Weightlifting "unitard" makes Olympic debut
(AP) Ghada Hassine of Tunisia is now the first Olympic weightlifter to compete in a newly approved "unitard" that covers most of her body.
Rules requiring lifters to wear a costume that doesn't cover the arms and lower legs were changed last year. The U.S. had petitioned for a change on behalf of a Muslim lifter.
Hassine, 19, wore the unitard Wednesday under the traditional weightlifting outfit and a hijab covering her hair as she participated in the "B'' group of lower-ranked lifters in the women's 69-kilogram category. She cleared 102 kilograms in the snatch and 120 in the clean and jerk for a 220-kilogram total, putting her in second place before the top medal contenders had competed in the "A'' group.
On Tuesday, officials said they would allow a female judo fighter from Saudi Arabia to compete in the Olympics wearing a form of headscarf after a compromise was reached that respects the "cultural sensitivity" of the Muslim kingdom.