Paris Olympics: Iranian wrestlers stamp their authority on biggest stage with 8 medals

By Alireza Akbari

Iranian wrestlers again accomplished what they had set out for, etching their names in the annals of the country’s sports history with the highest number of medals in any Olympics.

The 11-member Iranian wrestling team at the Paris 2024 Olympics claimed eight medals, including two golds, four silvers, and two bronzes, lifting Iran to 21st place in the final medal tally.

The wrestlers competed during the second half of the marquee sports event hosted by Paris. In the first week, Iranian athletes fell short of reaching the podium and returned home empty-handed.

However, in the second half of the intense competition, the wrestlers and taekwondo athletes rose to the occasion, winning a total of 12 medals for their country before the Games concluded.

Iranian wrestlers, in particular, made a significant impact at the Paris 2024 Olympics. Of the 11 wrestlers representing Iran, 8 returned with medals: 2 golds, 4 silvers, and 2 bronzes.

Their exceptional performance not only boosted Iran's medal tally but also set new records, showcasing new young talent on the global stage.

Among the 41 athletes in the Iranian contingent at the Paris Olympics, the standout performers were the 11 wrestlers from both the Greco-Roman and freestyle divisions.

Competing at the 10,000-square-meter Champ-de-Mars Arena from August 5 to 7, six Iranian Greco-Roman wrestlers represented their country with pride and fought like true warriors.

Greco-Roman wrestling

Amin Mirzazadeh was the first to secure a medal for Iran, earning a bronze in the 130-kg category.

Although he missed out on a better-colored medal, his 4-0 victory over Azerbaijan's Sabah Shariati marked a significant achievement for the Iranian team.

On his way to the bronze medal match, Mirzazadeh defeated American wrestler Adam Coon with a 3-0 scoreline but lost to Cuba's legendary wrestler Mijaín López in the semifinals.

Iran's first gold medal at the Paris 2024 Olympics came from Greco-Roman wrestler Mohammad Hadi Saravi in the 97-kg category. Saravi's journey to the top was marked by a series of decisive victories, highlighting his dominance and determination to avenge his loss at the Tokyo Olympics.

In the opening round, he overpowered Joseph Rau of the United States with a resounding 10-1 victory, setting the tone for his Olympic campaign. He then advanced with a 6-0 win over Egypt's Mohamed Gabr and an 8-0 victory over Kyrgyzstan's Uzur Dzhuzupbekov.

In the final showdown, Saravi faced Armenian opponent Artur Aleksanyan, a former Olympic and world champion. Saravi displayed remarkable poise and skill, clinching Iran's first gold medal at the Paris Olympics. This gold medal performance in Paris followed his gold at the 2021 World Wrestling Championships in Oslo and a bronze at the 2020 Tokyo Olympics.

Iran's second gold medal at the Paris Olympics was secured by Saeid Esmaeili in the 67-kg Greco-Roman wrestling category, a young star making his Olympic debut. Esmaeili's campaign began with a flawless 10-0 victory against Algeria's Ishak Ghaiou, setting the stage for a memorable Olympic journey.

In the following round, Esmaeili delivered a stunning upset, decisively defeating world and Olympic champion Luis Alberto Orta Sánchez of Cuba with an 8-0 score to secure his spot in the semifinals.

In a high-adrenaline semifinal bout filled with tension, Esmaeili overcame the challenge from Armenian opponent Slavik Galstyan, winning 10-4.

In the final, he faced Ukraine's Parviz Nasibov and emerged victorious with a narrow 6-5 win, clinching the gold medal and establishing himself as one of Iran's brightest young wrestling talents.

Alireza Mohmadi, competing in the 87-kg category—one weight class above his usual—delivered a dominant performance that secured him a silver medal, the fourth for Iran's wrestling team at the Paris Games.

Mohmadi began with a commanding 9-0 victory over Colombia’s Carlos Andres Munoz Jaramillo and continued his dominance by defeating Poland's Arkadiusz Kułynycz 10-1 in the quarterfinals.

