The world’s fastest women flew down the Olympic straight in the 100m heats on the first morning of athletics at the Stade de France, but one carried a heavier burden. Kimia Yousofi, part of the six-person Afghan team competing in Paris, trailed the rest of the pack and finished two seconds behind the winner.
Afterwards, she held up words scribbled on an A4 piece of paper. “Education” written in black. “Sport” underneath it in green. In red, the third colour of the Afghanistan flag, “our rights”. “I have a message for Afghan girls,” she said. “Don’t give up, don’t let others decide for you. Just search for opportunity, and then use that opportunity,” she said.
