In Brief
- The 23-year-old cyclist completed the race in 2:50:05 to place second behind gold medalist Guo Li of China.
- The result made Hashimi the first Afghan woman to earn an Asian Games medal since 2002.
- Hashimi left Afghanistan following the Taliban's return to power in 2021 and now resides and trains professionally in Italy.
Twenty-three-year-old Afghan cyclist Fariba Hashimi earned the silver medal in the women’s road race at the 2026 Asian Games in Aichi-Nagoya, Japan, on September 22, 2026. Hashimi completed the course in 2:50:05, finishing behind China's Guo Li. During her early training in Faryab province, Afghanistan, Hashimi disguised herself as a man using loose clothing and face covers to avoid attacks and hostility while riding.
Following the Taliban's return to power in 2021, Hashimi evacuated Afghanistan with assistance from former Italian world champion cyclist Alessandra Cappellotto. She relocated to Italy to join a professional training program alongside her sister, Yulduz Hashimi. Prior to the 2026 Asian Games, Hashimi competed for Afghanistan at the 2024 Paris Olympics.
