The IOC were extremely proud that the pressure they allegedly brought to bear ensured that Qatar and Saudi Arabia sent female athletes to the London Games for the first time, but was it ultimately just tokenism?
Saudi Arabian Wojdan Ali Seraj Abdulrahim Shaherkani who took part in the Judo was beaten in less than 90 seconds in her opening bout. Noor Hussain Al-Malki a sprinter from Qatar pulled up in her heat after just four strides and her compatriot table tennis player Alia Mohamed was defeated in just 18 minutes.
Many hailed them as heroes, pioneers for women in these regions, but was this really the case? Should the IOC be looking at their pedigree post Games, to ensure that these were not just selections to placate the Games governing body?
