Cyclist who dressed as man to avoid Taliban wins silver medal

A female cyclist from Afghanistan who previously disguised herself as a man when chasing a career in the sport has won a silver medal at the Asian Games.

Fariba Hashimi fled her country after the Taliban returned to power in 2021.

She says she trained in disguise out of necessity before then in an effort to avoid being attacked, in a country where women's rights are heavily restricted.

She earned her medal in the women's road race near Nagoya in Japan on Tuesday.

The 23-year-old's achievement follows her seventh-place finish in the women's individual time trial on Sunday.

Describing her medal as "something special", Hashimi hopes it can inspire other women in Afghanistan to follow their dreams.

"I was born inside a country where the women who dream are getting attacked, and I'm really happy that I have fought against that," she said.

"I hope that the next generation will come here and represent their country without any fear."