She lasted only a minute or so on the mat — but Saudi Arabia's female judo fighter has left quite a mark in London and beyond.

"I'll walk out later with the Saudi flag around my neck & my head up high as if we won the biggest gold medal in the history of the Olympics," wrote a Saudi-born man who has a blog called Saudi Root.

Another resident in the conservative Gulf kingdom, Alaa Al-Mizyen, added: "Wojdan remains a winner to me and millions of men AND women around the world."

Wojdan Ali Seraj Abdulrahim Shahrkhani's opponent also had kind words, and said fears the hijab would get in the way, or even be dangerous, were overblown.

After the briefest of fights, the 18-year-old walked with her father past a scrum of journalists and television cameras.

"I am happy to be at the Olympics," she whispered in Arabic, her father holding both her arms. "Unfortunately, we did not win a medal, but in the future we will and I will be a star for women's participation."

— Paul Haven — Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/paulhaven

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EDITOR'S NOTE — "Eyes on London" shows you the Olympics through the eyes of Associated Press journalists across the 2012 Olympic city and around the world. Follow them on Twitter where available with the handles listed after each item.