Who is Fariba Hashimi? All you need to know about Asian Games 2026 silver-winning Afghan cyclist
(Courtesy : X/@vaagaimedia)
Fariba Hashimi’s cycling journey began in Faryab.
Fariba Hashimi won silver in the women’s road race at the Asian Games 2026 on September 22, becoming Afghanistan’s first female medallist in the competition since 2002. She finished in 2 hours, 50 minutes and 5 seconds, losing the gold to China’s Guo Li in a photo-finish.
Incredibly, only a couple of days earlier, she had finished seventh in the time trial. The 23-year-old also made it clear how little support she had in Aichi-Nagoya. She said she was there without a mechanic and “without any preparation”.
“I’m here without a mechanic, without any preparation. We brought one guy with us from the national federation, and he just drove the car.”
Her sights are now set on the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics. But before looking ahead, let’s take a closer look at the journey that brought her to this point.
She was born in Faryab
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Hashimi was born on 22 April 2003. Her cycling journey began in Faryab, a remote and conservative province in northern Afghanistan.
In 2017, she and her older sister Yulduz saw an advert for a local race. Neither had ever ridden a bike. They borrowed neighbours’ bikes, spent a few hours learning and entered. Fariba won, with Yulduz finishing second. She wore a scarf, mask and sunglasses to hide her identity.
The sisters kept racing in secret under false names. The reasons are obvious, given the harsh rules against women in Afghanistan.
She revealed the dangers she faced while training, often dressing as a man on her way to practice and covering her face whenever possible. She said people who recognised her sometimes threw stones or hit her.
Escaped to Italy
The Taliban returned to power in 2021, and Hashimi fled Afghanistan. She received crucial support from Alessandra Cappellotto, president of the women’s empowerment group Road to Equality. She helped Afghan cyclists reach Italy in August 2021.
The sisters settled in northern Italy and trained in the Little Dolomites. Cappellotto arranged everything from language lessons to a contract with an Italian team.
Who supported her?
The Hashimi sisters have had backing from cycling and Olympic bodies. In 2022, the UCI hosted the Afghan road championships in Aigle, Switzerland, for around 50 exiled cyclists. Fariba beat her sister to clinch the title.
Olympic Solidarity funding then helped both sisters join the UCI World Cycling Centre in Aigle, where riders get high-level training and racing experience. The scholarships gave them financial and technical support.
Her performances across the world
Hashimi turned professional with Valcar–Travel & Service in 2022 and moved to Israel Premier Tech Roland Development in 2023. At the UCI Road World Championships in Glasgow that year, she and Yulduz became the first Afghan women to compete at the event since the Taliban returned to power.
However, 2024 proved to be her breakthrough year. She and her sister Yulduz were part of Afghanistan’s six-member, gender-balanced team at the Paris Olympics, with Fariba also serving as one of the country’s opening ceremony flag bearers.
She attacked with 125km to go in the road race, drove the breakaway and finished 75th. Weeks later, she made more history.
Racing for the UCI World Cycling Centre team, she won the queen stage of the Tour de l’Ardèche with a solo attack. That made her the first female Afghan cyclist to win a UCI race. She also finished eighth at the Tour de l’Avenir Femmes and tenth at the Giro Mediterraneo in Rosa.
In 2025, she joined Ceratizit-WNT Pro Cycling and became the first Afghan rider in the Women’s WorldTour. This year, she rides for Vini Fantini–BePink.
Hashimi says her ambitions go beyond results. She hopes to ride the streets of Kabul one day, side by side with Afghan women. After Aichi-Nagoya, she has a bigger platform to push for that.
For a woman born and raised in a country where women face severe restrictions on their freedom of movement, Hashimi’s journey and achievements stand as an inspiration to people around the world.
What did Fariba Hashimi achieve at the Asian Games 2026?
Fariba Hashimi won silver in the women’s road race at the Asian Games 2026 on September 22, becoming Afghanistan’s first female medallist in the competition since 2002.
Where does Fariba Hashimi currently live?
The Taliban returned to power in 2021, and Hashimi fled Afghanistan. She received crucial support from Alessandra Cappellotto, president of the women’s empowerment group Road to Equality. She helped Afghan cyclists reach Italy in August 2021.
The sisters settled in northern Italy and trained in the Little Dolomites.
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