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Championships in Paris see woman Afghani in 100m

Lima Azimi wore long, baggy pants. She wore spikes for the first time. Officials had to show her how to use the starting blocks.

But just getting to run in Saturday's 100m heats at the World Championships was a milestone for the 22-year-old Azimi, the first woman from Afghanistan ever to compete at the global meet.

"This was important for my country, for me, my country," Azimi said. "It's the first time that girls of Afghanistan participate in such a world championship. But it is my participation that is important, not my result."

Wearing bib No. 1 and running in the inside lane against world stars like Kelli White and Merlene Ottey, Azimi finished about 40m behind the field in a "personal best" time of 18.37 seconds.

That was more than seven seconds behind White, the US champion in the 100m and 200m and a gold medal favorite at the world meet. White and Ottey, the former Jamaican who now runs for Slovenia, were both clocked in 11.26 seconds.

Azimi is one of two Afghan athletes entered for the championships. Under the former Taliban regime, women were banned from competing in sports.

Afghanistan, still wracked by fighting, was recently reinstated by the International Olympic Committee and hopes to send a team to next year's Athens Olympics. Azimi wore dark blue sweat pants and a gray T-shirt with short sleeves, in sharp contrast with the tight-fitting racing outfits of the other runners.
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