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| Meet Shirin Gerami, Iran's first female triathlete | Meet Shirin Gerami, Iran's first female triathlete |
| (2 days later) | |
| Shirin Gerami, a 24-year-old woman from Iran, has made history by becoming the country's first female triathlete to have taken part in the sport's world championship. | Shirin Gerami, a 24-year-old woman from Iran, has made history by becoming the country's first female triathlete to have taken part in the sport's world championship. |
| By racing in the London event, she paved the way and set a precedent for thousands of Iranian women who have previously been denied permission to race in triathlons abroad or swim in international events. | By racing in the London event, she paved the way and set a precedent for thousands of Iranian women who have previously been denied permission to race in triathlons abroad 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 #GenderEquality." | |
| Gerami raced in full Islamic dress after Iran's sports ministry issued required paperwork in the last hours before the final began. | Gerami raced in full Islamic dress after 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, saying that Gerami had secured an 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. | The Islamic republic's state news agency, Irna, quoted Mohammad-Ali Sabour, the head of Iran's national triathlon federation, saying that Gerami had secured an 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. | 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. | "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." | "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. | 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." | "I wanted to show that what people dismiss as impossible is actually possible, and this universal rule applies to all countries, to all people." |
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