Iranian sportswoman Faranak Parto Azar has been named the greatest female cyclist in Asia, thanks to her superb performances at continental and international sports events.
In the latest classification published by the Union Cycliste Internationale (UCI), which is the world governing body for sports cycling, the 29-year-old Iranian received 392 points in the individual cross-country women elite rankings, and was placed ahead of Yao Bianwa from China with 200 points.
Parto Azar claimed the world’s 66th spot, while the Chinese cyclist sat in the 128th slot.
Japan’s Kanako Kobayashi claimed the third place in Asia and the world’s 146 position, having tallied 180 points.
Waka Takeda, another representative from Japan, collected 157 points, and occupied the fourth continual slot and claimed the 170th global ranking
Meanwhile, Iran national women's cross-country was picked as the second greatest Asian team with 552 points. The Persians followed by the Chinese team, who racked up 680 points.
National Japanese and Philippine cross-country cycling teams were named the third- and fourth-ranked Asian squads with 507 and 276 points.