Iran's first woman at winter Games tired but happy (News Feature)

By David Hein Feb 25, 2010, 0:24 GMT

Whistler, Canada - Usually scores of journalists do not wait around the finish area to talk to the penultimate skier of an Olympic alpine race. Most of the favourites wear bibs under 35 and are long gone. And the final competitors are skiers just happy to take part in the Games.

Marjan Kalhor, however, is anything but a normal competitor. The shy 21-year-old alpine skier carried her nation's flag at the opening ceremony and in Wednesday's giant slalom she became the first Iranian woman to compete at the Winter Olympics.

And that fact drew some 15 journalists from around the world wanting to hear about the emotions of the Karaj native.

'I'm very tired. It was very difficult. I'm very happy to finish the race. And I'm very happy because I am the first woman from Iran at the Olympic Games,' said Kalhour after the first run through an Iranian journalist acting as an interpreter.

She was one of 68 competitors from 86 skiers to finish the first run of the giant slalom, ranking in last place, 21.75 seconds behind leader Elisabeth Goergl of Austria. The second run was postponed to Thursday.

'I am just very happy, very happy, very happy.'

When asked what she thought about all the media attention about her, she said: 'It's very good. Thank you to all the journalists.'

Iran has been competing at the Winter Olympics since 1956, but until Kalhor's participation at Vancouver 2010, the Islamic nation had never sent a woman to the Winter Games.

Kalhor, however, is not the first woman Olympic flag bearer for Iran. That honour was given to Homa Hosseini, a female rower, at the 2008 Beijing Games.

'I was so excited and proud that I was the lady who would carry the flag,' she said through a translator at a press conference earlier at the Games.

'Everybody could see that a Muslim woman can carry the flag, because everybody is looking at the flagbearers. So it was very important to me that it was me.'

Kalhor admitted Wednesday she felt special - especially for women in the conservative Iranian society.

'Women more have opportunities in sports and major competitions,' said Kalhor, who began skiing at age 4.

'I am very glad to be here, not just for myself, but it can be a very good incentive for the women in Iran,' she said.

'I want them to know if they want to, they can. I want them to know it is possible.'

'A lot of people in Iran are very happy about Marjan participating at the Olympic Games. There is big support there - even if she is a woman,' said Mostafa Lashgari, an editor with the Iranian Student News Agency in Whistler for the Games.

At 16, Kalhour took third place in a competition in Turkey, and two years later claimed first place in a slalom event and a second place in a giant slalom at a Lebanese event. He also placed 60th in the giant slalom at the 2009 world championship in Val d'Isere

Kalhour's family raised her in skiing in the Alborz mountain range north of Teheran and her brother Rostam - her coach here in Whistler - is a former Iranian champion in downhill skiing. Iran has two major mountain ranges but skiing is not widespread since the winter is relatively short.

A major issue for women in Iran is the Islamic dress code. And Kalhour respected that at the Games by wearing a normal ski suit and a bright pink head scarf.

'Skiing is a sport where you have to be fully dressed. So there is no problem with clothes: I shall observe the Islamic dress code,' she said before Wednesday's race.

Kalhour - scheduled to race in the giant slalom and the slalom events - admitted it was very special for her also to be on the slopes with the best skiers in the world - especially her favourite, Austrian Kathrin Zettel.

'I'm really happy that she was in this competition and I hope that she wins the gold medal,' Kalhour said of Zettel, who is third after the first run.

But the Iranian has not really had too much interaction, according to Estonian alpine skier Tiiu Nurmberg.

'I've just been on the bus a few times with her. She's quite quiet. But it's great to see them here,' said Nurmberg.

'And that they have a team. It seems like they have a good support here. And they have someone at the start, unlike me. So it's good to see that the women are able to step up like that.'