‘ELNAZ THE CHAMPION’

Crowds Cheer as Iranian Climber Who Competed Without Hijab Returns to Tehran

Elnaz Rekabi arrived in Tehran early Wednesday, where she was greeted by a jubilant crowd, to tell state media that the move had been “unintentional” on her part.

An Iranian rock climber who made headlines after competing in South Korea without the state’s mandatory headscarf touched down in Tehran early Wednesday, where she was greeted by a jubilant crowd. Hundreds of supporters clapped for “Elnaz the Champion,” according to the Associated Press, as Elnaz Rekabi emerged to give a guarded interview to state television, reiterating that climbing without a hijab had been an “unintentional” act. “The struggle that I had with wearing my shoes and preparing my gear made me forget about the proper hijab that I should have had, and I went to the wall and ascended,” she said, apologizing to “the people of Iran for the turbulence and worry that I created.” Rekabi, 33, came fourth in the International Federation of Sport Climbing’s Asian Championships on Sunday. Fears for her safety were expressed in the aftermath of the competition, inflamed as nationwide protests against Iran’s strict morality laws entering their fifth week, ignited by the death of Mahsa Amini, who died shortly after she was arrested for not wearing the hijab in September.