Marjan Kalhor, a female from Iran finally gets her chance to be in the Olympics this year in Canada. This is monumental in the history of the country. She is the first female to be entered into the Winter Olympics from Iran (they have had females in the Summer Olympics). One of the reasons why females have not been able to compete is stated in this article. The basic principle of it is that since they are representing Iran, they must bring the culture of Iran, and in doing so, they are required to wear the traditional Iranian female clothes. As Kalhor points out in an interview, "Skiing is a sport where you have to be fully dressed. So there is no problem with clothes" (Simone). With this issue, I am rather torn. Part of me is excited that Iran is finally working towards a more balanced team (the team they are sending for the skiing competition is composed of four people, Kalhor and three men). The other part of me, however, is disappointed that it has taken so long for this to happen. Of course, when any event such as this happens, I am generally more excited than I am disappointed. I feel that this is a big step in regaining some of the country's reputation, at least in my own world view. While this may not be the most exciting news for the public at large, for a feminist (oh yes, I will call myself a feminist) such as myself, I believe this to be a very important event.
Generally for the Winter Olympics, I only tend to follow the incredibly exciting sport of Curling...
Oh yes, you can really feel the intensity
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