Elnaz Rekabi, Iranian climber who competed without hijab, greeted by cheering crowds in Tehran

Elnaz Rekabi was met by hordes of reporters and admirers at the Imam Khomeini International Airport, many of whom applauded, chanted her name and called her a hero.

Iranian competitive climber Elnaz Rekabi was greeted in Tehran on Wednesday by large, cheering crowds in support of the athlete who competed in South Korea without wearing a mandatory headscarf.

Rekabi, 33, was met by hordes of reporters and admirers at the Imam Khomeini international airport, many of whom applauded, chanted her name and called her a hero.

All female athletes from the Islamic Republic are required to wear a hijab during competitive sports and international appearances. On Sunday, Rekabi competed in Seoul wearing just a black headband with her dark hair tied in a ponytail. Iran’s flag was emblazoned across her shirt.

Supporters of Rekabi believe she actively chose not to wear the headscarf in response to intense protests in Iran following the Sept. 16 death of 22-year-old Mahsa Amini, who was detained by Iran’s morality police. Amini was accused of breaking a morality law that requires women to wear a headscarf, cover their arms and legs and wear loose clothing.

The demonstrations, drawing school-age children, oil workers and others to the streets in over 100 cities across the nation, represent the most serious challenge to Iran’s theocracy since the mass protests surrounding its disputed 2009 presidential election. Many Iranian women have since removed their government mandated hijabs in public.

At the airport, Rekabi maintained to reporters that not wearing a hijab in Seoul was “unintentional.” A statement allegedly from Rekabi was posted to social media this week where she claimed she “forgot” to wear her hijab after leaving a women’s-only waiting area prior to her competition.

Rekabi appeared at the Imam Khomeini International Airport wearing a ballcap and hoodie to cover her hair.