Where Is the Afghan Female Runner?
TIME By JEFF ISRAELY Wednesday, Jul. 09, 2008 Mehbooba Andyar’s choice to compete in a head scarf and full-length, body-covering running suit could not spare her from Taliban taunts and threats. The Afghan middle-distance runner nonetheless trekked on and was on the verge of realizing her Olympic dream. But now Andyar – slated to be the only female Afghan athlete at the Beijing Games – has gone missing from her training site just weeks before the opening ceremonies. Andyar has not contacted any Afghan or international track-and-field authorities since disappearing Friday from a training facility in Formia, Italy, 106 miles (170 km) south of Rome, where she and other international athletes were based in June. Italian police are investigating the disappearance, though there are no signs of foul play. Her bags and passport were also gone from her room, a sign that she may have left on her own. No scenario is being ruled out, and Andyar did not have any special security detail. One possibl
