Olympics: Finish is just the start for trailblazing Saudi runner

Sarah Attar finished last in her women's 800-metre heat but was first in the hearts of many in attendance as she hopes her participation sparks other Saudi women to be athletes.

After the finish, Attar simply walked alone toward the tunnel leading athletes away from the track, catching her breath. She declined to answer questions then, but later said "seeing support like that, it's just an amazing experience ... I really hope this can be the start of something amazing".Show less

LONDON // Sarah Attar finished last and more than a half-minute slower than her nearest competitor in the women's 800 metres.

Yet hundreds rose to give her a standing ovation as she crossed the finish line.

For the first woman from Saudi Arabia to compete in track and field at the Olympics, the principle was more important than the performance.

Covered in clothing from head to toe, except for her smiling face poking out from her headscarf, Attar's debut came five days after a judoka became the kingdom's first female competitor at any Olympics.

"This is such a huge honour and an amazing experience, just to be representing the women," Attar said. "I know that this can make a huge difference."

The 19 year old ran 800 metres in two minutes, 44.95 seconds. To her, the time was not the point.

Her mother is American and her father is Saudi.

She has dual citizenship having been born in California. She takes part in athletics at Pepperdine University near Los Angeles.

Attar wanted to represent Saudi Arabia at the Olympics as a way of inspiring women.

"For women in Saudi Arabia, I think this can really spark something to get more involved in sports, to become more athletic," she said.

"Maybe in the next Olympics, we can have a very strong team to come."

This year, under pressure from the International Olympic Committee, Saudi Arabia broke its practice of fielding male-only teams by entering Wojdan Shahrkhani in judo and Attar in track and field.

Saudi Arabia is one of three countries, along with Qatar and Brunei, that brought female athletes for the first time, making this the first Olympics in which every national team includes a woman.

Shahrkhani's appearance at the London Games in a loss on Friday raised criticism from some of her countrymen.

When Attar was introduced yesterday, the crowd responded with a hearty roar and she appeared to be taken aback and responded with a wave, a wide smile and a bit of a chuckle.

Although she is just one part of a much bigger story about politics, sports and women, she is also having fun.

"She's a kid," said Joaquim Cruz, the 1984 Olympic champion at 800 metres who agreed to coach Attar when he heard her story.

"She's 19 years old and this is like going to Disneyland for the first time. Everybody else is concerned about the press, the media, what people are going to say. She's just taking a ride."

Attar, who has spent little time in Saudi Arabia, trains as a long-distance runner but because she is not among the world's elite, the decision was made to have her run in the shorter event.

"She was thrown into the fire with the change of events," Cruz said.

"It's like me switching to the marathon all of the sudden, then trying to compete in the Olympics."

Against some of the fastest runners in the world, Attar lined up in Lane 8 and lagged behind immediately, trailing the rest of the pack by five, then 10, then 20 feet and more.

It did not really matter.

As the next-to-last racer crossed the finish line, the stadium announcer let everyone know where their attention needed to be, intoning: "And 150 metres to go for Sarah Attar."

As she ran along, swinging her arms and breathing heavily, fans clapped in support, and hundreds rose in appreciation as she approached the finish line.

"To see how the crowd reacted to her when she was running was very touching and very exciting," Attar's father, Amer, said.

After the race, as the noise abated, Attar simply walked alone toward the tunnel leading athletes away from the track, catching her breath.

She scurried through the area where reporters gather to interview competitors, politely declining to answer questions.

Later, in a quiet moment, she put things in perspective - the crowd, the cheering, the occasion.

"I mean, seeing the support like that, it's just an amazing experience," she said.

"I was so excited to be a part of it. I really hope this can be the start of something amazing."

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