Saudi Arabia will not send any women to compete at the London Olympics, a local daily newspaper reported. Citing an unnamed Saudi official, the report said that no women met the country's qualification standards, while men trying for spots on the country's track, equestrian and weightlifting teams, did. The news comes two weeks after officials from the Saudi Embassy in London reversed a previous position and indicated that women who qualified for the Games would be allowed to compete—an encouraging statement that raised hope among International Olympic Committee officials, who have been pushing the conservative kingdom to include women in the Games for the first time. The country could face IOC sanctions if the committee finds that women were excluded.
