FIRST SAUDI WOMAN TO WIN AN OLYMPIC MEDAL

Equestrienne Dalma Rushdi Malhas did Saudi Arabia proud after she won the bronze medal on her horse Flash Top Hat on August 24 at the first Youth Olympic Games in Singapore. Eighteen-year-old Malhas overcame four penalty points in the first round of the three-day event to qualify for the jump-off session, where she delighted the crowd to claim the bronze medal in the individual show jumping event in equestrian. According to the International Equestrian Federation, Malhas showed considerable improvement over the last week of riding and on August 24 brought crowds to their feet after riding a faultless clear, with tight corners and a good burst of speed. In winning the bronze medal, Malhas was not only the first Saudi woman athlete to compete in the inaugural Games for the world’s youth aged between 14 and 18, but also gave the Kingdom its second medal in an Olympic competition after Khalid Al-Eid in the 2000 Sydney Games, where he won the bronze in equestrian.