Marjan Kalhor, an Alpine and slalom skier from Iran, has little chance of placing at the 2010 Winter Olympics, but her presence at the games is an already an achievement.
OUT OF THE FOUR Iranian athletes who will compete in Vancouver, Kalhor is the only woman. In fact, she is the first woman from Iran ever to compete in the Winter Olympics.
Kalhor, 21, has been skiing since she was four years old. She won a national event at age 11 and a bronze medal at a competition in Turkey when she was 16. At 18, she won a gold medal in slalom and a silver medal in the giant slalom at a Lebanese event. More recently, she placed 60th in the giant slalom at the 2009 World Championships in Val d’Isere, France.