Monday, February 22, 2010

Winter Athlete Profiles (10 of 25)- Marjan Kalhor/slalom skiing/Iran




Due to a technical glitch, we are going to profile Iranian slalom skier Marjan Kahlor, 21, the first woman to represt Iran at a Winter Olympics, a bit earlier than anticipated.

Kahlor carried the Iranian flag for a delegation of five athletes. Some in Iran have criticized Kahlor for competiting as an athlete as a woman because of the country's strict Isamic cultural values, but Kalhor told "USA Today" that coming to the Olympics was very important not just for her, but for the women of Iran:

"I am very glad to be here, not just for myself, but it can be a very good incentive for women in Iran."

Kahlor is not exactly Lindsay Vonn when it comes to winning major international competitions though she has won medals at skiing events in Turkey and Lebanon.

She told "USA Today" that putting in her best effort was vital:

"I can't think think about a gold, silver or bronze," she said. "But I have some competitiors that were close to each other," Kahlor said. "I hope I can perform better than them."

According to the blog site Muslim Women in Sports, Kahlor will wear the traditional Islamic headscraf in the Olympic Village, but she will dress like everyone else on the slopes.

No comments:

Post a Comment