Saudi women join Olympics team for historic first

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Latest update: 12/07/2012

 

 

 

Saudi women join Olympics team for historic first

 

Saudi Arabia announced Thursday that it will send two female athletes to London to join in the coming Olympic Games, making this the first Olympics in history to include female athletes from every competing country.

By FRANCE 24(video)

News Wires (text)

 

AP - Every country competing at the London Games will include female athletes for the first time in Olympic history after Saudi Arabia agreed Thursday to send two women to compete in judo and track and field.

The move by the ultraconservative Muslim kingdom to break with its practice of fielding male-only teams followed earlier decisions by Qatar and Brunei to send women athletes to the Olympics for the first time.

“With Saudi Arabian female athletes now joining their fellow female competitors from Qatar and Brunei, it means that by London 2012 every national Olympic committee will have sent women to the Olympic Games,” IOC President Jacques Rogge said.

Saudi Arabia had been under intense pressure from the International Olympic Committee and human-rights groups to include female athletes. Thursday’s announcement followed

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