Full of confidence and with a broad smile on her face, Saudi Olympic sprinter Yasmeen Al Dabbagh answered all of the journalists' questions after having competed in the 18th World Athletics Championship held in Eugene, Oregon.
"It's been a wonderful experience," she told AFP, noting that it's a novel experience for "Women from the Gulf in general and Saudi women in particular."
This is the second time Al Dabbagh has taken part in an international competition. Her debut on the world stage came at last summer's Tokyo Olympics, where she competed in the 100m race and finished ninth in her series after crossing the finish line in 13.34 seconds. She later broke her personal record during the GCC Games in May, when she finished the race in 12.90 seconds, coming fifth.
Although Al Dabbagh finished the third qualifying series in seventh and last place with a time of 13.21 seconds, ending her first adventure at the world stage early, Al Dabbagh said she was delighted to have been in the same series with Jamaican Elaine Thompson-Herah, who topped the series with a time of 11.15 seconds and reached the semi-finals. Israeli athlete Diana Weissman was in the same series, finishing fifth with a time of 11.29 seconds, but Al Dabbagh chose not to comment on the matter.
The 24-year-old preferred to talk about her performance and future, saying: "This is only the beginning, and things will get better. This is the first time that I take part, and it certainly won't be the last."
Al Dabbagh became only the sixth Saudi woman to take part in the Olympic Games, following in the footsteps of track and field athlete Sarah Attar and the judoka Wejdan Shahkhani, who had participated in the London Olympics, as well as the fencer Lubna Al-Omair, the sprinter Kariman Abu Al-Jadayel, and judoka Jude Fahmy, who had competed at Olympics in Rio de Janeiro.
In Tokyo, Al Dabbagh told reporters that "who you rub shoulders is the most important thing, especially when you are competing with world and Olympic champions such like Jamaican Elaine Thompson-Herah. This level of competition is what you need to develop."
Al Dabbagh was sick with Covid-19 a month before the contest in Eugene, but she refused to use it as an excuse to justify her performance.
She said: "I got Covid a month ago, and it certainly affected my training, but this is not an excuse. This is a major tournament that requires intense training, immense effort, and intense focus."
"Throughout the year, I exercise six days a week and push myself extremely hard. The goal had been to get a good number today, but I did not succeed. God willing, the next one will be better." Al Dabbagh, who is currently training in the United States, where she lives and studies at university, confirmed that her goal for the future is to win a medal.
She urged her female compatriots to play sports and follow the example of male athletes in order to excel, improve the status of Saudi women, and raise the flag of their country in international competitions.
She added: "God willing, the women of Saudi Arabia will also participate in all sports and run after their dreams without fear."
Kuwaiti runner Mudhawi Al-Shammari, 24, did just that, though she left empty-handed from the first round of the 100m race, coming seventh in the first group qualifiers (11.91s).
She told the press: "I am happy to be a Gulf Arab woman competing at the world stage. I encourage all girls with a talent for sports to embrace it and pursue a career in this field."
"My ambition is to take part in more world championships, break more Kuwaiti records, and win medals in Arab and Asian competitions."
