29 Mar 2024
Sunday 15 September 2013 - 17:06
Story Code : 50319

Meet Shirin Gerami, Iran's first female triathlete

Meet Shirin Gerami, Iran
Gerami made history on Sunday by becoming the first female triathlete from Iran to take part in a world championship.
Shirin Gerami, a 24-year-old woman fromIran, has made history by becoming the first female triathlete from the Iran to have taken part in her sport's world championship.

By racing in the London event, she paved ways and set a precedent for thousands of Iranian women who had been previously denied permission to race intriathlonabroad or swim in international events.

Iran's president, Hassan Rouhani, greeted her achievement by tweeting:
Shirin Gerami,1st female triathlete to have participated in world championship wearing Iran's colours#GenderEqualitypic.twitter.com/A5Xzqx52xd

Hassan Rouhani (@HassanRouhani)September 15, 2013
Gerami raced in full Islamic dress after the authorities from Iran's sports ministry issued required paperwork in the last hours before the final began.

The Islamic republic's state news agency, Irna, quoted Mohammad-Ali Sabour, the head of Iran's national triathlon federation, that Gerami had secured official blessing and was nominated after the International Triathlon Union (ITU) agreed to set up a tent where she could change into her cycling and running clothes after swimming.

In her first interview before the grand final, Gerami on Thursday told the Guardian she received the go-ahead after spending four months trying to persuade the Iranian authorities that she wanted to respect their Islamic requirements.

"Triathlon is still not very established in Iran; to date women do not participate in triathlons," she said.

"I wanted to share triathlon, and all the empowerment it has given me, with others and encourage others to experience and benefit from something that is dear to me."

She insisted she wanted to tell "the other story of Iran", that positive stories about her home country do exist.

"I wanted to show that what people dismiss as impossible, is actually possible and this universal rule applies to all countries, to all people."

By The Guardian

 

The Iran Project is not responsible for the content of quoted articles.
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