She was the only female athlete in the Pakistan team competing in the Women's 1500 metres event at the 2000 Summer Olympics in Sydney, Australia.
The main objection raised was that track and field traditionally how a Pakistani woman could race in a competition in which other women do not wear clothes that cover their body.
She realized that if she qualified, she would have to wear a jogging suit while others wore shorts, per Pakistani law.
[3] While running qualifying races in the daytime in her home country, spectators threw rocks and tomatoes at her.
[2] In 2008, after running a marathon in Toronto, Hidayat claimed refugee status in Canada[2] due to safety concerns in Pakistan.