Lima Azimi, the first Afghan woman to compete in the IAAF World Championships (© Getty Images)
There are times when the importance of an athletics event surpasses the sole boundaries of sport.
Wearing bib number one, just as symbolic as her participation in these championships, Lima Azimi was certainly not just another of the women’s 100m participants today.
Azimi, 22 years of age, became today the first Afghan woman to compete in such an important global sporting competition. Running in lane two and wearing long black trousers, Azimi had evident problems with her starting blocks.
And this is not surprising when one learns about her background.
“I only started athletics three months ago and I only had 2 training sessions with starting blocks before coming to Paris,” said Azimi in excellent English for someone who only started learning the language a year and a half ago.
“You must know that the situation is very difficult in my country because of the Talibans. You know the Talibans, right?”
Yes we do.
A second year University student majoring in English language and literature from Kabul, Azimi benefited from the opening of women’s sport teams three months ago to make her first steps in the sport.
“They decided to have women’s team in volley ball first, then gymnastic and now athletics. I am aloud to train only once a week, when the university is open for women.
“Other than for attending the University and training in the University gymnasium, I am not aloud to go outside my house back home.
“Last week they informed me that they wanted me to run at these championships and I told them I couldn’t because I hadn’t had enough training.
“What they replied is that they didn’t want me to come here to perform well. What is important, they said, was that I took part.
“This is important you know. Afghanistan hasn’t participated in such a big event since 23 years.
In the history of the IAAF World Championships, Afghanistan was represented only once, back in 1983 by a man, Mohamed Ismail Bakaki who also competed in the 100 metres.
Azimi’s participation in Paris World Championships drew so much media interest that it took her more than 30 minutes to answer all the television stations demands only. Ten times as much as it took US champion Kelli White, winner of the race in 11.26 and sprinting legend Merlene Ottey to speed through the mixed zone.
Indeed, lining-up for what was undoubtedly the strongest heat of the first round didn’t seem to destabilise the young Afghan whose participation here might well have not happened.
“At first, my parents didn’t want me to come. They were worried that if I left the country I would have problems and also they didn’t know anything of the championships.
“This is the first time I leave my country; it’s my first time abroad and on my own. So they were worried. But then they got a lot of information about the competition and in the end they decided to let me go.”
“It was also the first time I was taking the plane. I wasn’t scared at all. A little but at take off though. But then once the plane was in the air I really enjoyed it.
Azimi also had to deal with another sort of problem certainly linked with her inexperience of travelling around the world.
“I was carrying my running shoes in a plastic bag with me and I forgot it in the taxi that was taking us from the hotel to the airport in Azerbaijan.
Upon landing in Paris, Azimi explained her problem to the Local organisers who provided her with a dedicated driver who accompanied her to a famous sport shop in the French capital.
“I chose blue and white shoes,” she said the night before her race. “But you know they were very expensive. They were 60 euros. Probably that it is not expensive for you but for me that is a lot of money. The Federation kindly paid for my shoes.”
Azimi was wearing these same shoes this morning and she may have not had the same running style as the runners lining up next to her but this race meant a lot more to her and her country.
As expected she finished last in a new personal best of 18.37 – any time would have been a new PB has she had never raced the distance before.
“As I said, the time didn’t matter. My participation was more important. But I will probably not tell anything to my parents when I go back home because I ran so slowly. It was so bad”
Don’t worry Lima. There is nothing to be ashamed of. You were, the space of one day, the pride of your whole country.
