She became the first Arab woman to win a Olympic medal in weightlifting when she won a bronze and the first Egyptian woman to win one in any sport. Getty

Egypt's Doaa Elghobashy is a beach volleyball player who participated in the 2016 Summer Olympics in Rio alongside her partner Nada Meawad. The duo wore long sleeves and pants while competing and Elghobashy wore a hijab - an Olympic first in beach volleyball. Getty Images

Iran's Kimia Alizadeh Zonoozi competed in the 2016 Rio Olympics and won a bronze medal in the taekwondo 57kg weight class. She became the first Iranian woman to win a medal at the Olympics. AFP

Hedaya Wahba of Egypt has competed at the 2012 and 2016 Summer Olympics. She also won the bronze medal in the taekwondo 57kg weight class in Rio. Getty Images

Sarah Attar of Saudi Arabia competed in the 2012 and 2016 Summer Olympics. In London, she competed as a track and field athlete in the 800 metres but changed to compete in marathon in Rio de Janiero. Getty Images

Saudi Arabia's Wojdan Shaherkani competed in the above 78kg category in Judo and made her international competition debut at the 2012 London Olympics. Getty Images

Fatima Al Ali is an Emirati hockey player who competes with a hijab. While she's gone on to represent the UAE women's team in international competition, she has aspirations to one day referee at the Winter Olympics. Christopher Pike / The National

Zahra Lari is an Emirati figure skater who has been working towards qualifying for the Winter Olympics. She trains at the ice rink in the Zayed Sports City in Abu Dhabi. Christopher Pike / The National

American fencer Ibtihaj Muhammad's new book Proud: My Fight for an Unlikely American Dream was released on July 24. She's notable for becoming the first Muslim American woman to wear a hijab and win an Olympic medal when she took home bronze in the fencing competition at the 2016 Rio Olympic Games. In the book, she references the challenges she faced as a Muslim athlete. With this in mind, we take a look at some other notable female athletes here and abroad who have competed in a hijab.

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