Marjan Kalhor (مرجان کلهر)became Iran's first female to compete at a Winter Olympic Games on Wednesday and said she hoped to inspire others take part in major sporting events.

The 21-year-old, wearing a pink head scarf beneath her safety helmet to comply with Islamic dress code, was 68th and last after the first of two runs of the giant slalom, 21.75sec behind leader Elisabeth Goergl of Austria.

Having carried the Iran flag at the opening ceremony of the Vancouver Games, she hopes (more...) to inspire other Iranian women to compete for their country.

"All female athletes want to compete at the big competitions, I hope more do so," she said.

"I am very happy to finish the course, because I am the first woman from Iran to compete at a Winter Olympic Games and my mother is watching at home on television.

"The course was very difficult and I'm very tired, because it's my first big competition."

She started skiing at the age of four and decided to take the sport more seriously after winning a national youth games race aged 11.

Having grown up in a family of skiers in Dizin, a popular Iranian ski resort north of Tehran, Kalhor said she was proud to ski for her country on the world stage.

Having led her country at the opening ceremony, Kalhor added that she was inspired by rower Homa Hosseini who carried the Iran flag at the Beijing Olympic Games two years ago.

"She spoke to me in Iran and wished me luck," said Kalhor, who also competed at last year's World Ski Championships in Val d'Isere where she failed to qualify for the giant slalom and was disqualified from the slalom.

Kalhor's hero is Austrian skier Kathrin Zettel and the Iranian was delighted to share the Whistler Creekside course with her idol.

"I'm very happy she is in third place after the first run. I hope she wins," Kalhor said.
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