View source for Ruqaya Al-Ghasra

{{Short description|Bahraini sprinter (born 1982)}}
{{MedalTableTop|image=Roqaya Al-Gassra.JPG|imagesize=200px|caption=Al-Ghasra at the 2009 World Championships
|country_code=BHR|sport=Women's [[Athletics (sport)|athletics]]|medals=
{{Medal|Competition|[[Arab Athletics Championships]]}}
{{Medal|Gold  | [[2003 Arab Athletics Championships|2003 Lebanon]] | 100 m }}
{{Medal|Gold  | 2003 Lebanon | 200 m }}
{{Medal|Competition|[[Asian Indoor Athletics Championships|Asian Indoor Championships]]}}
{{Medal|Silver  | [[2004 Asian Indoor Athletics Championships|2004 Iran]] | 60 m }}
{{Medal|Silver  | 2004 Iran | 200 m }}
{{Medal|Silver  | 2004 Iran | 400 m }}
{{Medal|Gold  | [[2008 Asian Indoor Athletics Championships|2008 Doha]] | 60 m }}
{{Medal|Competition|[[Asian Games]]}}
{{Medal|Bronze  | [[Athletics at the 2006 Asian Games|2006 Doha]] | 100 m }}
{{Medal|Gold  | 2006 Doha | 200 m }}
}}

'''Ruqaya Al-Ghasra''' or '''Rakia Al Gassra''' ({{langx|ar|رقية الغسرة}}; born September 6, 1982),<ref>[https://www.lequipe.fr/Athletisme/AthletismeFicheAthlete5000000000013368.html "Roqaya Al-Gassra"], ''L'Equipe''</ref> is a retired [[Bahrain]]i athlete. She was one of the first women to represent Bahrain at the [[Olympic Games]], by [[Bahrain at the 2004 Summer Olympics|taking part]] in the women's 100 metres sprint at the [[2004 Summer Olympics]] in [[Athens]].<ref name="Running into History">[https://www.espn.com/espn/news/story?id=1887619 "Running into History"], ESPN, September 25, 2004</ref>

She won medals at the [[2006 Asian Games]] and went on to run at the [[2008 Beijing Olympics]] and the [[2009 World Championships in Athletics]].

Al-Ghasra announced her international retirement in 2009, although it was revealed later in July 2010 that she had failed an out of competition doping test and she was banned from competing for two years (between September 17, 2009 and September 16, 2011).

==Career==
===2004 Olympic debut===
[[ESPN]] stated that Al-Ghasra "overcame the objections of fundamentalists in her village" to participate. She ran with a head scarf and her body fully covered.<ref name="Running into History"/> She finished fifth in her heat, with a time of 11.49 seconds, and did not advance.<ref>[http://www.theage.com.au/olympics/articles/2004/08/20/1092972755333.html "From behind the veil"], ''The Age'', August 24, 2004</ref> A time of 11.43 seconds would have enabled her to qualify for the following round.<ref>[https://query.nytimes.com/gst/fullpage.html?res=950CEED6163EF932A1575BC0A9629C8B63 "SUMMER 2004 GAMES; Free at Last, Islamic Women Compete With Abandon"], ''New York Times'', August 21, 2004</ref> By 2006, she had improved her time to 11.34 seconds.<ref>[https://web.archive.org/web/20080401165510/http://www.hindu.com/2006/07/26/stories/2006072605731900.htm "Navpreet Singh and women's relay team top the list"], ''The Hindu'', Juny 26, 2006</ref>

In 2003, Al-Ghasra had won gold in the 100 metre and 200 metre races at the Arabian Championships in [[Lebanon]].<ref name="A first for Bahrain">[http://www.iaaf.org/news/magazine/newsid=38867.html "A first for Bahrain"], International Association of Athletics Federation, June 1, 2007</ref>

In 2004, prior to the Olympics, she won three silver medals, in the 60 metre, 200 metre and 400 metre races, at the [[Asian Indoor Championships]] in [[Iran]]. She also represented Bahrain in the 400 metre event at the [[2004 IAAF World Indoor Championships|World Indoor Championships]] in [[Budapest]].<ref name="A first for Bahrain"/>

===Regional medals===
In 2006, Al-Ghasra won the gold medal in the 200 metre race at the [[Asian Games]], in [[Doha]]. This made her the first Bahraini-born athlete to win gold at a major international athletics competition extending beyond the Arab world. She also won bronze in the 100 metre race.<ref name="A first for Bahrain"/><ref>[http://www.iht.com/articles/ap/2006/12/11/sports/ME_SPT_ATH_Asian_Games_Athletics.php "Bahrain's Ruqaya Al Ghasara wins Asian Games 200, dedicates victory dedicated to all Muslim women"], ''International Herald Tribune'', December 11, 2006</ref><ref>[https://web.archive.org/web/20080308100238/http://english.aljazeera.net/NR/exeres/A3E2CB0F-A9CA-4327-A07B-4675C98E13C7.htm "Glory for Al Ghasara"], Al Jazeera, December 11, 2006</ref><ref>[http://www.gulf-times.com/site/topics/article.asp?cu_no=2&item_no=146930&version=1&template_id=49&parent_id=29 "Shaheen to miss Qatar Grand Prix"], ''Gulf Times'', May 2, 2007</ref> In 2007, she was scheduled to take part in the [[Pan Arab Games]] in [[Egypt]], the [[Asian Championships in Athletics|Asian Championships]] in Lebanon and the [[2007 World Championships in Athletics|IAAF World Championships]] in [[Osaka]].<ref name="A first for Bahrain"/> She pulled out of the latter championships due to injury.<ref name="Olympic dreams for Al Ghasara">[https://web.archive.org/web/20080220022353/http://english.aljazeera.net/NR/exeres/B7A946F9-1AD4-40D6-BFF0-556F134FD475.htm "Olympic dreams for Al Ghasara"], Al Jazeera, February 15, 2008</ref>

