The Muslim women who overcame the odds and the prejudice to make history today on the Olympic stage Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2183262/Olympics-2012-The-Muslim-women-overcame-odds-make-London.html#ixzz2Ic7aRttH Follow us: @MailOnline on Twitter | DailyMail on Facebook

Saudi Arabia, Qatar and Brunei have all entered women athletes into the 2012 Olympic Games for the first time 

Judo entrant Wojdan Shaherkani, of Saudi Arabia, is aged just 16. She is one of two women representing Saudi Arabia, the other being Sarah Attar, 20, who has dual US citizenship

Qatar's Noor Hussain Al-Malki, 17, is the first female athlete to compete for her country at the Olympics and is a 100m sprinter

23-year-old Tahmina Kohistani, from Afghanistan is competing for the first time at the Olympics, also a 100m sprinter

Oman's Shinoona Salah al-Habsi, 19, and Yemen's Fatima Sulaiman Dahman, 19, are both debuting at the Games

Judoka Shaherkani's Olympics lasted just over a minute this morning, but the fact she made it to her bout with Puerto Rico's Melissa Mojica meant it was a revolutionary moment for the women of Saudi Arabia. 

The country's ultra-conservative clergy tried to destroy her ambitions to be Saudi's first female Olympian, before an argument about the type of headscarf she should wear jeopardised her place at the eleventh hour. 

And though Afghanistan's Kohistani trailed in last in the 100 metres - in a time of 14.42 seconds - the warm appreciation of the London crowd who recognised her historic feat must have been the greatest of feelings.

She has suffered months of harassment from men who don't believe women should be permitted to play sport.

Follow us: @MailOnline on Judoka Shaherkani's Olympics lasted just over a minute this morning, but the fact she made it to her bout with Puerto Rico's Melissa Mojica meant it was a revolutionary moment for the women of Saudi Arabia. 

The country's ultra-conservative clergy tried to destroy her ambitions to be Saudi's first female Olympian, before an argument about the type of headscarf she should wear jeopardised her place at the eleventh hour. 

And though Afghanistan's Kohistani trailed in last in the 100 metres - in a time of 14.42 seconds - the warm appreciation of the London crowd who recognised her historic feat must have been the greatest of feelings.

She has suffered months of harassment from men who don't believe women should be permitted to play sport.

Both have made a strong statement to the people of their respective countries and the world with their determination to take part and their dignity.

As did Noor Hussain Al-Malki, only the fourth female athlete from Qatar to enter the Olympics, who lasted just a dozen strides before pulling up injured in her 100m heat.

The record books will show DNF - Did Not Finish - but they were significant strides.

Shinoona Salah Al-Habsi of Oman and Sulaiman Fatima Dahman from Yemen are unlikely to trouble the favourites for gold, but as they sprinted down the track in the Olympic Stadium wearing colourful hijabs there was a sense of progress.