London Olympics 2012 filled with firsts for women

(CBS News) LONDON - Most runners make history for how fast they go. Sarah Attar had the entire stadium cheering her on even though she was dead last in her race. It didn't matter.

Attar was making a different kind of history -- the first Saudi Arabian woman ever to be allowed by her country to run in the Olympics. She may have grown up in California, but she knew what it meant.

"This is just an amazing thing. For women in Saudi Arabia, I think it can be inspiring, you know, to not give up on your dreams because it can and will come true," Attar said.

Another Saudi woman, Wodjan Shaherkani, almost didn't get to compete until judo authorities allowed her to wear her headscarf. She lost in less than 90 seconds. What it means back in Saudi Arabia, where girls aren't even allowed to take part in school sports, is another matter.

The Saudis may be cultural light-years away from the U.S. beach volleyball players who met in the final, but these have become the women's emancipation games.

It's the first time every country has women on its team.

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It's a presence with a punch; the first time women's boxing has been included.

The pride of Flint, Mich., 17-year-old Claressa Shields and her gold medal tonight may produce a new generation of million dollar babies. Shields said she believes she's done something for both herself and women's boxing.

"I don't think I box like a girl," Shields said.

Including women athletes from Saudi Arabia from Qatar and from Brunei for the first time was the result of a new sport: Olympic arm twisting. Saudi resistance was only broken when the IOC threatened to bar the whole team unless women were included.

Like Sarah Attar's run, progress is slow. But like her, the hope is they'll get there in the end.

[Albert3240]

A Saudi woman in the Olympics? Just some facts: Sarah Attar was born in America, raised in America, attends college in America, is a track athlete at Pepperdine in America, when at Pepperdine track meets and practices at college she wears a tank top and shorts and no head cover, just prior to Olympics she had the Internet cleansed of her American pictures and was told not to talk to the press, her ecstatic fans in the stands assumed she was actually from Saudi Arabia, she has part citizenship from Saudi Arabia because her Father is from there, she has now competed in front of men which is forbidden in that country. I think that after all the manipulation and deception of the Olympic viewing audience that this episode will actually hurt the entire world wide women's athletic movement.

[justme-123]

Albert, I agree Attar's participation in these Olympics was a charade by the Saudis to avoid IOC sanctions and deserves little applause, but I doubt it will set women worldwide back at all. But I also strongly doubt it will have any benefit for Saudi women in the foreseeable future. I'd love to hear if her jog* in the 800 was widely viewable on Saudi TV or reported to the masses there (*which was arguably an insult to the actual world class athletes in that event who narrowly missed making actual real Olympic teams). Until the sex-obssessed religious fanatics who enforce Saudi cultural restrictions are reined in or booted out, women will continue to have almost no rights at all there, no right to drive a car, dress how they please, or exercise and play sports as they wish. I look forward to Saudi women qualifying legitimately for future Olympics, but don't expect to see it anytime soon.