Fariba Hashimi: The Afghan cyclist who won a silver medal in the women's cycling road race at Asian Games 2026

Fariba Hashmi got on her first bike less than a decade ago and once she started training for the big leagues, she did so while hiding behind sunglasses and scarves in the Faryab, an isolated northern province in Afghanistan.

But the 2024 Paris Olympian won a silver medal in the women's cycling road race at the Asian Games 2026, becoming Afghanistan's first female medallist in the competition since 2002.

Who is Fariba Hashimi, Afghanistan's first female medalist in women's cycling road race since 2002?

Fariba said that she came to the Asian Games dreaming of standing on the podium and representing her country, who also finished seventh in the women's time trial on Sunday, September 20.

Fariba had to flee her homeland in 2021, when the Taliban regained power and subsequently heavily restricted women's freedom in the country, proving that Fariba's silver win in Aichi-Nagoya was more than just winning a medal at a sport.  

"This silver medal can show a lot of resilience from Afghan women," said the 23-year-old, who is an Olympic Solidarity scholarship holder. I'm not alone. I know that behind me are millions of women, from many countries, who have the same dream. They are standing with me."

Fariba Hashimi on how she discovered cycling

The first time Fariba won a cycling race was just nine years ago, in 2017. Alongside her elder sister, Yulduz Hashimi, she spotted an advertisement for a race in the Faryab area, but they had never ridden a bike before, nor had one.

The sisters borrowed their neighbours’ bikes and spent a few hours learning to ride before entering the race. Disguised in headscarves, masks, and sunglasses in the remote, conservative surroundings of Faryab, Fariba finished in first place. Yulduz was in second. “I felt like a bird who could fly,” Fariba told the BBC. “It felt amazing.”

The taste of freedom was intoxicating, and the sisters refused to let it go. Operating under false names and concealed in heavy racing gear, they slipped into the local track unnoticed. But speed always leaves a trail—and before long, both the locals and the press began to piece the puzzle together.

"No one ever thought that women would ride bicycles in Faryab," Fariba told Reuters. "We thought it would be small, but it caused quite a stir. I always dressed as a man to go to train."

Training became an ordeal in the face of violence. As the girls rode, they faced stones and bottles that had been thrown, regular outrage, and constant surveillance. "They were trying to make us go home by being aggressive and attacking us," said Fariba.

"I had a really bad time, but I’m not saying my people are bad. We’ve got such a wonderful country. But the mentality is different.”

On one occasion, a rickshaw driver had rammed into Yulduz on her bike, breaking her wrist.

"Once before a race, my father asked me, 'Do you want to ride? I’m fine with it, but I’m afraid they might kill you'," recalled Fariba. "In Afghanistan, this kind of freedom does not exist."

Fariba Hashimi’s rising cycling career

Settling into her new life in Italy, Fariba immediately set out to conquer the international cycling scene. In 2022, after racing in exile alongside 50 fellow refugee cyclists at the Afghanistan National Championships in Switzerland, she earned her first Women’s WorldTour contract. She quickly backed up her entry with impressive performances at the Tour de l’Avenir Femmes and Giro Mediterraneo in Rosa.

Alongside her sister Yulduz, Fariba forged a path of historic firsts. At the UCI Road World Championships in Glasgow, the duo became the first women to represent Afghanistan since the Taliban regained power. With the help of Olympic scholarships, both sisters earned spots on the six-member, gender-equal Afghan team at the Paris 2024 Olympics. Fariba brought the milestone year to a triumphant close by winning the queen stage of the Tour de l’Ardèche, marking the first-ever UCI victory by a female Afghan cyclist.

For more updates, join/follow our WhatsApp, Telegram and YouTube channels.