The International Judo Federation has ruled that a competitor from Saudi Arabia – one of the country’s first female athletes ever selected for the Olympics – will not be allowed to wear a headscarf during competition. IJF President Marius Vizer said that "according to the principles and spirit of judo" Wojdan Ali Seraj Abdulrahim Shahrkhani could not compete. 

Federation spokesman Nicolas Messner said the decision was made due to safety concerns.

"In judo we use strangleholds and chokeholds so the hijab could be dangerous,'' Messner said, adding that the Japanese martial art does not recognise differences in things like politics or religion.

"The only difference between competitors should be their level of judo,'' Messner said.