Turkey’s Goksu Uctas will make history come the 2012 London Olympic Games, when she becomes the country’s first ever gymnast to participate in the Olympics.
… as a nine-year-old — a vital stage in a gymnast’s development — she survived a catastrophic earthquake which struck north-west Turkey in 1999.
… killed around 17,000 people and left hundreds of thousand others homeless, including her family. …
Turkey has bid to host the 2020 Olympics in Istanbul and is one of three cities in the running along with Tokyo and Madrid. …
GYMMIN’ MIEL – Uctas Set to Make Turkish History
original photo on Facebook
Noor al-Malki will run the 100m in London, the first female athlete ever to compete for Qatar in the Olympics.
Some IOC members, including Dick Pound, are calling for Saudi Arabia to reverse decision to omit female athletes from their team. It flies against the Olympic Charter.
… not that the IOC has been much of a champion of women’s rights.
Thanks Brigid.
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