Elnaz Rekabi: Iranian climber who competed without hijab given 'heroine's welcome' in Tehran

Protesters holding fistfuls of their own hair after cutting by themselves shout slogans during a rally to support Iranian competitive climber Elnaz Rekabi, outside the Iranian Embassy in Seoul, South Korea, Wednesday, Oct. 19, 2022. [AP]

Iranian climber Elnaz Rekabi returned to Tehran early Wednesday after competing in South Korea without wearing a headscarf, an act widely seen as support for anti-government demonstrators amid weeks of protests over the Islamic Republic's mandatory hijab.

After landing, Rekabi gave a careful, emotionless interview to Iran's hard-line state television, saying that going without a hijab had been an "unintentional" act on her part. However, hundreds gathered outside Imam Khomeini International Airport - including women not wearing the hijab - and cheered for "Elnaz the Champion," casting Rekabi as an inspiration for their continued protests.