TEHRAN - Sprinter Farzaneh Fasihi broke the 100 meters Iran’s women’s record after eight years by setting 11.44 seconds in the 2022 Turkish Athletics Championships in Bursa, Turkey.

Dubbed the Wind Girl, Fasihi bettered Maryam Toosi's Iran record. She also holds Iran’s record of 60 meters indoor with 7.25 seconds.

“I had planned to break the record,” Fasihi said in her interview with Tehran Times.

"I’m so happy to achieve new successes, because breaking the 100m record was one of my main goals.

“Thank God, I achieved my goal. Of course, this is just the beginning of my work, and nothing is finished. It motivates me and makes me feel more confident in myself and do better in the upcoming competitions,” she added.

Farzaneh Fasihi's first international experience was at the 2016 Asian Indoor Athletics Championships in Doha, where she finished in 5th place in 60 meters and achieved a silver in the 4x400 meter relay.

“I broke the 100 meters record one month ago in Mashhad, Iran, but because of a technical problem, the record was not officially registered.

“That was very upsetting, but because my goal was big, I was not discouraged and became even more determined to continue working. I knew that my hard world would pay off one day, and it was clear to me,” she stated.

The sprinter responded to his critics with his record-breaking run: “I believe that the time determines everything.

“Before the 2020 Olympics, I was criticized a lot, and I was really under pressure. I ignored those judgments and kept trying until good things happened to me, and time solved everything and answered all the misjudgments,” Fasihis said.

“The name of Iran gives me extra motivation. As an Iranian girl, I am proud to compete with strong athletes. I hope to be a good representative of my country and say how capable Iranian girls are," Fasihi concluded.