Meet The Muslim Women Who Have Won Medals At The Rio Olympics
“What I love about my experience is that I’m able to encourage other youth to pursue their dreams, to not let other people dictate their journey for them.”
Dalilah Muhammad, USA, athletics: Gold
Dalilah Muhammad, 26, won gold in the women's 400m hurdles on day 13 of the Rio Olympics. She has recorded three of the five best times in the world this year. She's from Jamaica, Queens, in New York, and in an interview with news website NY1 her parents Nadirah and Askia Muhammad said their daughter's Muslim faith, discipline and talent had taken her all the way to Rio.
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Majlinda Kelmendi, Kosovo, judo: Gold
The 25-year-old made history by becoming the first athlete from Kosovo to win an Olympic medal, competing in the final of the women's 52kg judo. The gold medal adds to Kelmendi's impressive collection of two world titles and three European crowns that she's won since 2013. "To be honest, I came here for the gold medal, but it’s crazy. I’m so happy for me, for my coach, for all of my country", she said after her Rio success.
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Aliya Mustafina, Russia, gymnastics: Gold, silver and bronze
Mustafina, 21, picked up three medals at the Rio Olympics, including a gold medal in the women's uneven bars, a silver in the women's team all-around event and bronze in the individual all-around event. She's of Muslim descent and Olympic medals runs in the family - her father Farhat Mustafin, an ethnic Tatar, was a bronze medalist at the 1976 Olympics in Montreal in Greco-Roman wrestling.
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Ibtihaj Muhammad, USA, fencing: Bronze
Ibtihaj Muhammad, 30, won a bronze medal in the team sabre event. After winning she told CNN: "What I love about my experience here as a minority member of Team USA is that I'm able to encourage other youth to pursue their dreams, to not let other people dictate their journey for them".
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