RIYADH — Four Saudi female athletes approved by the Saudi Olympic Committee to compete as part of the Kingdom’s team at the Rio Olympics will be given wildcard entries so they can compete without meeting formal qualification standards, a spokesman said on Sunday.
Saudia Arabia entered two women under a similar arrangement for the 2012 Olympics in London in what was a symbolic first for the Kingdom.
The four women who will take part in Rio Olympics are: Sara Al-Attar, Lubna Al-Omair, Cariman Abu Al-Jadail and Wujud Fahmi, said Saudi Olympic Committee Chief Executive Hosam Alqurashi.
The official announcement of the Olympic team named seven men who will compete. The announcements of the names of the male and female team members were made separately.
Attar is a veteran of the London games, where she ran in the 800 meters.
She will be joined in Rio by another runner, Abu Al-Jadail, who will run in the 100 meters. Omair will participate in fencing, while Fahmi will be in the under-52 kg judo event.
