Kamia Yousufi (Persian: کیمیا یوسفی; born 20 May 1996 in Mashhad, Iran[1]) is an Afghan female sprinter. Her parents are originally from Kandahar.

Kamia Yousufi
Personal information
NationalityAfghan
Born (1996-05-20) May 20, 1996 (age 28)
Mashhad, Iran
Sport
SportRunning
Event(s)100 meters, 200 meters
Achievements and titles
Personal best(s)100m: 13.29 s (Tokyo 2020)
200m: 30.39 s (Guwarahati 2016)

Career

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She competed at the 2016 Summer Olympics in Rio de Janeiro in the women's 100 metres, where she finished in 22nd place in the preliminary round with a time of 14.02 seconds, a national record.[2][3] She did not advance to round 1.

At the 2020 Summer Olympics, Yousufi and Farzad Mansouri carried Afghanistan's flag at the Opening Ceremony.[4] Competing at the 100 metres she finished sixth in the first preliminary heat running a time of 13.29 seconds, which was a new personal best and a national record.[5]

In August 2021, as the 2021 Taliban offensive overran the country, Yousufi fled to Iran.[6]

In July 2024, Yousufi was named in a six-person, gender equal Afghanistan team for the 2024 Summer Olympics in Paris. Afghanistan’s ruling Taliban said they did not recognise any female members of the team as only male sports were practiced in the country.[7]

References

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  1. ^ "کیمیا یوسفی: می‌خواهم برای کشورم در المپیک بدرخشم/ ۴ ماه بدون هیچ امکاناتی تمرین کردم". 90tv.ir. 19 May 1395. Archived from the original on 15 November 2016.
  2. ^ "Kamia Yousufi". rio2016.com. Archived from the original on 6 August 2016. Retrieved 12 August 2016.
  3. ^ Millward, David (12 August 2016). "Saudi Arabian sprinter Kariman Abuljadayel makes history as first woman from the kingdom to compete in 100 metres at the Olympics". The Telegraph – via www.telegraph.co.uk.
  4. ^ "Athletics flag bearers help to light up Olympic Opening Ceremony in Tokyo | FEATURES | World Athletics". www.worldathletics.org.
  5. ^ "Athletics - Preliminary Round - Heat 1 Results". Olympics.com. 30 July 2021. Archived from the original on 3 August 2021. Retrieved 17 August 2021.
  6. ^ Fassihi, Farnaz (19 August 2021). "A 17-year-old Afghan soccer player died falling from a U.S. evacuation plane". The New York Times. Retrieved 20 August 2021.
  7. ^ "Paris 2024: Afghanistan's Kimia Yousofi named in gender-equal Olympic team". BBC Sport. 9 July 2024. Retrieved 9 July 2024.
Olympic Games
Preceded by Flagbearer for   Afghanistan
Tokyo 2020
Succeeded by
Incumbent
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