Middle East making great strides

Abdul Razak finished last in the heat, losing to Felix by eight-tenths of a second, but that didn't matter much. Earlier in the day, the Iraqi had won her heat. She had raced with some of the world's best and she had advanced women's sports in her country.

"I'm really happy to be in the Olympics with such world-renowned people,'' the 26-year-old Baghdad resident said through a translator. "I'm happy I was able to break my own record, even though I've been sick the last few days. I expect the future will be even better.

"This will benefit the people of the Middle East, being in a world-wide competition will set an example for them, showing that it is possible to be in such a field.''