Eight years after the Sydney Olympics Hadi Souan Somayli still finds it hard to talk about the 400 metres hurdles final.
He led for 399 metres but at the finishing line US sprinter Angelo Taylor surged forward to take gold.
When I suggest we watch the race together his face darkens. It is not until he shows me his Olympic medal that his mood lightens.
"This is special not just for me", he says. "It's special also for my country because this is the first medal that we won in the Olympics."
Somayli is going to Beijing as director of the Saudi sprint team and, like every Saudi Olympic official and athlete, he is a man.
Saudi Arabia is one of the few countries that does not allow women to take part in the Olympics, or any other major sporting event.
Court pioneers
He led for 399 metres but at the finishing line US sprinter Angelo Taylor surged forward to take gold.
When I suggest we watch the race together his face darkens. It is not until he shows me his Olympic medal that his mood lightens.
"This is special not just for me", he says. "It's special also for my country because this is the first medal that we won in the Olympics."
Somayli is going to Beijing as director of the Saudi sprint team and, like every Saudi Olympic official and athlete, he is a man.
Saudi Arabia is one of the few countries that does not allow women to take part in the Olympics, or any other major sporting event.
Court pioneers
"Some events are difficult for us, with the clothes," says Somayli. "Events like track and field, swimming, even football."
"I hope in the other events we will see Saudi women compete and soon."
Sport is banned at girls state schools. There is no federation that organises women's sport and few stadia that are open to them. However, there are pioneers.
"We we are not official or approved of," says Danaya al-Maeena co-founder of Jeddah United basketball team.
"It is a challenge and it is the beginning of something that we really believe in."
"I hope in the other events we will see Saudi women compete and soon."
Sport is banned at girls state schools. There is no federation that organises women's sport and few stadia that are open to them. However, there are pioneers.
"We we are not official or approved of," says Danaya al-Maeena co-founder of Jeddah United basketball team.
"It is a challenge and it is the beginning of something that we really believe in."
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