Introducing Saudi Arabia’s first ever female Olympic athletes

For the first time in Olympic history, every country competing in the London games include women athletes.

Judo athlete Wojdan Shahrkhani and 800-meter runner Sarah Attar were the first females to represent Saudi Arabia in the summer games.

Their participation adheres to dressing modestly according to Islamic law with a headscarf, long sleeves and long pants.

Al Arabiya attended an event at the British Museum where the two athletes met Nawal El Moutwakel from Morocco, the newly elected vice president of the International Olympic Committee.

Nawal asked Sarah: “what time are you competing and when?” 11:35 on 8th of August replied Sarah. Nawal reminded Sarah: it was the date I won the 400m hurdle in the Los Angeles games and you have to qualify. With a big smile Sarah said: “I will try my best.”

Both Saudi athletes are camera shy and stayed away from the press, Al Arabiya's request for an interview was met with a polite later from Sarah’s father. Eventually the interview never took place.

With the Saudi Arabian female athletes now joining their fellow female competitors from Qatar and Brunei, all 204 participating nations in the 2012 Olympics include women athletes.

With this unprecedented move Saudi Arabia Olympic committee, rescind its decade’s long moratorium on sending female athletes to Olympics, a ban that has been in force ever since the kingdom first began participating in the games 1972.