US | Kulsum Abdullah Full-Body Duds OK'd for Muslim Weightlifters Happy Atlanta Muslim woman helps spark international rule change By Mary Papenfuss Posted Jul 1, 2011 2:05 AM CDT Copied Kulsoom Abdullah, 35, competes last year in a local competition. Now she can stay covered up and still participate in competitions sponsored by the International Weightlifting Federation. (AP Photo/Kulsoom Abdullah) An American Muslim woman may now cover up when she competes in national weightlifting competitions, a sports panel has decided. Female Muslim competitors can opt to wear a body-covering one-piece "unitard" that will cover their arms and legs—along with a veil to cover their hair—under news rules announced by the International Weightlifting Federation. The tight-fitting unitard will still allow officials to verify lifts. The change was sparked in part by the plea of an Atlanta computer engineer who send a video to the panel demonstrating possible alternative uniforms that wouldn't compromise a Muslim woman's modesty. “I’m really happy that it happened,” Kulsum Abdullah, 35, tells the Atlanta Journal-Constitution. "The one advantage to all of this is that it raised a lot of awareness. I hope it will help with other sports that other Muslim women participate in.” The Iranian women's soccer team has been barred from Olympic competition because players insist on wearing a full body uniform and head scarves. The IWF president said weightlifting rules were changed "in the spirit of fairness, equality, and inclusion." Read These Next New Fox star, 23, misses first day after car troubles. Man accused of killing his daughters might be dead. White House rolls with Trump's 'daddy' nickname. Iran's supreme leader makes first public comments since ceasefire. Report an error