Afghan Cyclist Who Dressed as a Man to Train Wins Silver Medal

An Afghan cyclist named Hashimi has won a silver medal, celebrating the achievement as a symbol of strength for women in her country. Hashimi and her sister Yulduz are both international cyclists who represented Afghanistan at the 2024 Paris Olympics.

celebrating ... as ...= describing an achievement or event in terms of what it symbolizes or represents

Hashimi began cycling at age 15 in her home province of Faryab. Training was extremely dangerous because the Taliban took away women's freedom, and people threw stones at female riders. To avoid being recognized or attacked while riding her bike, Hashimi dressed as a man and wore two or three masks.

To avoid being recognized= using an infinitive of purpose ('to avoid') followed by a passive gerund ('being recognized') to state an intention to prevent identification

With help from former Italian world champion Alessandra Cappellotto, Hashimi now lives and trains in Italy. She expressed great happiness over her silver medal, saying it shows the resilience of Afghan women and that millions of women around the world stand with her. Hashimi and her sister are now aiming to compete at the 2028 Los Angeles Games, determined to never give up.

stand with= to support, agree with, or show solidarity with someone during a struggledetermined to= showing strong resolve and firm intention to achieve a goal despite obstacles

Learning Notes

Grammar Patterns

Pattern	Meaning
celebrating ... as ...	describing an achievement or event in terms of what it symbolizes or represents
To avoid being recognized	using an infinitive of purpose ('to avoid') followed by a passive gerund ('being recognized') to state an intention to prevent identification
stand with	to support, agree with, or show solidarity with someone during a struggle
determined to	showing strong resolve and firm intention to achieve a goal despite obstacles

Vocabulary

Word	Meaning
achievement	the action of accomplishing something
represented	represented accurately or precisely
avoid	stay clear from; keep away from; keep out of the way of someone or something
recognized	generally approved or compelling recognition
resilience	the physical property of a material that can return to its original shape or position after deformation that does not exceed its elastic limit
determined	characterized by great determination

Language Insights

•Since the Taliban regained control of Afghanistan in 2021, severe restrictions have been placed on women's rights, including banning them from participating in sports and attending school.
•Support from international athletic figures and organizations has enabled several exiled Afghan female athletes to continue training abroad and represent their country on global stages.