In a closely contested semifinal, Mohmadi edged past Ukraine's Zhan Beleniuk 3-3, advancing to the gold medal match by virtue of scoring the last point.

In the final, he faced Bulgaria’s Semen Novikov and was defeated 0-7, settling for the silver medal and adding another accolade to his career.

Freestyle wrestling

The freestyle wrestling events followed the Greco-Roman competitions, with five Iranian wrestlers participating, all of them with mighty ambitions and steely resolve.

Leading the charge was Hassan Yazdani in the 86-kg category. Yazdani, captain of Iran’s wrestling team, had previously won gold in Rio 2016 and silver in Tokyo 2020.

In Paris, Yazdani dominated his opening match with a 10-0 victory over Australia’s Alexander Lawrence.

He continued his impressive form by defeating Greece's Dauren Khalidovich Kurugliev 9-4, securing a spot in the semifinals. Yazdani then cruised into the final with a 7-1 win over M. N. Amine of San Marino in the semis. Despite sustaining an injury in the final, Yazdani fought valiantly against Bulgaria’s Magomed Ramazanov but ultimately settled for the silver medal.

This achievement brought Yazdani level with the legendary Iranian wrestler Gholamreza Takhti's record of three Olympic medals.

Amir Hossein Zare, competing in the 125-kg weight class, was another strong medal contender for Iran. The 23-year-old began with a solid 5-0 victory over Kyrgyzstan’s Aiaal Lazarev.

He then dominated Canada's Amar Dhesi with a 10-0 win in the quarterfinals and secured a hard-fought 2-1 victory over Turkey's Taha Akgül, the 2016 Olympic gold medalist, in the semifinals.

In the gold medal match, Zare faced Georgia’s Geno Petriashvili. After a high-voltage bout marked by intense exchanges, Zare fell just short, securing a silver medal with a 10-9 score.

Zare had previously won a bronze medal at the Tokyo 2020 Olympics.

Paris Olympics: Iran’s taekwondo 'stars' bring laurels to country with four medals

Iran was represented by 40 athletes at the Paris Olympics, including four young taekwondo athletes. All four of them won medals, bringing laurels to their country.

Rahman Amouzad, a rising star in the 65-kg freestyle category, was virtually unstoppable until the final encounter, conceding no points against formidable opponents.

The 22-year-old showcased his skill and determination, winning his first three bouts with perfect scores—defeating Zain Allen Retherford of the US 8-0, European champion Islam Dudaev of Albania 11-0, and former world and European champion Ismail Musukaev of Hungary 10-0 in the semifinals.

In the final encounter, Amouzad faced a tough challenge from Japan’s Kotaro Kiyooka and ultimately settled for the silver medal.

Amir Ali Azarpira, competing in the 97-kg category, rebounded from an initial 3-4 loss to Bahrain’s world champion Akhmed Tazhudidov. After Tazhudidov advanced to the final, Azarpira earned a second chance through the repechage round and seized the opportunity, defeating Alisher Yergali of Kazakhstan 6-1 to reach the bronze medal match.

In a thrilling match, the 22-year-old former U23 gold medalist faced off against former world and Olympic champion Kyle Snyder of the US. Azarpira delivered a remarkable performance, securing a 4-1 victory and earning a bronze medal for Iran.

His bronze brought Iran's total medal count at the Paris Olympics to 12.

The 2012 London Olympics marked a historic high for Iranian wrestling, with the team securing 4 golds, 1 silver, and 1 bronze. The 1956 Melbourne Olympics also saw Iranian wrestlers shine, bringing home 2 golds and 2 silvers. In 1996 in Atlanta, Iranian wrestlers won 1 gold, 1 silver, and 1 bronze.

The London 2012 and Rio 2016 Olympics are remembered for some of Iran's best wrestling performances, with the freestyle team winning 1 gold, 1 silver, and 1 bronze in Rio, and the Greco-Roman team securing 3 golds in London.

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