In 2008, Al-Ghasra won gold in the 60 metre race at the Asian Indoor Championships in Doha, setting a new championships record with a time of 7.40 seconds.<ref name="Olympic dreams for Al Ghasara"/>

===2008 Olympics and 2009 World Championships===
She qualified to [[Bahrain at the 2008 Summer Olympics|compete]] in the 100 metre and 200 metre events at the [[2008 Summer Olympics]] in [[Beijing]],<ref name="Olympic dreams for Al Ghasara"/> but only competed in the 200 metre race where she reached the [[semi-finals]].<ref name="b08">{{cite web |url=http://results.beijing2008.cn/WRM/ENG/BIO/Athlete/6/8003846.shtml |title=Athlete Biography: AL GHASARA Roqaya |website=Beijing2008.cn |publisher=[[The Beijing Organizing Committee for the Games of the XXIX Olympiad]] |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080809104626/http://results.beijing2008.cn/WRM/ENG/BIO/Athlete/6/8003846.shtml |archive-date=August 9, 2008 |access-date=}}</ref> She was her country's [[2008 Summer Olympics national flag bearers|flagbearer]] at the Games' [[2008 Summer Olympics Opening Ceremony|opening ceremony]].<ref>[http://www.gulf-daily-news.com/Story.asp?Article=225153&Sn=SPOR&IssueID=31134 "Bahrain gear up for Games"], ''Gulf Daily News'', August 1, 2008</ref>

At the [[2009 World Championships in Athletics]] in [[Berlin]], she reached the [[quarter-finals]] of the 100&nbsp;m, and the semi-finals of the 200&nbsp;m, recording season's bests of 11.49 and 23.26&nbsp;seconds respectively, although these results were later disqualified to a anti-doping ban.<ref>[http://www.iaaf.org/athletes/biographies/country=brn/athcode=186713/index.html Al-Gassra Rakia]. [[IAAF]]. Retrieved August 8, 2010.</ref> At the end of the year, she announced her retirement from international athletics at the age of 27, to much surprise. She said that she came to the decision following consultation with doctors and specialists, who advised to take a long period off in order to undergo treatment and improve her general health.<ref>[http://www.all-athletics.com/en-us/2009-12-17/bahraini-sprinter-rakia-al-gassra-retires-health-reasons Bahraini sprinter Rakia Al Gassra retires for health reasons]. All-Athletics (December 17, 2009). Retrieved August 8, 2010.</ref> However, it was revealed in July 2010 that Al-Ghasra had failed an out of competition doping test and she was banned from competing for two years (between September 17, 2009 and September 16, 2011).<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.iaaf.org/mm/Document/News/GeneralNews/05/74/65/20100720095635_httppostedfile_NEWS115_21257.pdf |title=IAAF Newsletter - Edition 115 |publisher=[[IAAF]] |date=July 20, 2010 |access-date=August 8, 2010 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121026024703/http://www.iaaf.org/mm/Document/News/GeneralNews/05/74/65/20100720095635_httppostedfile_NEWS115_21257.pdf |archive-date=26 October 2012}}</ref>

==See also==
*[[List of doping cases in athletics]]

==References==
{{reflist|2}}

==External links==
* [https://www.espn.com/espn/page2/story?page=lukas/061219 "Nike swoosh raises debate"], ESPN (about al-Gassra's "corporate-branded hijab")

{{Footer Asian Games Champions 200 metres Women}}
{{Footer Asian Indoor Champions women's 60 metres}}
{{Footer Asian Indoor Champions women's 400 metres}}
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{{DEFAULTSORT:Ghasra, Ruqaya Al-}}
[[Category:1982 births]]
[[Category:Living people]]
[[Category:Bahraini female sprinters]]
[[Category:Olympic athletes for Bahrain]]
[[Category:Athletes (track and field) at the 2004 Summer Olympics]]
[[Category:Athletes (track and field) at the 2008 Summer Olympics]]
[[Category:Asian Games gold medalists for Bahrain]]
[[Category:Asian Games athletes for Bahrain]]
[[Category:Asian Games bronze medalists for Bahrain]]
[[Category:Athletes (track and field) at the 2006 Asian Games]]
[[Category:Doping cases in athletics]]
[[Category:Bahraini sportspeople in doping cases]]
[[Category:Medalists at the 2006 Asian Games]]
[[Category:Asian Indoor Athletics Championships winners]]
[[Category:Arab Athletics Championships winners]]
[[Category:Asian Games gold medalists in athletics (track and field)]]